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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Material waste recovery rate on the rise Ore. Attorney Gen. requires
The statewide solid waste
recovery rate for 2001 is 46.8
percent, according to the Ore-
gon Dept. of Environmental
Quality (DEQ), which re-
cently released figures from
its 10th annual survey of gar-
bage haulers and private recy-
cling companies.
The new rate reflects a 3.7
percent increase in actual ma-
terial waste recovery in Ore-
gon, plus another 4.2 percent
increase attributable to new
ways of calculating the rate, as
directed by the Oregon Legis-
lature. Last year’s waste re-
covery rate was 38.9 percent.
The 3.7 percent increase
in actual material recovery can
be attributed to a variety of
trends that include more recy-
cling of reusable material and
improved waste recovery pro-
grams in commun ities
throughout the state, said
DEQ.
“There are many factors at
work here to give us the 46.8
percent rate, which is the
highest level ever,” said Mary
Sue Gilliland, of DEQ.
“The bottom line is that
recycling is working. Efforts
put into waste recovery by
local governments are paying
off significantly,” said
Gilliland.
The recovery rates include
materials collected for recy-
cling or composting, as well
as some material burned for
energy recovery.
Major types of materials
recovered include paper, or-
ganics (wood waste, yard de-
bris and food waste), metals,
plastics, glass, used tires and
used motor oil.
Among some of the more
notable trends:
*An increase in material
recycling of roughly 12 per-
cent was spurred in part by
more curbside recycling pro-
grams statewide, the move to
co-mingle different types of
recyclable items at the curb,
and the identification of more
processors and end markets
for Oregon recyclable materi-
als.
*A broadening of the
waste recovery rate calcula-
tion in the new statewide
waste prevention and recovery
legislation (House Bill 3744)
passed by the Legislature in
2001.
The change in law allows
the state to incorporate waste
reduction credits from county
wasteshed backyard residen-
tial composting and reuse pro-
grams initiated by those local
governments in the statewide
recovery calculation. It also
allowed Marion County to
include recyclable materials
burned for energy in its waste
recovery rate. These changes
contributed to 4.2 percent of
the statewide waste recovery
increase.
*A decline of roughly 6
percent in the amount of mate-
rials going to landfills, reflect-
ing a growing effectiveness of
county and local programs
that encourage waste preven-
tion and product recycling.
For example, more communi-
ties are offering yard debris
collection/recycling programs
and are promoting residential
backyard composting.
*A weakened economy,
which likely encouraged peo-
ple to reuse existing goods
rather than dispose of them.
*A slight increase in per
capita waste generation. De-
spite Oregonians’ increased
generation of waste, more of
that waste is being recycled or
recovered. Still, solid waste
officials would like to see
more Oregonians reduce the
amount of waste they generate
in the first place, Gilliland
said.
In 2001, each Oregonian
generated 2,676 pounds of
waste, an increase of 1.2 per-
cent from the 2,645 pounds in
2000. The previous year had
seen a slight decrease in the
amount of per capita waste
DHS announces new leaders
Jim Neely, assistant direc-
tor of Oregon Dept. of Human
Services, Children, Adults &
Families (DHS), was recently
appointed the agency’s deputy
director.
Margy Johnson, DHS
Health Services deputy assis-
tant director, was named Fi-
nance and Policy Analysis
head.
“Jim and Margy have long
and varied experience in DHS.
They’ll be essential members
of our leadership team,” said
acting DHS Director Jean I.
Thorne.
Neely, 53, of Eugene,
joined DHS in 1974 as a wel-
fare assistance worker. He has
held a variety of leadership
positions with the agency’s
welfare programs, including
management of operations in
Eugene.
Johnson, 57, of Salem, has
been with DHS since 1982,
working primarily with mental
health programs and services
for people with disabilities.
She has agreed to hold the
new position through the 2003
legislative session. A recruit-
ment for the position will then
be conducted.
DHS oversees a range of
health and social services pro-
grams. The state’s largest gov-
ernmental agency, it has ap-
proximately 9,500 employees.
(R)
generated. DEQ believes that
the 2001 increase is partially
caused by improvements in
data collection.
Per capita disposal de-
creased. In 2001, each Orego-
nian disposed of 1,521 pounds
of waste, down 5.9 percent
from the 1,617 pounds per
capita in 2000. Overall dis-
posal declined from 2.78 mil-
lion tons in 2000 to 2.64 mil-
lion tons in 2001. This was the
second year in a row in which
tonnage disposal levels de-
clined. (2000 was the first
year of a declining disposal
level ever recorded.)
The total amount of re-
covered material collected in
2001 was 2,004,024 tons, or
1,154 pounds per person. That
represents a 12.3 percent per
capita increase from the
1,765,813 tons (1,028 pounds
per capita) in 2000.
At the county level, total
waste recovery rates ranged
from a high of 55.7 percent in
Marion County to a low of
11.2 percent in Lake County.
The Portland metro area
(Clackamas, Multnomah and
Washington counties are cal-
culated as one wasteshed) re-
ported a 54.9 percent total
waste recovery rate, up from
2000’s 51 percent rate.
All counties met their re-
quired waste recovery rates
with the exception of Hood
River and Wasco counties.
Oregon law states that Oregon
should meet a statewide waste
recovery rate of 45 percent for
the calendar year 2005. New
wasteshed goals, to be effec-
tive in 2005, were spelled out
in House Bill 3744.
Of all the materials recov-
ered in 2001, organics (mainly
wood waste and yard debris)
made up 40.9 percent, fol-
lowed by paper (33.9 percent),
metals (13.4 percent), glass
(4.7 percent), and plastics (1.3
percent). Other assorted waste
recovered (including such
items as tires, paint and motor
oil) totaled 5.8 percent.
credit card company reform
Oregon Attorney Gen.
Hardy Myers recently an-
nounced the filing of an agree-
ment with national credit card
issuer First USA/Bank One
requiring the company to
make sweeping reforms in its
business practices in order to
protect consumers.
The Assurance of Volun-
tary Compliance (AVC),
signed by First USA/Bank
One, but admitting no law
violation, was filed in Marion
County Circuit Court and is
part of a 28-state and Puerto
Rico settlement.
“Businesses selling their
customer lists to telemarketers
must insure that those compa-
nies deal honestly with these
consumers and not use decep-
tive and misleading trade
practices,” Myers said.
“This agreement will hold
First USA/Bank One responsi-
ble for the way telemarketers
do business with its custom-
ers,” he said.
The agreement settles a
two-year investigation led by
attorneys general in New
York, California, Ohio and
Vermont looking at consumer
complaints about the market-
ing practices of the defen-
dants’ business partners.
The investigation revealed
that since the mid-1990s First
USA/Bank One received a
percentage of sales made by
companies selling various
products and services to bank
customers.
Customers complained
that deceptive pitches by these
companies resulted in con-
sumers being charged for
products and services that they
did not knowingly agree to
purchase.
In some cases, telemar-
keters promoted free trial of-
fers on dental plans or credit
card loss protection service.
When the trial period ended,
consumers did not understand
that the companies would
charge their credit card for
continued use unless the con-
sumers canceled during the
trial period.
First USA/Bank One
agreed to pay the lead states
$135,000 each to cover the
costs of the investigation. Ore-
gon and other participating
states will receive $26,041.
In addition, First USA/
Bank One agreed to reforms
that include:
*Prohibiting customer
charges unless there is express
authorization of the account
holder.
*Requiring the bank to
review and approve all tele-
marketing scripts and market-
ing materials.
*Requiring telemarketing
firms to comply with all appli-
cable consumer protection
laws;
*And requiring clear and
conspicuous disclosure of the
identity of the telemarketing
company if the script makes
reference to First USA/Bank
One.
For more information
phone (877) 877-9392. Justice
i s
o n l i n e
a t
www.doj.state.or.us.
Sports Challenge
by Walter Branch
1. What did Albert Rizzo do
for a record-setting 108
hours, nine minutes in the
Mediterranean?
2. Who became the first U.S.
woman since Wilma Rudolph
to hold a 200-meter world
record?
3. W ho claim ed Don
Mattingly's 1987 record home
run streak distracted the
team?
4. What baseball team be-
came the first to award play-
ers an average salary of over
$700,000?
5. What league suffered the
longest player strike in pro
sports history?
6. Who succeeded Tom Flo-
res as coach of the Los Ange-
les Raiders?
7. How many light towers
shine on Wrigley Field?
8. Who threw the pitch Kirk
Gibson hit for a home run to
win the first game of the 1988
World Series?
9. What National League
team did pitcher Bruce Hurst
leave his beloved Red Sox
for?
10. What frequently-retired
boxer was lured into the ring
again to battle Donny
LaLonde?
Sports Challenge Answers
1. Tread water; 2. Florence Grif-
fith-Joyner; 3. George Steinbren-
ner; 4. The New York Yankees;
5. National Football League; 6.
Mike Shanahan; 7. Six; 8. Dennis
Eckersley; 9. The San Diego
Padres; 10. Sugar Ray Leonard
(c) 2003 DBR Media, Inc.
IVHS School Menu -
Sponsored by
SISKIYOU
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
CENTER
319 Caves Hwy.
592-4111
THURSDAY, FEB. 13
Cheeseburger, chicken
sandwich, hamburger,
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& cheese sub, chef salad,
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vegetarian pizza,
pepperoni pizza, nachos,
lasagna & breadstick
FRIDAY, FEB. 14
Cheeseburger, chicken
sandwich, hamburger,
turkey & cheese sub,
roast beef sub, chef salad,
Mandarin chicken salad,
Hawaiian pizza, pepperoni
pizza, beef tacos,
hot dog & fries
MONDAY, FEB. 17
No classes
Washington’s Birthday
TUESDAY, FEB. 18
Cheeseburger, chicken
sandwich, hamburger,
turkey & cheese sub, roast
beef sub, chef salad,
Mandarin chicken salad,
sausage pizza, supreme
pizza, beef and bean
burrito, rib-b-que,
potato wedge
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19
Cheeseburger, chicken
sandwich, hamburger,
turkey & cheese sub,
veggie sub, chef salad,
Mandarin chicken salad,
cheese pizza, pepperoni
pizza, taco salad, soup of
the day, hot ham
& cheese pocket
ABDUCTED
KIDNAPPED
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TERRORISTS?