EPA released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) soliciting public input on the effects of climate change and the potential ramifications of the Clean Air Act in relation to greenhouse gas emissions.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/ANPRFactSheet.pdf

According to LGEAN:  “The ANPR solicits public input as EPA considers the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. In the advance notice, EPA presents and requests comment on the best-available science, requests relevant data, and asks questions about the advantages and disadvantages of using the Clean Air Act to potentially regulate stationary and mobile sources of greenhouse gases. The ANPR also reviews various petitions, lawsuits and court deadlines before the agency, and the profound effect regulating under the Clean Air Act could have on the economy. The notice’s publication in the Federal Register begins a 120-day public comment period.”
See the LGEAN website for other Environmental News impacting Local Governments.

I would like to know if anyone else has a Comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure Manaual for their Public Works or Solid Waste Department. We developed ours last year and want to give our employees some examples of others to see how they can be done and some better ideas of doing various tasks. We are going to review and update ours every year and would like comments and other examples if available. I know of a few other departments across the state that are also developing their SOP and I am sure we would all benefit from sharing this information. Shawn Lindsey

–From Chattanooga Times Free Press–

Chattanooga, TN - After the decision last year to scale back curbside recycling from weekly to monthly, Mayor Ron Littlefield said he wants the city to increase the service to twice-a-month pickup in a year.

The city will need to buy more environmentally friendly trucks for the expanded service, he said, and he plans in the upcoming capital budget to propose funding to buy the vehicles, although he acknowledged that he has no estimates on how much money will be needed.

“Just how we work our way into (twice-a-month pickup) is something that we have to plan for,” he said earlier this week.  Full article found here.

The City of Athens is going to be using an ARC GIS extension called Network Analyst which helps you find the most efficient routes for destinations using your current road network. We are applying this software to our Residential and Commercial Garbage Routes. We need to know if anyone else is doing this and what their experience has been. We are looking for any way possible to save on fuel cost if anyone has other ideas they would like to share.

Memo on Fuel Savings

Fuel-and-energy-savings-plan-2008-2.doc

SWANA is offering online short courses in May geared toward Transfer Station Design. These are affordable ways to earn SWANA credit without leaving your office. Check out the link for information on registration and fees. The courses will detail how design can improve health and safety, plus go over what Construction and Operation factors should go into design criteria.

The three 75 minute courses can be used to secure 3 SWANA CEU hours toward your certification.

Public Works Magazine highlighted the key points to the recent Supreme Court decision on Solid Waste Flow Control. This latest ruling seems to favor public agencies over private.

The National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) is offering driver training for refuse truck drivers in March 2008. These two hour driver training sessions will include classroom, computer-based, and simulator components. The training will focus on space management and helping drivers avoid backing accidents and collisions. The training is being offered free of charge at the 12 locations identified below. Click on the date/location to get the registration form with times and exact locations.

March 3 – Louisville
March 17 – Atlanta

March 5 – Chicago
March 19 – Raleigh

March 7 – St. Louis
March 21 – Washington DC

March 10 – Tulsa
March 24 — Philadelphia

March 12 – Dallas
March 26 – New York City

March 14 – Memphis
March 28 — Boston

The training is being provided under a Susan Harwood grant provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To register for the NSWMA driver training, download a registration form for the location you are interested in.
Please complete the form and fax it to Nathandra Fuller at NSWMA at 202-966-4818 or e-mail it to nfuller@envasns.org.

Registrations will be processed beginning January 30, 2008. You will be notified if your registration has been accepted. Space is limited, so please register early.

If you have any questions, please contact David Biderman at davidb@envasns.org or 202-364-3743.

If you can’t make it to Memphis or Atlanta click here for additional NSWMA safety resources.

In this article, solid waste manufacturers discuss how specifications for truck bodies, chassis, running gear, and accessories are often not congruent with design capacities. Some issues to consider when identifying truck specifications:

Regional Issues and Conditions
Options And Accessories
Nuances Of Weight
Wheelbase Errors
Specification Styles
Torque And Horsepower
Low Bid Vs Life-Cycle

The article was published in MSW Magazine in January of 2007.

According to NSWMA at least nine solid waste industry fatalities occurred this November.

− Two waste collectors were struck by passing motorists (Maine and South Carolina).
− Two workers at recycling facilities were killed when they got entangled in the equipmen (New Mexico, New York).
− A waste collector fell off a truck and died in Nevada.
− Four landfill employees died in Wisconsin when they were overcome by landfill gas in tank (no one was wearing respiratory protection).

Marge Davis, coordinator of “Pride in Place” is biking across Tennessee to gain support for a state bill to add a 5-cent deposit on beverage containers. See Clarksville’s “Leaf Chronicle” for more information on her ride. Click here for more info on the Bottle Bill.