District made right call (1/28/05)

Think of it as a measure of how far we’ve come.

Thirty years ago, environmental concerns didn’t rank very highly with local government. Many communities were still living in the age of the town dump. The notion of a sanitary landfill was a new one.

Even five or ten years ago, it’s difficult to imagine local officials making the decision the Jay County Solid Waste District made this week.

Faced with a mountain of debris left behind by the recent ice storm, the waste district’s board decided to contract for a grinder which will turn those countless limbs and branches into mulch.

By doing so, the district will keep the waste out of the Jay County Landfill, helping to extend the landfill’s life and using its space more wisely.

After all, the ice storm’s debris is organic material. The mulch will end up being used in gardens and landscaping.

The grinder process will cost the district money, and at the same time it will eliminate the income that would have come to the district if the material went to the landfill.

But it’s a sound environmental decision and smart policy all around.

It’s also a measure of how far this country has come in terms of understanding the environmental ramifications of local decisions. — J.R.

[[In-content Ad]]