October 19: Public Hearing on the proposed “Regulations for Refuse and Recycling Collection”

The Northampton Health Department announces:

On October 19th, 2010 from 7:00-7:30 pm in the City Hall Hearing Room (2nd Floor of City Hall) the Northampton Board of Health will hold a public hearing on the proposed “Regulations for Refuse and Recycling Collection”. The regulations will require that all waste haulers provide both waste collection and recyclable collection to every customer to “provide for the systematic collection of refuse and recyclables in order to promote recycling, to comply with state and locally mandated waste disposal bans and for the protection of public health and the environment.” At the hearing, the Board of Health will listen to comments from the public. Written comments can be sent to the Northampton Health Department Office at 212 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060 or sent via email to hmcbride@northamptonma.gov.

Here are related documents:

See also:

MassDEP: “Draft 2010-2020 Solid Waste Master Plan: A Pathway to Zero Waste” (7/1/10)
Since 1990, when MassDEP issued the first Solid Waste Master Plan, the Commonwealth has made great progress, recycling 44% of the waste we produced in 2008. This is one of the best recycling rates in the nation, but its growth has leveled off and we continue to dispose of materials that have significant value and environmental impact…

Northampton recycling rate: 40%

Video: City Council Enacts Drinking Water Protection Ordinance (9/3/10)
This ordinance prohibits the establishment or expansion of landfills over aquifers or in Water Supply Protection districts. It effectively blocks the expansion of the Northampton municipal landfill as sought by the Board of Public Works.

Water Not Waste Presentation at the July 1 City Council Public Hearing (PDF)

Solid Waste Management Alternatives Study (PDF, 2.7MB)

Key Portions of the Solid Waste Management Alternatives Study

Republican: “Single-stream recycling scores big in Springfield”