Report to the People
By: State Senator Ernie Harris

HB 237 gives counties a false choice in dealing with their garbage. Under this plan, counties either have to clean up all illegal dumps as identified by the state or implement mandatory curbside garbage collection. No other state in the country has this type of requirement. Moreover, it contains no funding, and many members of the Senate are reluctant to force unfunded mandates on counties.

If proper disposal of solid waste has risen to the level that the state needs to take action, then the state must give counties adequate resources to clean up their dumps. We must change the culture concerning proper disposal of solid waste by educating the public and raising awareness of the problem. HB 237 fails to address these important factors and falsely links mandatory garbage collection and illegal dumps.

In several counties, more than 90 percent of residents participate in some form of garbage collection. Yet those counties also have high numbers of illegal dumps. For example, Breckinridge County has a 100 percent participation rate in universal garbage collection but has identified more than 25 illegal dumps. On the flip side, Clinton County does not have
mandatory garbage collection and only 32 percent of the people participate in garbage collection; however, Clinton County has identified only one illegal dump. These are just two examples that prove there is little, if any, connection between mandatory garbage collection and illegal dumps.

Rather than force counties to implement mandatory garbage, which will have little impact on illegal dumping, the state ought to focus on cleaning up illegal dumps and give counties the flexibility to implement solid waste disposal programs. Our measure is based on four goals: 1) Provide the necessary funding to clean up illegal dumps; 2) Include KY-CLEAN, an aggressive public service campaign that will educate Kentuckians on proper waste disposal and provide funding for counties to clean up roadside litter; and 3) Develop incentives to reward counties that have aggressive efforts to clean up litter and illegal dumps; 4) Give counties the tools they need to increase participation in solid waste collection programs.

Senate Republicans believe that counties, armed with accurate information, can make the best decisions concerning solid waste collection to serve its citizens. We want to give counties the ability to do this.

As always, your input is important to me, especially on such an important
issue. You can e-mail me through the Legislative Research Commission website www.lrc.state.ky.us., or you can leave a message for me at 1-800-372-7181. If you prefer to write me, address it to Capitol Annex, Frankfort, 40601. I look forward to hearing from you as we continue this session of the General Assembly.