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November 28, 2000
Deniece Wilson DES MOINES, Iowa-- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is using financial assistance programs to achieve a goal set by the Iowa Legislature to reduce the amount of solid waste in Iowa landfills by the end of the 2000 fiscal year. Tom Anderson, DNR senior environmental specialist, said the Legislature in 1989 set a goal to reduce the amount of solid waste in Iowa landfills. "The legislature established a 25 percent goal by 1994 and a 50 percent goal by 2000. Currently the DNR is at 36 percent," Anderson said. DNR established a financial assistance program for companies, groups and schools interested in reducing the solid waste generated or going into landfills. Some of these projects include company waste reduction projects and education recycling projects. The financial assistance program approves funding various environment friendly programs by offering forgivable, zero- or low- interest loans to winning projects and programs. Since the implementation of the financial assistance program, 335 applicants have received awards. Anderson said the DNR recently approved $497, 511 in forgivable zero- or low-interest loans to nine projects which will provide education and develop better practice methods to help decrease the solid waste. Programs such as the University of Northern Iowa waste reduction education campaign, which involves a combination of presentations, radio messages, newspaper articles and mailing inserts to encourage Iowans to recycle, received $59,485 from the DNR. Another approved program was a zero-interest loan for Laurens in Pocahontas County. Laurens plan to implement a business and industry recycling program. The city expects to divert approximately 430 tons of cardboard, white paper and pallets from its landfill during the first year of operation. For all the programs that receive funding, Anderson said DNR representatives conduct site visits and require monthly or quarterly updates and a final report. "In the case of loans and in addition to quarterly reports, the DNR requires an annual report until the loan is paid off. Loans vary in length from one to 10 years, again depending on the project and the amount of the loan," he said. Laura Juliano, DNR program planner II in the comprehensive planning unit, said in Iowa's 60 landfills, there were 2.8 million tons of new garbage for fiscal year 2000. "The aim is to reduce this waste significantly and to reduce the strain on the physical resources as well as reducing threats to underground and surface water supply," she said. A landfill is a hole in the ground of compacted clay with a synthetic material over the clay. Each day that garbage is put into the landfill, 6 inches of soil covers it to keep the birds and rodents out. The workers attempt to keep as much moisture out of the landfill and collect the methane gas generated as the garbage disintegrates. Ground and surface water pollution is of concern to residents of Iowa. Anderson said living near a landfill can be a horrible experience and its operation is a terribly expensive process. "By using recycled products we can drastically reduce the amount of solid waste generated annually. It would also reduce the strain on maintaining these landfills and can eventually lead to a phase-out. Recycling can postpone a crisis situation for years to come, ... reduce air and water pollution," Anderson said. Anderson said Iowa's success rate of the environmental programs implemented compared to the whole of the Midwest is quite high. "Most of the 335 programs started under the financial assistance continue to operate and expand over time. At present, the education of kids is our main target in the hope they would internalize a recycling mentality," Anderson said. "Today people are more aware that their actions affect the environment. We see a good deal of participation in recycling programs, with people consciously using products that are less harmful to the environment and separating their garbage. We are going in the right direction but not as quickly as we would hope." |