County falls short in recycling

Special to the Press
by Doug Thompson

Floyd County failed to meet minimum standards for recycling, according to a report released recently by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and now the county must file a recycling action plan to bring its program into compliance.

However, County Administrator Dan Campbell told the board of supervisors Tuesday, there is some dispute over just how out of compliance the county might be.

The DEQ report said Floyd County recycled only 11 percent of solid waste in 2006, but Campbell said county studies suggest the percentage of more like 14.6 percent, which would be close to the 15 percent minimum required of rural areas.

“If DEQ rounded up, we would be there,” he said.

Either way, the county fell way short of the 32.2 statewide averages for 2006.

Supervisors approved a draft recycling action plan Tuesday and will submit the plan to the state.  Suggested remedies include adding recycling stations to at least two dumpster sites in the county.

Campbell said submitting the draft plan to DEQ would be the start of a “dialog” with the state agency.

In other action at the Supervisors monthly meeting Tuesday, the board:

—Approved a $333,000 proposal for a communications system for the expanded 911 call center and communications complex currently under construction behind the county courthouse. That proposal came in below the $341,000 figure budged for the system;

—Appointed the chairman of the county planning commission as acting subdivision agent while Lydeanna Martin is on medical leave;

—Received a report from Martin that showed approval of 21 subdivision plats for July, an increase of 11 over July of last year. For the calendar year, however, the 35 plats approved so far this year falls short of the 56 approved for the same period in 2007;

—Received two proposals for general property reassessment but took no action;

—Formalized the county’s existing practice of paying the employee’s contribution to the Virginia Retirement System.