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S: 7:30 - Noon
Transfer Station:
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S: 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Your SCISWA Quick Tip
Legislative Action Affects SCISWA
A bill passed on the last day of the 2006 legislative session will require the South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency (SCISWA) to begin publishing minutes and bills from its regular monthly meetings. SCISWA Agency actually began voluntarily posting approved meeting minutes on this website in spring 2005. However, the new state law says unapproved meeting minutes and bills must be provided for publication as a legal notice to a general circulation newspaper within one week of the meeting being adjourned. The SCISWA Board passed a resolution naming the Knoxville Journal Express its official newspaper.
Gross wages paid to SCISWA employees must also be published once per year. This will be done in January or February of each year following completion of annual IRA W-2 forms.
SCISWA is a quasi-governmental public agency formed by Lucas, Marion, Monroe, and Poweshiek counties under Chapter 28E of the Iowa Code. It does not receive tax support from any of the four counties, nor does it have separate taxing authority. SCISWA operates all of its facilities and programs using fees paid by customers to dispose of waste materials.
The SCISWA Board of Directors holds its monthly meeting at the Landfill offices at 9 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month except July and August. Beginning in 2007, the July meeting will be held on the last Wednesday of the month to accommodate end-of-year reporting. The Board does not meet in August. All SCISWA meetings are open to the public.
Iowa's Bottle Bill
Iowa's Bottle deposit law is currently under attack. Efforts are being made in the Iowa legislature to repeal the highly successful law. Find out about the bottle bill and what you can do to help.
Why We Should Keep the Bottle Bill
It works!
- With the bottle bill in Iowa, 92% of redeemable bottles and cans are recycled (DNR) compared to a 25% - 30% recycle rate where there is no bottle bill (Mason City Gazette 12-5-01). The Container Recycling Institute reports that "despite tremendous growth in public access to curbside recycling programs nationwide aluminum recycling is actually decreasing." (Container and Packaging Recycling UPDATE, Summer/Fall, 2001.)
- It keeps litter out of ditches- Illegal dumping and littering are becoming serious problems in our counties and cities, resulting in added costs to taxpayers for cleanup.
No evidence of health risks
- The Iowa Grocery Industry Association asserts that there is a link between redeemed containers and risk of bacterial contamination. However, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) which is responsible for inspecting grocery stores, says it knows of no cases of violations in the redemption areas of grocery stores (DNR). Most violations, according to the DIA, are found in the meat, fish and deli departments.
- The Iowa Environmental Health Association (IEHA), made up of state and local health professionals who routinely conduct food inspections, opposes these efforts to change the Bottle Bill. They site the Iowa code which says the containers "must be reasonably clean" and do not have to be accepted if they are too dirty.
Grocery stores have alternatives
- Grocery stores and convenience stores can designate redemption centers to handle bottles and cans for them.
- Recycling centers and recycling trailers have the same problems with dirty containers. Most recycling programs educate their customers about the need for clean bottles and reject dirty containers.
Iowans support it!
- The bill has been popular since it was passed 22 years ago under the leadership of Gov. Bob Ray. A UNI study showed 86% of Iowans support the bill as it is currently.
For more information contact the South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency at 641-828-8545.
What Can I Do to Help?
Contact your legislators and tell them the bottle bill works. Ask them to reject efforts to repeal the law. Below are the contacts for you area. You can call the Senate at 515-281-3371 and the House at 515-281-3221. Ask to talk with your Senator or Representative. You may also write or e-mail them at the addresses below.
Senate:
For Lucas, Marion and Monroe Counties
Sen. Paul McKinley
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3371
paul.mckinley@legis.state.ia.us
Poweshiek County:
Sen. Neal Schuerer
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3371
neal.schuerer@legis.state.ia.us
House of Representatives
Lucas, Monroe and southern Marion Counties:
Rep. Richard Arnold
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3221
richard.arnold@legis.state.ia.us
Northern Marion County:
Rep. Jim Van Engelenhoven
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3221
jim.van.engelenhoven@legis.state.ia.us
Western Poweshiek County:
Rep. Danny Carroll
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3221
danny.carroll@legis.state.ia.us
Eastern Poweshiek County
Rep. Betty De Boef
State Capitol
East 12th and Grand
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3221
betty.deboef@legis.state.ia.us
To find your legislator: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/
