Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:45:47 -0500
From: Solid Waste and Recycling
Subject: Reminder – Recycle your trees for free until January 20th

FREE TREE-CYCLING
Yard debris, including trees, cannot be accepted at Chatham County Collection Centers. Residents needing to dispose of Christmas trees can recycle REAL trees for free at the Main Solid Waste & Recycling Facility at 720 County Landfill Road, on the following dates, from 7am to 3:30pm (please weigh in at the scalehouse):

January 12, 13
January 17, 18, 19, 20

After January 20th, regular yard debris rates will apply ($20/ton, $2 minimum). REMOVE ALL DECORATIONS, POTS, STANDS.

Please note this main facility is CLOSED on Monday, January 16th for Martin Luther King Day.

RECYCLE OLD STRINGS OF LIGHTS

Thanks to a “bright idea” by a county resident, old non-working strings of lights can be recycled at the Main Solid Waste & Recycling Facility at 720 County Landfill Road during the Tree-cycling dates listed above. Our electronics recycler will take these lights as long as they are separated from the rest of our electronics. Drop them in the designated container set up at our main office when you recycle your tree.

RECYCLE PAPER GIFT WRAP, CARDS, BOXES

As long as you remove strings, bows, ribbons, excess tape, foil or glitter, you can recycle your unusable paper gift wrap, empty flattened wrap rolls, empty flattened gift boxes, and gift cards in any MIXED PAPER bin at our collection centers (decal required) or behind the office at the main facility at 720 County Landfill Road (no decal required).

If you have corrugated cardboard boxes (remember, corrugated has that middle wavy layer), please remove all inside packaging, then flatten and recycle these boxes in the separate container for CARDBOARD.

VISIT US ONLINE:

www.chathamnc.org/recycle
www.twitter.com/WiseOnWaste
www.facebook.com/WiseOnWaste

Disclaimer: The purpose of our membership on this listserv is to provide Chatham County residents with timely information related to programs, events, services and news.  We value your comments and questions, but Chatham County may not be able to address all of them through this listserv. Please contact our office directly at 919-542-5516 or via email at recycle@chathamnc.org for information on specific issues related to the Solid Waste & Recycling Division.

In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, posts or emails sent by a county representative, or emails sent by the public to a county representative, including attachments, may be released to others upon request for inspection and copying.

Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:40:59 -0500
From: Solid Waste and Recycling
Subject: Solid Waste Decals for Chatham Collection Centers Arriving by Mail End of January

Landowners in the unincorporated areas of Chatham County who paid their 2011 county property taxes and annual solid waste fees by the Jan. 5, 2012 deadline should look for their new 2012 Solid Waste and Recycling decals in the mail near the end of January.

The mailing envelope features the new logo for the Chatham County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division and also features the words “SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING 2012 DECALS” printed in green on the back.

Chatham County issues two decals annually for each qualified household. A decal is required to use the county’s 12 collection centers for disposal of trash and recyclables as well as the Swap Shops.

Landlords are responsible for distributing decals to their tenants. Landowners and tenants may purchase replacement or additional sets of decals for $10 each through the Solid Waste and Recycling Division’s main facility at 720 County Landfill Road just west of Pittsboro off of US 64 West. Identification and proof of residency will be required, such as a utility bill or driver’s license, and purchasers must certify that they are obtaining the decals for authorized purposes.

The 2011 decals expire on Feb. 29, 2012. As of March 1, 2012, the new 2012 decals are required to use the collection centers. If landowners have not received their 2012 decals by mid-February, they should contact the Solid Waste & Recycling office at 919-542-5516 to verify their address.

The Solid Waste and Recycling Division does not receive any general tax dollars and instead relies on annual fees and other sources of revenue to fund its programs and services, including operating the 12 collection centers.

The county tax bill features two related solid waste fees:

 *   The $34 Disposal Fee is charged to landowners with dwellings in the unincorporated areas of the county, who rely on the Collection Centers as their primary legal means to dispose of household waste. Those living within town limits are not charged.
 *   The $91 Solid Waste Fee is charged to all landowners with dwellings in unincorporated areas of the county, but also is charged to town residents who want access to services at the Collection Centers.

These fees cover part of the disposal and operating costs of the centers as well as other programs operated by the Solid Waste & Recycling Division, such as the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal program.

In effect since 2006, the decal program provides residents and the county an efficient way to identify collection center users as residents who have paid their solid waste fees. Residents have the option of displaying the decal in the vehicle’s windshield or carrying it with them to show the attendant on duty at the centers.

If residents do not have a decal when they arrive at a center, the attendant on duty can call the Solid Waste and Recycling Division during regular office hours to verify that the user’s solid waste fees have been paid and provide a one-time pass. After hours and on weekends, visitors without a decal will not be able to use the collection centers.

Businesses and out-of-county residents are not allowed to use the collection centers because the centers are designed for and funded by Chatham County homeowners. Landlords are not permitted to bring waste generated by work performed on their rental properties because this is considered business waste, which should be handled by privately-owned transfer stations in Siler City, Sanford, and Durham that accept waste for a fee. Nearby counties also have special construction and demolition landfills and recycling facilities..

Chatham County offers an array of free recycling options that do not require a decal at its main facility at 720 County Landfill Road for county residents and businesses. For a complete listing of programs and services, as well as alternative disposal options, visit www.chathamnc.org/recycle<http://www.chathamnc.org/recycle>, or contact the division by phone at 919-542-5516 or by email at recycle@chathamnc.org<mailto:recycle@chathamnc.org>.

Disclaimer: The purpose of our membership on this listserv is to
provide Chatham County residents with timely information related to
programs, events, services and news.  We value your comments and
questions, but Chatham County may not be able to address all of them
through this listserv. Please contact our office directly at
919-542-5516 or via email at recycle@chathamnc.org for information on
specific issues related to the Solid Waste & Recycling Division.

In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, posts or emails sent by a
county representative, or emails sent by the public to a county
representative, including attachments, may be released to others upon
request for inspection and copying.

Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:57:17 -0500
From: Tami Schwerin
Subject: Abundance Foundation volunteer opportunities

Connie,
Thanks for asking about volunteer opportunities!  Chatham County is blessed with amazing non-profits.

We focus on education around sustainability, particularly local food, local economy and renewable energy.  We have a DIY Sustainability Workshop Series in which we need (1) volunteer to assist the Instructors per workshop.

We have a group that is kicking of the 2nd Chatham County Schools Chef Challenge in the 17 schools/8000 kids and will need help getting the word out and with some of the logistics.

April 21st, we are having a 5K Earth Day race and Earth Day celebration at Briar Chapel and will need some help.

We have an upcoming Sustainability Summer Camp last week of June and could use help with camp counselors and possibly some short workshop instructors during that week.

In October we need a TON of people to help put on the Amazing Pittsboro Pepper Festival.  **a hugely fun and wonderful event focusing on local food and sustainable agriculture with our wonderful Chefs of the Triangle.

If you are interested in any of these, please email us!
in abundance,

–
Tami Schwerin
tami.schwerin@gmail.com
919-444-9300
http://www.theabundancefoundation.org
Building our local foodshed, modeling renewable energy and inspiring community.

Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:48:39 -0500
From: chathammatters
Subject: Response to Angela Blueskies and Lynn Fass

Response to Lynn Fass and Angela Blueskies:

- unfortunately you seem determined to promote fear-mongering instead of fact, Gasland for example is anything but fact.

State of Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
“Because an informed public debate on hydraulic fracturing depends on accurate information, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) would like to correct errors in the film’s portrayal of the Colorado incidents.”

“Gasland incorrectly attributes cases of water well contamination in Colorado to oil and gas development when our investigations determined that the wells in question contained biogenic methane that is not attributable to such development.”

   • Source: State of Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, Correcting Gasland

John Hanger, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Gasland is “fundamentally dishonest” and “a deliberately false presentation for dramatic effect.”

   • Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, ”Gasland’ documentary fuels debate over natural gas extraction,” June 23, 2010

Ground Water Protection Council
Gasland “stated that the Ground Water Protection Council refused an interview with…[Josh Fox] regarding the practice known as ‘hydraulic fracturing’. This statement by the filmmakers was inaccurate. To our knowledge, no one representing the production company approached us for comment on this subject…Had Mr. Fox or his representatives contacted us, we would have been receptive to discussing this issue as we have on numerous occasions when contacted by media outlets.”

   • Source: Groundwater Protection Council Statement on Gasland.

***************************************************
Ok folks -

We are trending back to a generic discussion about fracking again.

I am forwarding this notice to the fracking discussion group at fracking-in-nc@googlegroups.com

This group is growing. If you interested in continuing to discuss fracking simply join the group and send your emails there.

Thanks so much.

Gene
Chatlist Moderator
******************************************************

Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:32:24 -0500
From: Solid Waste and Recycling
Subject: Final Household Hazardous Waste Event – Sat. Nov. 19th

Chatham residents can bring toxic, ignitable, corrosive, and reactive items, as well as leftover paint, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and electronics from around their homes, for this final drop-off event on Saturday, November 19th. No other items are accepted at the facility during this event because the scales & office are closed.
 
Event:                   Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off
Date:                     Saturday, November 19, 2011
Time:                     9am to 3pm
Location:              720 County Landfill Road, (approx. 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off US64)
 
This is the FINAL EVENT of the season. The facility will close for December, January, and February, and will re-open on the 3rd Saturday in March 2012.. Visit www.chathamnc.org/hhw or call 542-5516 for details on what to bring and how to prepare your items.
 
Disclaimer: The purpose of our membership on this listserv is to provide Chatham County residents with timely information related to programs, events, services and news.  We value your comments and questions, but Chatham County may not be able to address all of them through this listserv. Please contact our office directly at 919-542-5516 or via email at recycle@chathamnc.org for information on specific issues.
 
In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, posts or emails sent by a county representative, or emails sent by the public to a county representative, including attachments, may be released to others upon request for inspection and copying.

Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:10:59 -0500
From: Solid Waste and Recycling
Subject: America Recycles Day Promotion – Nov. 10th-15th

America Recycles Day is November 15th. To celebrate, Chatham County residents with a current solid waste decal can fill in a recycling pledge form at any of our 12 Collection Centers between November 10 and November 15, 2011. For pledging to recycle more, you’ll receive a fun promotional giveaway (while supplies last). Your pledge

form will be entered to win an 18-gallon green recycling bin and an America Recycles Day T-Shirt. The charcoal grey t-shirt is made of 50% recycled PET plastic and 50% transitional organic cotton. One pledge form is allowed per household. One winning pledge form will be drawn from each center the following week. Ask the attendant on

duty for your pledge form. Contact our office with any questions at 542-5516.
 
Recycling reduces our disposal costs and returns valuable materials back to the economy to be used again. To learn more about what can be recycled at Chatham County’s Collection Centers, visit www.chathamnc.org/recycle. Happy America Recycles Day!
 
Disclaimer: The purpose of our membership on this listserv is to provide Chatham County residents with timely information related to programs, events, services and news.  We value your comments and questions, but Chatham County may not be able to address all of them through this listserv. Please contact our office directly at

919-542-5516 or via email at recycle@chathamnc.org for information on specific issues.
 
In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, posts or emails sent by a county representative, or emails sent by the public to a county representative, including attachments, may be released to others upon request for inspection and copying..

Date: Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:46:57 -0500
From: Beth Bale
Subject: Mr. Glendinning’s fracking post

What a ridiculous post comparing the pouring of fracking fluids deep under ground to women’s makeup and drips of antifreeze that escape into the sewer and onto the ground.  None of the chemicals you mention are being poured, pumped, into miles of underground spaces made by machines and high pressure to claim the natural gas there. 

Nor are the volumes even comparable.  This post seems a very flippant response to try to make light of a serious issue that needs to continue to be discussed seriously in our county.

One of the most significant issues I see with fracking for natural gas is that companies who do this are allowed to drill horizontally and potentially effect land to which they have no lease.  I realize it is very deep and should not impact those above it, but the stories being shared by those who have been affected tell otherwise.  If drilling were to be allowed only on the land leased to the companies I would have far fewer objections.  Do many companies currently drill only vertically or have they all incorporated horizontal drilling in their practices?

Beth

Date: Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:36:58 -0500
From: Bert Bowe
Subject: Response to Tom Glendinning’s fracking opinions

November 7, 2011

In response to Mr. Glendinning’s pro-fracking post, I will not attempt to characterize his motives as he does those of environmentalists, but try to offer solutions as he requests.

“I will guarantee that the gas drilling process will be managed to the best professional standards, if we can arrive at a meeting of the minds.”

I’m not sure how he can personally guarantee this, but a great idea is to promote a reversal of fracking’s exemption (thanks to Dick Cheney in 2005) from the federal Clean Air, Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts.This would greatly increase the industry’s credibility.  In fact, the FRAC Act – to remove the Safe Drinking Water Act

exemption and require chemicals disclosure – is being considered by Congress now.

Here’s another partial solution and credibility-builder: have the industry do baseline water and air monitoring before drilling, and add a chemical tracer to the millions of gallons of fracking water.Then, if that tracer showed up in well and/or surface water, we would know where it came from.

I take his point that we should all do more individually to avoid adding household products, gasoline, oil, etc. to the environment, and there have been and will be more efforts to encourage that.However, here’s a big difference with household products and industrial chemicals:

- You can read what’s in them and therefore take precautions to use and dispose of safely.Not so with fracking chemicals…

Lastly, here is scary factual information (what is available — much is not) about the 600 or so chemicals used in fracking, and their health effects — sometimes with only parts per billion: http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.multistate.php

I strongly encourage folks to read at least the summary.

Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2011 09:56:39 -0400
From: Tom Glendinning”
Subject: Daryl Wally

I will guarantee that the gas drilling process will be managed to the best professional standards, if we can arrive at a meeting of the minds.  You ask for a concession from me.  In exchange, I ask one from you.
 
You guarantee that all the pollution directly emitted from anti-gas drilling protesters ceases, period.  Now, for the details of my request:
 
No vehicles ever drip oil from any drive component, engine, transmission, rear end.
 
No vehicles ever leak anti-freeze from radiators.
 
No mascara or cosmetic are ever used by any protestors, their families, heirs and assigns.
 
No benzene, pentane, toluene, Ethylbenzene or fuel produced compounds are used in protestors homes, vehicles, places of employment, or in the manufacture of any products they cause to be used.
 
No gasoline/diesel fuel is used in any internal combustion engines.
 
No cooking utensil surfactants or lubricants are used in kitchens.
 
No carpets, paints or coatings are used on anything.
 
No products whose manufacture uses either cleaning compounds, surfactants, or chemical enablers.  This list is quite long.
 
These requirements for your side of the contract are based on uses of the chemicals protested in the gas drilling fluid.  Most of them are found in common household products, on store shelves everywhere or in common manufacturing processes.
 
I make that guarantee with the full force of government regulation and oversight, both state and federal for that is their responsibility.  Now, you make sure that the sources of pollution from personal habits mentioned above does not pollute my water supply.
 
You will have to explain how a fluid encased in a concrete tube to the depth several thousand feet deep can migrate vertically and get into aquifers a few hundred feet deep.  How many incidents have been reported of leaks from the Alaska pipeline?    How many from the tens of thousands of miles of gas pipelines criss-crossing the US? 

Same principle – they are contained.
 
The point here is that the substances and compounds in “fracking” fluid are part of our lives in everyday products.   The focus of some “environmentalists” is to pick the low hanging fruit of an easily targeted industry, not to stop pollution in our lives.  Further, the effort seems to be based on zero tolerance for this industry while the same environmentalists/protestors excrete or cause to be excreted the pollutants against which they rail every day.
 
My main argument for this industry is that it offers employment for those who have lost jobs in our county and a stable supply of fuel within our borders.  These two benefits far outweigh my concerns about pollution from a what will be a well regulated process.  Deal with the difficult products, industries and sources.   Find solutions, not causes for protesting.  Be productive, not destructive.  By the way,  I do not expect that the sources mentioned in the list above will cease polluting.  I am too pragmatic for that expectation.

Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:48:27 -0400
From: Gene Galin
Subject: Last Week’s Hottest Bulletin Board Topics

1. Hit my fifth deer  (Read 2541 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,23584.0.html

2. Pittsboro needs anchor stores to draw enough traffic to support small businesses  (Read 1939 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24078.0.html

3. Northeast Park: 2008 bad idea, 2011 great idea & thank you!  (Read 1754 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,23898.0.html

4. Chatham County high on list of polluted counties in NC  (Read 1220 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24101.0.html

5. My car was broken into at Jordan Lake today  (Read 891 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24120.0.html

6. Loud thumping sounds  (Read 867 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24135.0.html

7. List of Stores that have closed so far in Pittsboro – What can we do?  (Read 825 times) at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24096.0.html

8. What game is being hunted with firearms now?  (Read 641 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24092.0.html

9. Woman dies in Chatham County wreck  (Read 628 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24065.0.html

10. Does sign ordinance hinder potential of business success? What to do?  (Read 581 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24095.0.html

11. wreck near Bonlee 10-11-11  (Read 503 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24146.0.html

12. Trimming of the guard rails  (Read 488 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24107.0.html

13. Christmas decoration going up at Lowe’s Hardware in Pittsboro  (Read 456 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24133.0.html

14. Chimneys Plus, Inc. and Gutter Solutions to celebrate new expanded location  (Read 451 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24099.0.html

15. Blue Sky Equestrian in Pittsboro Closing  (Read 447 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24098.0.html

16. Adding jobs in Chatham County and an internet cafe in Pittsboro  (Read 433 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24070.0.html

17. An Outsider’s View of Pittsboro  (Read 419 times)  at
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24115.0.html

18. H. M. Kern Corp. of Greensboro to Rebuild the Courthouse  (Read 404 times)
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,24081.0.html