New Kane County Board environmental committee talks trash

Kane County's new Energy and Environmental Committee will target an updated plan for how to deal with the county's trash for the next five years as its first order of duty.

The committee met for the first time Wednesday to review issues it will address in its inaugural year.

First up is the always controversial issue of trash, including how much more will come with population growth, where it will come from and where to put it.

The county has an ongoing five-year plan to handle those issues. Any future tweaks are unlikely to stir much public emotion since the county moved away from storing trash at local landfills about a decade ago.

The county now hauls waste to transfer stations before it gets transported for permanent storage at facilities in Pontiac, Dixon and an area just south of Rockford.

Local municipalities exercise control over most waste hauling for single-family and small, multifamily dwellings. However, large residential complexes and waste from commercial establishments typically are handled privately with government input.

The county also handles the bulk of hazardous waste removal, including electronics. That includes spending about $40,000 last year to remove about 1 million pounds of unwanted electronics from the county. Most of the electronics are handled by Michigan and West Chicago recycling companies. The parts are not shipped to landfills in China, a practice widely condemned by environmentalists.

"We want to do this responsibly and correctly and make sure our problem does not just go somewhere else," said Kane County Recycling Coordinator Gary Mielke.

County officials will also tackle an updated energy plan for the county, a move toward more "green" practices, the efficient use of water resources and public education of environmentally-friendly practices as part of its charter.

Committee members began that push with an attempt to lead by example. Starting next month, the committee will move toward using paperless agendas for its meetings and ask other county committees follow its lead.