Solid Waste Management Plan Public Hearing: "Waste Not, Want Not?"
Have you wondered what happens to our recycled plastics now that China no longer buys them? Or where our garbage actually goes now that the Port Angeles landfill is closed? Are you curious what a circular economy might look like out here on the North Olympic Peninsula?
These and other topics related to what is formally called “solid waste” are addressed in the recent draft update to Clallam County’s Solid Waste Management Plan. The Plan covers Sequim city limits as well, so the City of Sequim Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on the draft at its meeting on March 2, 2021, which begins at 6:00 p.m.
At the Planning Commission’s February 2nd meeting an audio-visual presentation on current issues and how the draft plan addresses them was delivered by Meggan Uecker, the County’s solid waste planning coordinator. A recording of her talk may be viewed from the City’s website, at https://www.sequimwa.gov/669/City-Council-Boards-Commission-Media under Archived meetings (from 18:00 to 1:19:00 minutes).
Per RCW 70A.205.040, each county in cooperation with its cities, is required to prepare a coordinated, comprehensive solid waste management plan for solid waste and materials reduction, collection, and handling and management services and programs and update it every five years with participation by the Clallam County Solid Waste Advisory Committee. A draft has been prepared by consultant Green Solutions, LLC and submitted to the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Agriculture and the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for review and to the Clallam County Department of Community Development for State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review. It will come before Sequim City Council for adoption later this year.
The draft Plan update is available for review at http://www.clallam.net/PublicWorks/CSWMPUpdate.html. Oral comments may be presented to the Planning Commission on March 2nd; written comments should be submitted by March 5, 2021, to Clallam County Department of Public Works, 223 E. 4th St., Ste. 6, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or by email to muecker@co.clallam.wa.us.