Published: July 14, 2008 09:39 am      

County landfill enforces smoking law

CLINTON — All buildings and grounds of the Clinton County Area Solid Waste Agency are now smoke free, except in private vehicles in the parking lots, Brad Seward, director of operations, told the landfill board of directors late last week.

“As of last night we have not yet had to ask anybody to quit smoking outside of their vehicle,” he reported. “We have not had a problem with it.”

The action is in accordance with Iowa’s new Smokefree Air Act which went into effect July 1. Because the landfill is publicly supported, the new law applies to it, he explained.

In other business, Seward reported the agency passed out several thousand reusable cloth shopping bags at the recent Going Green Night Clinton LumberKings game.

The bags are green and had the logos of businesses that participated in the event. Thousands of informational flyers about CCASWA programs also were passed out to those attending.

Enviro Kids, who participate in the agency’s summer educational program, were recognized before the game and assisted in distributing the materials.

In other business, engineer C.J. Lage reported at least five additional wells will need to be added to capture methane and landfill gas that has been seeping out.

Seward said the problem is mainly in the newer cell, but includes some around the previously used area. The agency has until April 2009 to complete the project.

Seward reported a 7,700-ton increase in tonnage handled in the fiscal year over the 27,357 tons handled in the previous year.

He called that “a pretty good deal — a nice increase.”