See the letter sent to CVSWMD member communities on January 21, 2010 about the need for the CVSWMD to step away from depot operations.

The CVSWMD will continue to offer all of our other programs and services to member town residents, including:
•    Hazardous waste collections for residents and small businesses
•    The Lawrence Walbridge Reuse Grant Fund to expand reuse in the local economy
•    Hauler licensing and compliance enforcement, including enforcement of the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance
•    Home food scrap diversion tools including compost bin plans, how-to booklets, and Green Cone food scrap digesters
•    School food scrap diversion program—currently reaching 20 schools
•    Business food scrap diversion program—currently reaching 57 businesses
•    Information and resources for local solid waste management via our e-newsletter for towns and Web-based tools, including our Reuse Business Database and searchable A-Z “What do I do with…” Guide
•    All of the solid waste planning and administrative requirements set forth by the state of Vermont, including the development of a 10-year Solid Waste Implementation Plan.

And starting July 1, 2010, the CVSWMD will begin to offer a variety of new services delivered directly to member communities. Stay tuned!

See the rest of the Web site for details about all CVSWMD programs and services, as well as local and regional solid waste management information.

The hearing will be held on Wed., Nov. 4 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Location: Central VT Chamber of Commerce, Paine Turnpike, Berlin

The preliminary FY2011 budget can be reviewed here, or call 802-229-9383 ext.100 for a copy.

Click on the arrow in the middle of the box below to view a video briefing on the budget options before CVSWMD member communities.

In addition to accepting comments at the Nov. 4 meeting, written comments may be submitted via postal mail to the CVSWMD office–137 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. Or  e-mail to comments@cvswmd.org   The deadline for written comments is 4 pm on Friday, November 6.

The CVSWMD developed a pilot program to test how the cones work in small school settings, and we found that they offer a sound option for food scrap diversion for small programs. See the project report here.

As a result, we developed a how-to booklet to help small schools, day care centers, and other small programs to decide whether Green Cones might work for them and, if so, how to choose a site, determine how many cones are needed, and develop a food scraps-to-Green Cones Program.

The booklet is called  Green Cones for Small Schools: A food scrap management option for small schools, day care centers, low-residency colleges, and more, and you can download a low resolution version for viewing/using or a high-resolution version for printing:

• Download the low res version of the Small Schools booklet (916 KB PDF) here.
• Download the print-quality version of the Small Schools booklet (4.6 MB PDF) here.

We also developed a helpful poster for reference in areas where food scrap sorting is to take place, and two versions of that poster are also available for download:

• Download the low res version of the Green Cone poster (246 KB PDF) here.

• Download the print-quality version of the Green Cone poster (3.9 MB PDF) here.

Many thanks to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources for the grant funding to develop the Small Schools Program, test the cones with this population, and produce the booklet and poster.

This CVSWMD Guide to Developing Host Town Agreements (331KB PDF) was written to help town officials and residents understand what Host Town Agreements are and how to go about developing one. We hope you find this Guide helpful.

State law allows and encourages local enforcement through judicial bureau (24 V.S.A. 2201). Here’s what your town can do to help reduce illegal burning and the associated human and environmental health risks:

1. You can choose to enforce the state statute by designating a municipal designee or designees as the statutory enforcement officer. See the Vermont State Statute 24 V.S.A. 2201 for details: Click Here.

2. You can choose to write and adopt your own ordinance. These three sample ordinances from CVSWMD member towns may offer some guidance:

• Bradford, VT ordinance
• Washington, VT ordinance
• Marshfield, VT ordinance
• Vermont League of Cities and Towns sample ordinance

Ad #2 of a six-part ad series the CVSWMD has run in area newspapers to highlight the dangers of illegal burning.

The person(s) or position(s) responsible for enforcement of the state statute or the town ordinance is selected by the town. Some towns give enforcement authority to members of the town Selectboard, the Town Health Officer, the Town Attorney, and /or the Town Constable. The process outlined in the ordinance is followed in addressing the offender and remedying the situation.

Because the District’s goal is effective reduction of illegal burning incidences, we see the adoption of a local ordinance as the best way to reach that goal. The state requires the town or solid waste district to take responsibility for enforcing the law against illegal burning.

If towns choose to leave the enforcement responsibility to the District, the goal of reducing illegal burning may not be met. With 22 geographically diverses member towns, the District simply can’t enforce against illegal burning as quickly and efficiently as an official within the town where it occurs. In addition, leaving this to District staff may require an increase in the per capita that member towns pay the District to help fund this additional service.

The District Board of Supervisors and staff are available to help you develop an effective response to illegal burning in your community.

Thank you

OR

The programs detailed in this Web site explain the programs and assistance we offer member town residents and businesses. The following links offer some of the Member Town-specific details of the commitment a member town makes when joining the District.

• CVSWMD Board of Supervisors Representation
  • Board of Supervisors (15 KB PDF)
  • Board Committees (27 KB PDF)
• CVSWMD Services for Member Communities (160 KB PDF)
• FY 2010 Per Capita Assessment (40 KB PDF)
• Zero Waste Facts (490 KB PDF) — The CVSWMD’s Zero Waste Plan and What It Means for Member Communities

Ad #1 of a six-part ad series the CVSWMD has run in area newspapers to highlight the dangers of illegal burning.

The people who burn garbage and the families who live next door and downwind receive the most direct contact to the toxins emitted into the air they breathe. And the impact doesn’t stop there. Burning garbage pollutes the air and water and affects the people and wildlife throughout the region (see the Illegal Burning section under Resident Services for more information).

Illegal burning is a serious human and environmental health threat. The State of Vermont takes this very seriously and is requiring solid waste districts and towns to take action to enforce against it.

The CVSWMD Board of Supervisors believes that local enforcement is the most effective way to combat illegal burning. Thanks to a grant from the VT Agency of Natural Resources, CVSWMD staff and board members contacted all CVSWMD member towns about illegal burning ordinance options and to encourage the adoption of local ordinances, and member towns were asked to complete surveys detailing their town’s decision.

• Survey Results
• Ordinances — Information and Samples

During this process, several towns requested that the CVSWMD provide the template for a letter that they could send to residents who have been illegally burning trash. For towns with an approved illegal burning ordinance, or a designated enforcement officer to enforce the VT State Statute (24 VSA 2201), the following letter template can be used to notify residents of their infractions against the town ordinance and/or the state law, and the fines associated with further infractions. We hope this template letter can be used to help make enforcing against illegal burning easier for your town.

• Enforcement Letter Template