(NN&V staff report) – Governor Jim Gibbons today announced his intention to sponsor a major initiative to completely eliminate landfills as we presently know them. “There have been huge leaps in recycling technology,” Governor Gibbons said, “We can conserve natural resources, create clean energy and create jobs by looking at landfills not as places where we bury our trash, but as places where recycling and energy recovery begin.”
Governor Gibbons said that at least 75% of the trash now sent to landfills in Nevada can be recycled or used as a renewable energy source using existing technology. Similar results have been attained by the City of San Jose, California. Governor Gibbons recently toured a waste recycling operation there. “Federal law does not allow us to ban the importation of waste from California. But state law allows me to require enough recovery that a waste stream becomes an asset. The availability of economical recycled materials will encourage manufacturers to locate in Nevada,” Gibbons said, “Mandated waste recovery can be a significant part of diversifying our economy and provide much needed jobs.”
Governor Gibbons will push the waste industry in Nevada to adopt recycling and energy recovery technology. He has already invited the presidents of Waste Management (Washoe County) and Republic Services (Clark County) to join in the effort to make Nevada the best “Resource Recovery State” in the country. “I expressed to them that I will not let Nevada become the landfill of the west. I am pleased that they understand the need to do a better job of protecting our environment and that they have agreed to work with us for the benefit of Nevada.”
Governor Gibbons intends to propose legislation directly targeting the waste industry that will reward superior performance in recycling and energy recovery. Gibbons said that he will propose various incentives and abatements to encourage businesses to locate in Nevada and utilize recycled materials. He will also promote low cost financing alternatives to help build waste recovery facilities.
