• Ginny Walton has again agreed to track state recycling and waste legislation on behalf of the CRC.   You can also check on the status of legislation directly by going to General Assembly web site:  http://www.cga.ct.gov/.
• If you would like to be added to the GAC mailing list and receive updates e-mail Kim at kim.orourke@cityofmiddletown.com.
• The CRC board voted to support a product stewardship bill for latex and oil based paints.   The paint industry is supporting this effort and will be assuming most of the end of life management of these paints.  http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB05122. No public hearing has been scheduled yet.  Please send your comments to Kim [Kim.ORourke@CityOfMiddletown.com], as CRC will probably testify on this bill. 
• The CRC board also voted to support a second product stewardship bill for the management of mercury thermostats.   This will ban the discarding of mercury thermostats from the trash.  It will also provide a financial incentive to return the thermostats for proper disposal/recycling.
• The Sierra Club had been hoping to address the issue of plastic bags again this year.  Several members of the CRC board expressed concern with efforts to either charge a fee or ban bags at a meeting last year and, as a result, the board did not consider a vote on the issue then.   The poor economy, combined with an election focus by legislators, has left the Sierra Club with little if any hope that such a bill would move at all this year.
• There may be changes in the bottle bill…wait and see.
• This just in (2/11/2010)….HB 127, An Act Concerning Recycling and Solid Waste Management, a bill specifying levels of reporting by towns and processors:  http://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/TOB/S/2010SB-00127-R00-SB.htm.  The Environment Committee has scheduled a public hearing on Friday, Feb. 19 at 11:00 in Room 1E of the LOB and will review HB 127 at that time.

• ELECTIONS – The following slate of officers was put forth and approved by a unanimous vote of the board members present.   Sally Crapser stepped down from the post of secretary after many years of diligent service.  Newly elected board member Brooks Parker graciously offered to assume her role as the CRC’s new secretary.   He has already jumped into the fray by digitizing the CRC’s bylaws and bringing our organization into the 21st century.   VP Bill Smith has offered to assist Sotoria with membership duties.  I informed the board that I would step down from the presidency within a year or so.   While I have enjoyed working with all of you and feel we have created a great partnership, change is also good.   To ensure that neither the CRC nor I get caught in a rut I urge all of you to consider others or yourself for the position of CRC president.  Your fresh ideas and energy can help us grow in ways unique to you.

• NIKE REUSE-A-SHOE – Evelyn Golden provided an update on the national Reuse-a-Shoe effort and how it will affect the CRC’s on-going partnership with Willimantic Waste.  On the good side, Nike has picked up the third 53’ truck of sneakers from CT’s consolidation point at Willimantic Waste Paper Company this year.  Because the partnership between Nike and the NRC has ended the program has been in transition.  Nike’s new plan is to direct sneaker donors to one of its retail locations.  The maximum allowable collection will be 200 pairs.  CRC members felt this new plan would prove to be logistically difficult given that most collections have been done at schools, libraries, events and municipal centers.   The quantities collected often exceed 200 pairs.  We will provide more information to CRC members as it becomes available to us.
• KEEP AMERICAN BEAUTIFUL (KAB) – KAB has asked the CRC to consider an affiliation agreement that they are offering to state organizations.   The CRC board was interested in hearing more.  On their behalf I have returned to KAB with a request for a representative to join us at our next board meeting in April.   All CRC members are welcome to join in the discussion at that time.  If you have preliminary thoughts or questions please send them to me.  We may hold our meeting at or near KAB headquarters in KAB. 
• ORGANICS SUMMIT – Mass DEP is holding its annual organics summit on April 6th.  This is a great event for learning about composting and other methods for managing organics.  http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/orgsum09.htm.
• BUILDING MATERIALS REUSE NETWORK – Sherill Baldwin (DEP) updated attendees on the efforts of the BMR to increase the ease with which CT residents and businesses can reuse building materials.  The DEP web site has a list of reuse centers in CT:  http://www.ct.gov/DEP/cwp/view.asp?A=2714&Q=324904.  The BMR is also working with NERC to expand use of a regional Craig’s List-like on-line materials exchange network utilizing the existing Connecticut component.  To post your items or to look for stuff in CT go to http://www.reusebuildingmaterials.com/.   The list is underused at this point.  By posting more items we can make it into a more viable venue for exchange.

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