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FROM: Commission for the Environment
SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary
DATE: June 13, 2011
LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center (Chapel Hill)
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MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Kaiser (Chair), Renee Price (Vice Chair), Lucy Adams, May Becker,
Loren Hintz, Tom O’Dwyer, Gary Saunders
MEMBERS ABSENT: Chris Adams, Lynnette Batt, Michele Drostin, Peter Cada, Michael
Hughes, Clay Hudson, David Neal, David Welch
STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw and David Stancil
GUESTS: Gayle Wilson and Jan Sassaman
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I. Call to Order: Kaiser called the meeting to order at approximately 7:35 pm
II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – None
III. Approval of Minutes – Action on the May minutes was delayed due to lack of a quorum.
IV. Solid Waste Management – Gayle Wilson (Orange County Solid Waste Management
Director) provided an overview of past, current and planned activities to manage solid
waste in Orange County. He also introduced Jan Sassaman, chair of the Solid Waste
Advisory Board (SWAB) who was also in attendance.
Wilson reviewed the history of the County’s involvement with the landfill on Eubanks
Road, as well as the five convenience centers and municipal drop off sites. He also
discussed the County’s recycling program, residential pick up services, and food waste
recycling program. Wilson said he is not aware of any offsite contamination of land or
water resources from the Orange County landfill. He also reported that a new group of
elected officials would convene in August or September to discuss ideas for a new
cooperative agreement to handle the county’s solid waste in the future.
Wilson and Sassaman answered questions from CFE members.
V. Proposed CFE Groundrules – Kaiser introduced the draft guidelines and asked for initial
comments. He asked that discussion of the item be continued at the next meeting.
VI. Updates and Information Items – Extraction of natural gas from hydraulic fracturing
technologies (also known as “fracking”), Breeze farm conservation easement (Shaw),
and a recent report on utilities and energy use by Orange County government.
VII. Committee Breakout – The Air Resources Committee met, but the other committees
decided not to meet this evening.
Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:15 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff