Thousands of South Hampton Roads residents will mow their lawns this weekend, empty the grass clippings in clear plastic bags and set them at the curb for collection - and assume they will be recycled.
But for nearly a year now, tons of bagged grass and leaves have been dumped into the regional landfill in Suffolk.
The Southeastern Public Service Authority owns the landfill and, until June, operated a composting yard in Virginia Beach, where the grass and leaves were recycled into compost and reused as fertilizer.
But the facility was shut down in June because of concerns from neighbors about foul odors and other potential health risks from the rotting wastes.
Problem is, few people seem to know about the landfilling switch. And now, environmentalists are pushing SPSA to restart its composting program.
"If the people of Norfolk - and other cities too - realized their yard wastes were not being recycled, there'd be an outcry," said Debora Mosher, a member of the Norfolk Environmental Commission. "SPSA needs a little pressure to find a solution to this."
Mosher took her case to SPSA's
Board of Directors last week. There, she urged board members from the eight cities and counties that SPSA serves not to skimp on environmental programs as they seek to reform the agency plagued by high debts and inefficiencies.
John Hadfield, SPSA's executive director, responded that the agency continues to recycle brush, tree trimmings and wood chips and converts them to mulch. The product is sold as fertilizer called Nature's Blend.
But grass and leaves are another story.
Hadfield said SPSA has tentatively set aside "about $750,000" to hire a private company to recycle grass and leaves in the 2009 budget year, which begins July 1. But, he added, "we think, frankly, we missed a step."
He wants SPSA to first hire a consultant who would study other ways to manage the more than 42,000 tons of organic wastes generated each year.
SPSA's board will consider the matter at its a meeting later this month.
John Deuel, director of the Norfolk Environmental Commission, said a study is fine, but he worries about delaying action on what has long been a staple of SPSA's commitment as an environmental agency.
"We support SPSA and understand their need to reduce debt," Deuel said, "but we're concerned about them cutting some of the essence of why the authority was created in the first place."
SPSA used to recycle yard wastes at its landfill in Suffolk but centralized mulching and composting in Virginia Beach in 2005. The move cost more than $2 million.
But the new yard proved too close to the Tarleton Oaks neighborhood, off Kempsville Road. After heavy rains from Tropical Depression Ernesto in 2006, residents began complaining of odors and health problems.
A city report concluded that "organic dusts and bioaerosols" from the wastes can be harmful to people with weakened immune systems.
The city paid SPSA about $1.45 million to close the facility. Mulching operations were moved to a remote spot at the Trashmore II landfill and composting was discontinued.
Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com