CompostChuck

Our Michigan Government is doing it again! They have re introduced bills in BOTH the House and Senate this time. These Bills if passed into law would allow all of the yard waste to be dumped in land fills instead of recycling this valuable matierial. If they were REALLY serious about converting yard waste into Methane Gas there are systems that collect 100% of the gas in closed vessel systems and still preserve the yard waste for Compost. Only a very low percent of Methane is captured in open landfills. This pre maturely depleteds the limited landfill capacity. Yard Waste is not "Waste" in belongs in the current registered Michigan Compost sites. Please call and email these members SB 314 of 2013 Referred 4/16/2013 Senate Energy and Technology Committee – same actors as 2011-2012 Mike Nofs ® Committee Chair, 19th District John Proos ® Majority Vice Chair, 21st District Rick Jones ® 24th District Jim Marleau ® 12th District Tonya Schuitmaker ® 20th District Howard Walker ® 37th District Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) Minority Vice Chair, 8th District Steven M Bieda (D) 9th District Coleman Young II (D) 1st District Committee Clerk, (517) 373-5307 HB 4569 of 2013 referred 4/16/2013 House Energy and Technology Committee – many new actors Aric Nesbitt ® Committee Chair, 66th District (new Chair) Mike Shirkey ® Majority Vice-Chair, 65th District Jeff Farrington ® 30th District Ray Franz ® 101st District Bradford Jacobsen ® 46th District Rick Outman ® 70th District Peter Pettalia ® 106th District Amanda Price ® 89th District Wayne Schmidt ® 104th District Dale Zorn ® 56th District Joseph Graves ® 51st District Dan Lauwers ® 81st District Thomas Stallworth (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 7th District Rudy Hobbs (D) 35th District David Nathan (D) 8th District Bill LaVoy (D) 17th District Marilyn Lane (D) 31st District Charles Brunner (D) 96th District Henry Yanez (D) 25th District Collene Lamonte (D) 91st District _____________________________ Cath Petroskey, Committee Clerk 517-373-8538 Every State around Michigan is doing MORE for recycling not stepping back in to the dark ages. Where is Gonvenor Snyder's "Best Practices" in thiese Bills?

Please call and email your state senators to defeat the compost bills. It would be great if you could attend the scheduled committe meeting. Committe: Energy and Technology Date: Tuesday May 16, 2012 Time: 1 PM Place: Senate Hearing Room, Boji Tower 124 W. Allegan Street Lansing, MI 48933 Agenda: HB 4265 and HB 4266 If the committe vote these bills out of committee they will likely pass the full senate vote and become law. This will mean the end of the Yard Waste Compost business and jobs in Michigan.

We use all of the organic material in our composting operation. The larger pieces of wood allow for natural aireation of the pile. We try to place the larger pieces in direct contact with the ground. Maintaining the oxygen levels helps sustain the aerobic conditions that produce the best compost. This is espcially important in the Spring in summer when we receive a lot of wet grass. The first loads of the season have a lot of last years leaves and brush so when this is mixed with the grass and green materials the mix is just right for composting. The legislation is written with very confusing language. Chuck McKay www.mckayscompostfarm.com

Bills already passed in the State House and now in the Senate put Yard Waste back into landfills to make Methane gas. HB 4265 and HB 4266 allow landfills with gas generators to accept Yard Waste. This is a reversal of the Michigan 1995 ban on putting Yard Waste into dumps. These laws will put a lot of small companies out of business. Yard Waste is the best Compost availble because of the diversity of the plant materials they contain. If these bills go into effect there will be very little good compost available to the public. Please call your State Senator and let them know how you feel about this. The bills as written require the curb separtation of the yard waste for 3 years but still allow the Yard Waste to go to landfills. Why pay for yard waste bags to go to the dump? Every Master Garden class I attended said "do a soil test and add Compost" . Michigan needs to save this valuable resource and increase our recycling. We don't need to fill up our landfills. These laws are a step back into the Dark Ages. What do you think? www.mckayscompostfarm.com