Governor Says He’ll Support Recycling Law

Contending that trash disposal is just as big an environmental problem as air and water pollution, Gov. George Deukmejian on Thursday said he would support legislation requiring Californians to separate their garbage so much of it can be recycled.

The governor also advocated developing a network of giant incinerators to burn the trash and convert it into energy--provided that the resulting air pollution can be offset by reducing smog from other sources.

Deukmejian outlined his thoughts about disposal of household trash--a problem that is nearing the crisis stage in many California cities, including Los Angeles--after huddling with solid waste officials across the Hudson River in New Jersey, a state that has been battling garbage for years.

‘Extensive Negotiations’

The governor disclosed that his office has been in “extensive negotiations” with key lawmakers over drafting of a comprehensive solid-waste legislative package that would include “a major recycling effort,” siting of “waste-to-energy” incinerators and reducing trash “at the source,” such as prodding manufacturers to pull some of the plastic wrapping off their products.

“We’re getting pretty close to reaching an agreement,” Deukmejian said, adding he is “very optimistic” that legislation can be passed before lawmakers recess for the year in mid-September.

Both the governor and the Legislature seem anxious to reach agreement on a solid waste plan to counter critics who charge that Sacramento in recent years has been unwilling and unable to resolve the growing problems of an expanding state. Deukmejian and his advisers are particularly sensitive to accusations that the governor is merely a “caretaker” of the office and has no “vision” of California’s future.

Deukmejian’s chief of staff, Michael R. Frost, told a reporter on Thursday that the solid-waste legislation the governor is trying to develop “is visionary because it’s dealing with a problem before it becomes a crisis.”

Deukmejian indicated that he was impressed with New Jersey’s program, which requires counties to reduce their solid waste by 25% by 1992 and, among other things, forces separation of recyclable household garbage such as glass, plastic and aluminum.

Asked if he foresees Californians being required to separate their trash, the governor answered: “Sure, yeah. I see it coming.” Would he support legislation to do that? “Yeah,” he answered unhesitantly.

Deukmejian noted that Los Angeles required curb-side separation of garbage in the 1950s, but that former mayor Sam Yorty railed against it in his first mayoral race, declaring that it amounted to “coercion against the housewives.” He won and garbage separation was ended.

A few local governments, such as San Jose, now require curb-side separation, but it is not widespread across the state.

Deukmejian is likely to run into stiff resistance from environmentalists on garbage incineration. But he said New Jersey, among others, has found that “there’s no better technology available” for disposing of trash.

“People have to realize that you can’t just leave the trash out on the street. It’s got to be picked up. Every single day, seven days a week, we’re creating waste and it’s got to be picked up and dumped someplace,” the governor said, noting that California is fast running out of traditional landfill sites.

“We’re going to have to do things to reduce the amount of waste dumped in landfills and we have to move to these other methods of disposal, such as incinerators. . . .

“You know, it (garbage disposal) is just as significant a social problem and an environmental problem as air and water pollution. . . . “

As for trash separation, Deukmejian said that some counties might want to have their own garbage crews do the separating instead of forcing homeowners to do it. But he noted that would increase the cost of garbage collection.

He also pointed out that separating garbage is just the first step. The next step is to develop a market for the recycled trash and to make the enterprise profitable.