L.A. trash plan was called ‘visionary’

Re “Too much Sunshine?” editorial, June 13

I take issue with The Times’ claim that the city and county are squabbling just to “make it seem like they are taking decisive action to get out of the landfill business.” The editorial correctly pointed out that landfills will be around as long as we do not recycle and reduce the trash we produce. However, the city has already made tremendous progress toward those goals.

My RENEW LA plan -- Recovering Energy, Natural Resources and Economic Benefit from Waste for Los Angeles -- which The Times called a “visionary trash-reduction plan” in an Aug. 9, 2005, editorial, has been adopted as the city’s overarching policy for handling solid waste. The plan will divert more than 90% of our trash from going into landfills by boosting recycling and through the proposed conversion technology plants that will turn trash into renewable energy and reusable materials without incineration.

The majority of the legislation needed to accomplish the plan has been passed by the council, and the few remaining pieces are moving through council committees.

COUNCILMAN GREIG SMITH

Los Angeles