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Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for a productive 2026. We are starting this year by welcoming two new Directors to the Chapter Board of Directors, Joe Levine with the New River Resource Authority and Melissa McDonald with the City of Fairfax. Congratulations to you both and thank you for volunteering! I look forward to working with you.
The General Assembly session kicks off on January 14, and we will be monitoring proposed bills related to solid waste management related issues. With the change in composition of the GA we are likely to see potential changes in solid waste even if only tangentially related like an increase to the minimum wage. Environmental justice is also an area where we may see some changes from the previous administration.
Additionally, DEQ released the Draft State Solid Waste Management Plan for public comment in November. The Chapter submitted comments thanks to the efforts of Kim Hynes and Kate Vasquez. Our comments focused largely on improving data collection combined with comprehensive state-level planning and reporting, removing barriers to economic development of infrastructure that diverts waste from landfills, as well as greater regulatory flexibility and financial resources for localities.
We will continue to keep you informed of regulatory and legislative changes that could affect your business.
As I have said before, we are a volunteer organization, so if you would like to get more involved with the Chapter, please contact me or any of the other Board members.
Have a safe and productive 2026!
Michael D. Lawless, CPG, PG
SWANA Old Dominion President
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