Volume 4 | May 7, 2020
SWANA Old Dominion News
President's Message
As we move forward through this crisis the best we know how, I see glimmers of realization of how important the everyday worker is to the success and health of our Country. From the custodian to sanitation worker, the employees that we once overlooked in our society have yet again proven to be the backbone of that society. Many of our members don’t have the luxury of riding this one out and still show up every day to get the job done. For that we all need to say thank you! This crisis will pass with time, I sincerely hope that the level of appreciation does not. To all of our SWANA members and their coworkers, stay healthy and stay safe. 


Kind Regards,
 
Ben Loveday, SWANA President
Upcoming Events
Take advantage of the prerecorded webinars offered by SWANA on a variety of topics including safety, glass, COVID-19 response and more.
All webinars offer 1 CEU.

Be on the lookout for registration information for our first online tr aining in June – Sustainability in Solid Waste Management – on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, PFAS, organics, and landfill technology.

APWA is offering free webinars to non-members until May 25. Their Solid Waste Committee is presenting: Illegal Dumping: Fund it, report it, clean it  on May 21, 2020.

View this free recording that covers the FEMA Public Assistance Program, COVID-19 Major Declaration, What’s Eligible and What’s Not?
Joint VRA/SWANA Conference

Tell us what issues are important to your organization as we navigate COVID-19.

Take the survey. Your responses will help us incorporate new sessions into the agenda.
Chapter Awards Programs
Recognize an outstanding individual or program in solid waste and recycling with a $500 award and certificate. The three categories are:

  • Annual Professional Achievement Award. This award will be given to a single individual who has shown exemplary achievement over time in a solid waste related field 

  • Annual Program Achievement Award. This award will go to a program or consulting firm that has either maintained an extremely high quality performance over time or shown a sustained improvement. 
  • Annual Student Paper Award.   This award will be given to an undergraduate college student who submits the best paper on a solid waste related topic

Deadline to apply for awards is July 1
Regulatory News

Leachate Management Guidance
Virginia DEQ is seeking comments on the Leachate Management Guidance . Submit any comments to Kathryn Perszyk at kathryn.perszyk@deq.virginia.gov no later than COB on June 5, 2020.  Please forward to those who may be interested in commenting.


DEQ Resumed Inspections
DEQ resumed inspections on a limited basis on May 4, 2020. Inspectors will notify facilities prior to the inspection to determine any site-specific precautions. Inspections may be on site or may be done as a records review. DEQ staff will follow all physical distancing and other guidelines established by the Commonwealth and the facility. Inspections at certain types of facilities have been deferred. Those facilities include regulated medical waste management facilities, regulated medical waste generators, waste-to-energy facilities, incinerators, and any fieldwork inside buildings or enclosed structures, where physical distancing is not possible, or where there is an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Welcome New Members

Shawn Anderson, Chester, VA

Timothy Bouldry, ISWA Scholarship Programme

Wade Bowes, Golder Associates Inc, Henrico, VA

Carl Criss, Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program, Fairfax, VA

Lauren Cutlip, Dunkirk, MD

Jeffrey Norman, Draper Aden Associates, Richmond, VA

John Saunders, Fredericksburg, VA

Victoria Simmons, Green Earth LLC, Harrisonburg, VA

Jessica Sterling, Henrico, VA

Todd Riggs, Greenbrier County Solid Waste Authority, Ronceverte, WV

Kuo Tian, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Jamie Walker, Custom Container Solutions, Lewisburg, PA
COVID-19 CLEANING

By Dennis Batts, Program Manager, Emergency Operations and Safety

As we were all counting down to the new year and making our resolutions and plans, none of us could have imagined that 2020 would look like it does now. And while the picture for the coming months remains foggy, one thing is clear—while the physical, mental, and financial stress of a pandemic can bring out the worst in people—its actually appears to be having the opposite effect on most. Its uplifting to see and hear stories of people making scarifices and coming together and celebrating heroic and everyday efforts by everyday people just trying to help each other through this very difficult time.