Page 7 - Sonoma County gazette September 2018

County Seeks Community Input on Septic System Policy Updates
The County of Sonoma is updating County regulations for septic systems in order to meet state mandated regulations that protect water quality and public health. Permit Sonoma invites the public to attend upcoming community meetings to share feedback on the proposed
“We welcome community input as the County revises its septic policies. Policies which could impact many of our rural residents,” commented Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. “We are exploring creative solutions and some alternative technologies, along with permitting composting toilets at long last - which might help mitigate the stringent environmental regulations coming from our state regulators.”
CORRECTION: Recology Plastic Bag
Recycling graphic, pg. 16 in August Gazette
Plastic bags CANNOT be recycled in Sonoma-Marin Counties
and they are problematic everywhere. Plastic bags, or film plastics in general, are extremely hard to recycle. They tend to get wrapped around recycling sorting equipment and slow down the recovery process. Additionally, they get very dirty in the sorting process, and companies like Recology are unable to find buyers for them.
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Manual.
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All meetings will be from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.
take them back to grocery stores that accept them. Most grocery stores have their own baler and can bale up the clean film plastic, without entangling any equipment
or producing a bale of dirty, unmarketable material.
In general, the best
way to deal with plastic
is to reduce & reuse!
September 6: Monte Rio Community Center,
20488 Highway 116, Monte Ri
September 26: Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building
1094 Petaluma Boulevard, South
October 4: Guerneville Elementary School
14630 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville
October 10: Healdsburg Villa Chanticleer Annex
900 Chanticleer Way, Healdsburg
These meetings will consist of a presentation on the County’s proposed
When it comes to plastic recycli
septic system policies. There will be a question and answer session following the presentation, along with additional opportunities for attendees to share feedback.
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Members of the public who are not able to attend but would like to provide feedback are encouraged to watch the livestream of the workshop and share ideas through an online survey.
Second District Supervisor David Rabbitt emphasized that
the County’s septic policies “need to balance housing needs and environmental impacts without adding unnecessary regulatory burdens on the residents responsible for maintaining their septic systems.”
Community feedback on these proposed septic system regulations will inform the DRAFT Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Manual, which will be considered by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in November 2018.
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tub, jug, or cup and it is empty/
A-Okay in the recycle bin.
If it’s not a plastic container -- film plastics, Styrofoam, utensils, and straws for example-- then it’s not accepted in the Sonoma-Marin recycle program.
For more information on what is accepted in your local recycling and compost programs, look at Recology Sonoma Marin’s website at www.Recology.com/SonomaMarin. They have what-goes-where lists as well as a handy search tool.
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For more information on the proposed Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Manual, including frequently asked questions, visit
www.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Permit/Septic-Policy-Update.
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