Brief History of Some RAM Successes
- Set a high standard for studying issues by touring over 200 facilities in 19 states and Ontario. 1989-present.
- Conducted first series of 2-stream wet/dry recycling/composting pilots in southeast U.S. (to our knowledge) and tabulated statistics (78%-98% recovery), 1991-93.
- Helped inspire Tennessee Department of Corrections wet/dry recycling/composting program, 1991-95.
- Calculated economic impact of recycling all easily available basic materials in basic Davidson County, Tennessee, 1993.
- Successfully argued against allowing landfills in wetlands in Tennessee via an Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit (ARAP), 1993-final vote, Oct. 4, 1994.
- Led an effort that resulted in Tennessee being the first U.S. state with soil-based compost quality standards as an incentive class (Type A), 1993-final vote June 2, 1998.
- Achieved world's first and only, to-date (to our knowledge),voluntary closure of a large, financially viable waste-to-energy plant with up-to-date air pollution control equipment (Nashville Thermal Transfer Corp), 1993-Metro Council vote Jan. 15, 2002 and closure May 23, 2002.
- Eliminated permitting of treated incinerator ash as loose construction fill material in several states, 1993-present.
- Supported closure of an unlined Bordeaux landfill in Davidson County, Tennessee, accomplished March 19, 1994.
- Supportive material sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was successfully used to end consideration of an incineration and ash reutilization proposal, 1994.
- Successfully advocated for a permanent household hazardous waste facility in Davidson County, Tennessee, 1994-96.
- Successfully persuaded Davidson County, Tennessee to try co-collection, 1996.
- Guided Davidson County to separately monofill fly ash and bottom ash, 1997-2002.
- Documentation sent to Boulder, Colorado, helped city choose nonprofit Ecocycle to design and operate a new MRF instead of a for-profit proposal, 1998.
- Successfully argued against use of incineration ast as a plastic wood filler in Spokane, Washington, 2001.
- Helped mobilize successful opposition to a construction and demolition landfill proposed for a former quarry off McCrory Ln., Davidson County, Tennessee, Council District 35, 2006.
- Helped stop construction and demolition landfill and outdoor transfer station proposed in Davidson County, Tennessee, Council District 22, 2012.
- Helped stop permitting of a transfer station in Davidson County, Tennessee, Council District 5, 2012.
- Calculated an appropriate disposal tax levels in eight different ways, 2012.
- Submitted legislation to achieve an independent disposal tax valuation and applications of such a valuation, 2012.
- Successfully lobbied to change Tennessee state law to allow Davidson County to include all costs associated with solid waste disposal in assessed fees, 2015, signed into law 2016.
- Successfully persuaded the Davidson County Solid Waste Region Board to call for a Zero-Waste Plan in its 10-year update, for the first time, March 2017.
- Efforts (19 and 20 above) resulted in Scope of Work for plan (22 above) including "Triple Bottom Line" economic assessment of recycling benefits, approved March 2019.