<B>Alameda County Gets New MRF</B>

Waste Management, Inc. and the Alameda County Waste Management Authority announce a public-private partnership to develop a $2.6 million Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at the Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro, California.

The new transfer station will be owned and operated by Waste Management, Inc., with underwriting assistance at the rate of $15/ton from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority. Such assistance will be linked to the amount of material recycled through the facility.

"This is a classic 'win-win' situation. By entering into this partnership, Waste Management firmly establishes its leadership role in the recycling industry, and Alameda County cities will reap the benefits," says San Leandro Mayor Shelia Young, who serves on the Alameda County Waste Management Authority Board of Directors.

The MRF will sort recyclable materials from loads of trash brought to the transfer station by hauling companies and private individuals. Such materials, that would otherwise go to the landfill, include cardboard, paper, wood, metal, concrete, "green" or yard waste and soil.

Materials will be sorted at the new facility, using conveyor belts, magnets, screens and hand labor. The MRF is estimated to capture an additional 25,000 tons per year of materials for recycling, and will also create 23 new jobs.

For local jurisdictions throughout the county, the facility will provide the maximum "bang for the buck", says Tom Padia, Recycling Director for the Alameda County Waste Management Authority. "The payments are strictly performance-based and we are paying only for tangible results," he says.

According to Waste Management, the facility will greatly enhance the ability of Alameda County jurisdictions to meet strict waste reduction mandates contained in state and local law.

"These latest additions to the Davis Street Transfer Station are a part of our long range plan to develop the Station into a full-service recycling park which combines re-use, recycling, composting, and transfer operations in one location," says Jack Isola, District Manager for the Davis Street Transfer Station. "The investments we're making in new recycling infrastructure will enable us to better serve our customers."

Waste Management's Davis Street Transfer Station is one of the largest recycling parks in the United States. The facility diverted 237,233 tons of recyclables in 1999.

Waste Management, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Recycle America, operates more than 160 MRFs across the United States. Through its extensive network, Waste Management markets more than five million tons of recycled materials each year and is qualified to manage recovery and recycling on a national scale.

The Alameda County Waste Management Authority is a public joint powers agency representing each city in Alameda County. It mission is to achieve the most environmentally sound waste management program for the people of the County. The agency offers a wide range of programs in the areas of waste prevention, pubic education, home composting, recycled product procurement, green building, technical assistance, low interest loans, and grants.

The MRF is expected to be in operation by September 2001.

November 2000
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