Indiana considers changing waste districts setup

Proposed senate bill would provide greater municipal control.

A committee of the Indiana Senate has passed a proposed bill designed to give cities more flexibility to chart their own courses on recycling and waste management rather than belong to a county or regional waste district.

The nine-member committee approved the bill on a 6-3 vote, according to an online article by the Munster, Indiana-based Northwest Indiana Times.

The bill was proposed by a state senator from Fort Wayne who says her city has a thriving recycling program that was largely created outside the parameters of what has been established by its county waste district.

Senators who voted against the bill tell the Times that what worked for Fort Wayne may not necessarily apply to the rest of the state and that the bill could unravel worthwhile solid waste district efforts.

A copy of the proposed bill can be found on the Times website here.