The Washita and Custer County 4-H and FFA members designed two brochures that can be reproduced. The group also designed a power point presentation for concerned citizens throughout the state to use in promoting recycling and good stewardship. Any of the information may be reproduced.

Read the full press release (pdf 6kb). You can also view pictures of the Custer County 4-H and FFA members in action at http://countyext.okstate.edu/washita/dumping_photo/.

Recycling Brochure (pdf 1.2mb)

Recycling Presentation (Powerpoint 300kb)

Dumpsite Brochure (pdf 1.5mb)

Dumpsite Presentation (Powerpoint 1.5mb)

Recycling and Reusing Vendor's Directory for Western Oklahoma

Click here for the pdf brochure(23kb).

USDA Rural Utilities Services, Solid Waste County Planning

RC&D will survey, evaluate, and educate residents in southwest Oklahoma to provide improved solid waste disposal and recycling.

The RC&D Council has developed and is implementing a comprehensive solid waste planning and environmental education program in the eight county RC&D area. Solid waste disposal and recycling have been included as a part of this educational program.

“Baling twine”

One thing is certain, that a dollar’s worth of twine costs over $1000.00 when it ends up stripping out the gear box on a county shredder,” reports Alfred Miller, a Washita county farmer and the Great Plains Resource Conservation and Development President. Miller who is volunteering his time to work on a solid waste recycling grant has been busy driving around western Oklahoma meeting with county commissioners about illegal roadside dumps and other trash problems.

Alfred Miller along with Larry Wright and Michelle Stephens are working on a solid waste and illegal dumping workshop made possible by a grant received by the USDA— Rural Development and Great Plains RC&D. “Baling twine,” quips Ms. Stephens, “it seems so harmless along the road side, but it is an expensive time consuming problem for county road crews.” Batteries dumped under bridges, sofas and refrigerators left behind on or beside the roads are just a few of the problems brought to light at the fact finding meetings the three had with county commissioners across Western Oklahoma. “We are calling this stuff ‘Merchandise,’” Miller says. The Great Plains RC&D is revising a list of vendors who will take these white goods and other junk that Mr. Miller refers to as “merchandise.”

They are also using the meetings to announce the August 25, 2005, Solid Waste Management and Recycling Workshop for county officials, farmers and rural Oklahomans to be held at the Frisco Center in Clinton, Oklahoma.

The workshop will be conducted by specialists from Oklahoma State University and the State Department of Environmental Quality. The workshop will show participants different ways to curb roadside dumping and resources available to assist them. Participants in the workshop will receive “The Western Oklahoma Recycling & Waste Disposal Guide,” an updated pamphlet of all the organizations, businesses and governmental entities that take various used “merchandise”.

“Citizens are in need of more information on where they can take their unwanted materials. We are also loading the information on the Great Plains RC&D Website for easy up-to-date information on the various vendors,” announced Ms. Stephens. The Great Plains RC&D staff and volunteers hope that rural Oklahomans will come to the FREE workshop and be energized to clean up and keep clean the western Oklahoma roads, fields and creeks.