CITY AWARDED FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION

Cape Girardeau was honored Wednesday for its pollution prevention efforts through the curbside recycling and combined sewer overflow programs.

The city received the 1998 Governor's Pollution Prevention Award in Jefferson City. A number of city officials were on hand for the presentation by Gov. Mel Carnahan.

During the 1996-97 fiscal year, the city diverted 41 percent of the solid waste collected from landfills into its recycling center. The city recycled more than 12 million pounds of waste.

State law requires that cities reduce their solid-waste stream by 40 percent through recycling programs.

The combined sewer overflow project, under which the city is laying separate lines to carry sewage and stormwater throughout Cape Girardeau, was also recognized because the project reduces the amount of pollution going into local streams and rivers.

Mayor Al Spradling III said the city couldn't have received the award without the participation of residents.

Said Spradling: "The governor said, `Cape Girardeau's here again,' which was nice to hear. Obviously these are the types of awards you like to receive. Primarily, the work and dedication of the staff and their education of the community, and the community's participation in recycling did it. It's a pretty extensive project when you look at it."

The recycling program isn't a money-maker for the city, Spradling said. Markets for recyclable products are too iffy. But the city is mandated by state law to reduce the amount of solid waste going into landfills, he said.

"Plus, it's environmentally sound and makes sense, and therefore it's working. We are keeping a lot of trash out of the landfills," he said.

The curbside recycling program hasn't always been popular with Cape Girardeau residents, Spradling said.

"You've got to separate your cans and your paper and your plastic," he said. "Once you get it down, it works. It's not really that difficult. I don't see a lot of people complaining too much about it now."

The $25 million sewer project, funded by a voter-approved quarter-cent sales tax, is past the halfway mark. Sewer lines have been replaced in several older sections of the city, and the contract for the downtown segment of the project should be awarded this summer.

The awards are co-sponsored by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Cape Girardeau was one of six regional winners of the governor's award. Other winners were the University of Missouri-Columbia, AmerenUE in St. Louis, the city of Nixa, Purina Mills in St. Joseph and Pillsbury Co. in Hannibal.

Pattonville High School in St. Louis County won the statewide Pollution Prevention Award for its cooperative project with Fred Weber Landfill. Methane gas collected from the landfill is used to provide heat and hot water at the high school.