Neighbor to Neighbor –Waste Management is Committed to Keeping You Informed

OUR DOOR IS OPEN

Waste Management is committed to the community and maintains an open-door policy.

We can arrange for a tour of the landfill for you or any interested organization. And we’re always eagerto answer your questions.

Just give us a call - 512-272-9387.

www.wm.com From everyday collection to environmental protection, Think Green.SM Think Waste Management.

http://austincommunitylandfill.wm.com Printed on recycled paper with soy ink

Volume 8, Number 3September 2009The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce awarded Waste

Management a 2009 Greater Austin Business Award foroutstanding environ-mental efforts. WasteManagement wasamong other largebusiness finalistsin the Environmentcategory thatincluded FreescaleSemiconductor,LCRA, Spansion,and SEMATECH. InCentral Texas, WasteManagement hasfocused its effortson consumer andindustrial recycling,

preserving wildlife habitats, and bringing waste-basedgreen energy to the community. Specific Waste Managementenvironmental initiatives include:

Recycling• Waste Management serves more

than 2,500 recycling customers• Waste Management and Sony

hosted free, day-long “Take Back”

e-recycling event in 2008,collecting 150,000 pounds of unwanted electronics

• Asphalt shingles recycling• Construction and demolition debris recycling• Tree recycling

Green Energy• Waste Management’s landfill gas-to-energy plant converts

landfill gas into “green” power – enough to power 6,000homes

• 100 percent of this green power is delivered toDell to power its corporate headquarters

Wildlife Habitat Park• 30-acre Wildlife Habitat Park

in Northeast Austin• One of only 24 Waste

Management parks to receiveInternational Wildlife Habitat

• Two-mile walking trail,butterfly garden, beepollinator garden

W aste Management Wins Greater Austin ChamberEnvironmental Award

Dear Neighbors,We have recently completed excavation andhave started disposal operations in Cell 10,which is located on the far west boundaryline of the landfill property. We haveinstalled 30-foot high litter fences andpurchased additional temporary fences to

capture windblown litter. We are in the process of movingour odor control mister system to the west end of the land-fill to help minimize odors. While we are operating closer tothe neighborhood, we will continue to work hard to ensureour operations have a minimal impact on our neighbors.

If you have questions about Waste Management’s opera-tions, I hope you will attend our September 24 Open House.

Waste Management recently received the ruling by the

andfill UpdateAdministrative Law Judge from the State Office of Admini-stration Hearings approving the expansion permit for theAustin Community Landfill. The next step is for the TexasCommission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Commissionersto make the final ruling. The TCEQ Commissioners ruling isexpected before the end of the year.

We hope everyone has had a good summer and now thatschool is in session, please rememberto drive carefully around schools andneighborhoods. We have posted signsat our landfill and hauling companyentrances reminding out drivers that“School’s Back in Session: DriveSafely.”

James “Bubba” Smith, Landfill Manager

James “Bubba” Smith

(from left), Jason Lang, James Smith andMark Fenske with Waste Management celebratewinning the 2009 Greater Austin BusinessAward for environmental achievement withDennis Love (second from right), a foundingmember of Waste Management’s WildlifeHabitat Park Committee

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www.wm.com

Waste ManagementAustin Community Landfill9900 Giles RoadAustin, TX 78754

From everyday collection to environmental protection, Think Green.® Think Waste Management.

Keep Austin BeautifulWaste Management hosted Keep Austin Beautiful summer

camp students, leadingthem on tours of thelandfill, gas-to-energyplant, and WildlifeHabitat Park. Through-out the five weeks, wehosted 96 youth and31 adults, helpingthem learn aboutwaste and recycling.

WasteManagementbrought out itssuper-sized grillto provide ham-burgers for allthe volunteersat Keep AustinBeautiful’s CleanSweep.

BluebonnetElementaryWasteManagementparticipated inCareer Day andsponsored theMake a WishDance.

ToursWasteManagementhas providedmany tours ofthe landfill andgas-to-energyplant forschool, churchand Scoutgroups.

In the Community

W ildlife Park Team Identifies Invasive Species

The Wildlife Habitat Park committee toured the park andidentified and tagged several invasive species, includingChinaberry tree, Chinese tallow tree, Ligustrum lucidum(glossy privet) and Ligustrum japonicum (perennial treeor shrub). Invasive species are plants or animals thatadversely affect the habitats they invade because they canreduce the amount of light, water and nutrients availablefor the native ecosystem.

Waste Management staff removed these plants fromthe park.

We are alsoworking with aScout for his EagleProject who isgoing to build akiosk, as part of aWelcome Center,and expand thetrail.

Coming Soon: E-Newsletter

To help reduce the use of paper,printing and mailing costs, we areconsidering e-mailing the Neighborsnewsletter to you. If you wouldlike to receive the newsletter bye-mail, please send your name,address and e-mail address toWMAustinNewsletter@gmail.com.Waste Management will not shareyour e-mail information with anybusinesses or individuals.