More of this, please! More #recycling, #LessMining!

More than 600K pounds of #ElectronicWaste (#EWaste) has been diverted from landfills thanks to #Colorado teenagers
Over the past 12 years, #CañonCity High School students have prepped and delivered mostly electronic waste to 3R Technology Solutions

by Sue McMillin
Feb 14, 2024

CAÑON CITY — "More than 600,000 pounds of mostly electronic waste has been diverted from landfills over the past 12 years by the students who run #TigerRecycling at Cañon City High School.
To be precise: 623,702 pounds of #laptops, dismantled #desktops, #cellphones, #printers, #televisions, and the assorted detritus of outdated, broken, waterlogged or unwanted gear has been prepped by students and delivered to 3R Technology Solutions, according to 3R CEO Pete Mikulin, who says they track every pound that comes through the doors.

"Amid the haul were assorted #SmallAppliances — #mixers, #SewingMachines, #toasters — and #batteries and #cords that students disassemble or sort. Tiger Recycling and 3R, its primary vendor, take just about anything that plugs in or runs on batteries except for large appliances such as washers and dryers.

"While all this stuff is getting #reused or #repurposed, the students learn how to take things apart, safely handle potentially #HazardousWaste, identify and sort materials (such as clean or dirty #aluminum, #steel and #plastic), prepare items for shipping, fill out bills of lading, and take in and weigh items from customers.

"This student-run business is unique in a couple of other ways: Tiger Recycling is certified for recycling by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and it earns money.

"'That program, if you look at it as a whole, these kids learn a lot of skills,' Mikulin said. 'They take ownership in it every year. They don’t look at it as just a class, they look at it as a company. It is registered with the state of #Colorado, and it abides by all the state’s laws and rules for recycling.
'They are practicing #sustainability, diverting materials from the #landfills. It’s been pretty cool all these years.'

"He calls Tiger Recycling the 'showcase' of school recycling programs and credits program coordinator Ken Cline with bringing it from the brink of collapse into a self-sustaining business.

"Cline has about 20 students per quarter spread over five class periods, and summer school classes. It’s tough to have more than five students at a time dismantling equipment, even though Tiger Recycling moved into its own warehouse space about five years ago, he said.

"They also have three sheds where they can store items awaiting packaging or shipping.

Shelves inside the classroom hold huge bins labeled for every conceivable component of computers and TVs, and a stack of desktop computers is piled against one wall, awaiting disassembly.

"As students arrive on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Cline directs them to tasks and within seconds gloves are on and screwdrivers turning. One student asks for time to work on other classwork and Cline gives him a nod.

"The class is part of the school’s Career Technical Education program, and participants earn general education credits.

"He stays flexible with the students and tries to address their needs. Sometimes that means providing math tutoring; last year he had a class of four repeat students who wanted to delve deeper into electronics so Cline accommodated that.
He also mentors students working on required capstone projects, including a couple who used recycled computer parts to build new computers.

"The program brings in an average of $5,000 a year, Cline said. The money is handled by the high school, which then gives Tiger Recycling a budget for items such as tools, safety glasses, work gloves and field trips for students, said Cline, who noted that they’ve never spent more on those things than they’ve brought in."

https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/14/electronic-waste-recycling-canon-city-high/

North Texans want more say as nuclear plant seeks to continue operating through 2053

By Haley Samsel
December 11, 2023

"Crossing the dark parking lot outside the Somervell County Expo Center, Susybelle Gosslee barely could see the ground in front of her. The experience left her feeling 'vulnerable' — and concerned about why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] didn’t turn on outdoor lights for its Dec. 7 public meeting about the #ComanchePeak #nuclear power plant in #GlenRoseTexas.

"That wasn’t her only critique. Earlier in the day, Gosslee and other #environmental advocates struggled to log on to a virtual meeting hosted by the commission. Officials apologized for the challenges and vowed to host another online session the week of Dec. 18.

"'That is not transparency, and it’s not good government,' Gosslee, the Dallas-based chair of #HazardousWaste issues for the League of Women Voters of Texas, said. 'I’m concerned because of the lack of access to meetings, and you can see that it wasn’t well-publicized because there is nobody here. That’s an indicator that the job did not get done.'

"Gosslee’s criticism comes as #Vistra, the owner of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Glen Rose, seeks to keep its reactors online through at least 2053. The plant began operation in 1990.

"The company’s current licenses for two nuclear units, which have the capacity to power 1.2 million homes under normal electricity conditions, expire in 2030 and 2033. Vistra announced its license renewal application in October 2022, citing a desire to bring more 'carbon-free electricity' to the electric grid.

"'Renewing the licenses of this plant is critical for grid reliability and our environment and is a benefit to the economy, the local community and our company,' Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, said at the time.

As part of the license renewal process, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already heard from dozens of residents living in the plant’s 50-mile radius, including parts of Tarrant, Hood and Somervell counties.

#FortWorthTexas

"Many are supportive of Comanche Peak’s continued operation, citing its economic contributions as Somervell County’s largest taxpayer and an employer of more than 600 full-time staff. At a January public meeting, Glen Rose ISD Superintendent Trig Overbo and Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers were among the plant’s most vocal supporters. Others, including Gosslee, expressed concerns over how the aging plant would handle higher risk of #drought, #wildfires and #earthquake activity.

"Since then, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff have evaluated the environmental impact of running the plant for 20 years after the current licenses expire in 2030 and 2033. The agency issued its draft environmental impact statement in early November, outlining considerations like air quality, land use, water resources, human health and waste management.

"Commission staff determined that Comanche Peak’s continued operation would have only small impacts on the surrounding environment, said Tam Tran, who led the environmental review. The agency defines small impacts as being either undetectable or so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter natural resources. [Apparently, these people either believe in #hormesis or don't believe in #bioaccumulation!]

"The review also found that the plant’s operations may affect, but are not likely to negatively impact, protected species such as the #GoldenCheekedWarbler, #TricoloredBat and #MonarchButterfly. Fish habitats are not expected to be affected, Tran said."

Full article:
https://www.keranews.org/environment-nature/2023-12-11/north-texans-want-more-say-as-nuclear-plant-seeks-to-continue-operating-through-2053