SPSA : Press Room

(Chesapeake, VA, February 28, 2007) – The Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) is teaming up with Keep Norfolk Beautiful (KNB) to show Norfolk citizens what happens to their trash and recycling once it’s collected at the curb.
            On Saturday, March 3, participants will first tour SPSA’s Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) plant in Portsmouth, where residential trash is burned and converted to steam and electrical energy. Following the RDF tour, passengers will be taken to Tidewater Fibre Corporation’s (TFC) Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Chesapeake and observe the sorting process for items to be recycled.
            “We are very excited to have SPSA involved in Follow That Trash,” said Nicole Dutil, Environmental Program Coordinator. “The RDF Plant tour is an eye-opening experience and participants will see how their trash is managed in an environmentally friendly way.”
            Follow that Trash is part of KNB’s 2007 Great American Cleanup events. The tour will leave at 9 a.m. from the Ernie Morgan Center in Lafayette Park, Norfolk, dropping passengers back at the park by 1 p.m. To sign up for the tour, please contact KNB at 441-1347 or email nec@norfolkbeautiful.org. Space is limited and there is a fee of $5 per person.

SPSA has been providing efficient and environmentally sound waste disposal services to the region and its residents since 1985. SPSA’s solid waste management system includes waste-to-energy, yard waste composting, drop-off and curbside recycling as well as other recycling programs, household hazardous waste collection, landfilling, landfill gas-to-energy and education programs. This integrated waste management system enables SPSA to put 57% of the waste it receives to a beneficial use, thus allowing the region to reduce its dependence on landfills.