Ask TBC: What items can go in the blue recycling bins?
| Sunday, Sep 13 2009 12:00 PM
Last Updated Sunday, Sep 13 2009 12:00 PM
Q: An article written about recycling would be helpful to the community. It should go into reasonable detail as to what should go into the blue containers and what shouldn't. For example, should milk containers, wrapping paper, plastic holders for soft drinks (the loops that hold six packs together), non-CRV containers, etc., go into the container?
- John Mackessy
A: Sal Moretti, superintendent of the Bakersfield waste management division, said in general, items made from paper can be recycled, including milk containers and wrapping paper. He said cereal boxes and cardboard egg cartons are acceptable for recycling, but plastic egg cartons and plastic six-pack beverage holders are not.
Other items that can be recycled include newspaper, cardboard, junk mail, #1 and #2 plastic bottles, office paper, magazines, aluminum cans and tin cans, as well as clear, green and brown glass.
Items not acceptable for the blue recycling bins include trash, green waste, hazardous waste such as paint, oils and solvent, and computer parts.
By the way, Moretti said there are about 7,400 people in Bakersfield who are signed up for the recycling service, and the number continues to grow.
To sign up for the recycling service, call 326-3114. The cost is $4 per month/$48 per year. It is available to all residents of the city of Bakersfield.
- Gerald M. Sutliff
A: The Kern County Sheriff's Department uses criteria set by the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. A BNE spokesman said the value is what crooks can get for a pound of marijuana.
A mature plant produces about a pound of marijuana, the crooks tell the cops. A pound ranges from $2,000 to $4,000 and may actually be sold in some places for up to $6,000, the spokesman said. The Kern County sheriff's office is using about $4,000 per pound, so each mature plant is valued at about $4,000. The value of 1,000 plants would be $4 million.
Q: I would like to know why vehicles are allowed to park on both sides of Ashe Road at the intersection of North Half Moon Drive (south of Ming Avenue) on Sunday mornings.
There are signs that read: "No Parking at Any Time." There is no "except Sunday" sign. Also, there are bike lanes on both sides which are completely blocked.
There is an evangelical Christian church at the intersection and cars obviously belong to churchgoers.
Does the city make an exception for churchgoers? Is this a violation of the separation of church and state? Would the city be so accommodating to members of a Muslim mosque? Or members of an atheist or agnostic meeting hall?
-- Forrest G. Wood
A: Bakersfield Police Detective Mary DeGeare said this is the first she's heard of the situation.
"Typically our limited parking enforcement resources are complaint driven and we have not had any complaints there that the traffic lieutenant was aware of," she wrote in an e-mail, adding: "No exceptions are made; we will take a look at it."
Q: Has anyone else in the northeast noticed the water bubbling up out of our streets?
This has been going on for the last couple years. California Water Service comes and puts up caution signs, then comes back anywhere from one to three weeks later to dig up the street to repair these leaks. Meanwhile, in an area where water is so precious, we lose a lot, not to mention the possibility of cave-ins occurring under the road from erosion.
The area I am talking about is on Fairfax, from Auburn to Panorama and on Panorama from Fairfax to Meadow Vista Court. I have counted at least nine patches on the road on Fairfax alone and some of these have been dug up more than once. This month, we have had three leaks on Panorama and one on Rancho Sierra. At this point, it probably would have been cheaper to replace the whole thing.
- Cindy Hall
A: Tim Treloar of Cal Water answered the question:
"We very recently repaired three service leaks in this area, and have one service leak pending, which is scheduled to be repaired by Friday.
"We utilize a code system, rating leaks from code 1 (minor leak) to code 4 (major leak, property damage potential, lots of water). These leaks in the Panorama area have all been internally classed as code 1s. It can take up to two-three weeks to schedule repairs, making certain permits are obtained, and USA Dig Alert is notified (so other utilities have time to mark the location of their particular utility pipes, conduits, etc.).
"Our crews may potentially encounter high pressure gas and oil lines, underground power, telephone, fiber optic, cable, gas, etc. Unless it is an emergency, we don't just start digging up the street. There is a protocol we follow in order to assure the safety of the repair work for our employees and the public. We do realize that there is some apparent water waste, but typically the code 1 leaks run less than 1 gallon per minute, although to a water conscious customer, this can be a lot of water.
"Our engineering department is initiating a more in-depth look at the service material in this area. We are sending representative samples of the failed material to engineering for their analysis. It's apparent that some of the service material in this area is not holding up well, and not lasting as long as anticipated."
Ask The Californian appears on Mondays. Submit questions to asktbc@bakersfield.com or to The Bakersfield Californian, c/o Christine Bedell, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302
