Our campus recycling program has been the topic of recent discussion among Greens members and other groups on campus. Beginning with a conversation with Cam Schauf, Director of Auxiliary Services, earlier this fall, the Greens have decided to take a closer look at the company which is responsible for collecting our waste and recyclables. For the past several years Bryn Mawr College has contracted with Browning Ferris Industries (BFI), the world's second largest waste corporation. Although BFI can certainly deliver these services cheaply, how good is their service? Perhaps mores importantly, we need to ask ourselves if this is the type of company we want to support.

BFI is based out of Houston, Texas, and during the 1960s and 1970s it expanded across North America. The key to BFI's success has been buying out other waste companies by making offers too good to refuse. Now BFI has operations or subsidiary companies in almost all U.S. states, along with overseas operations in Canada, Australia, the UK, Puerto Rico, Western Europe and the Middle East. Unfortunately, BFI has a long history of polluting the environment and violating anti-trust laws.

BFI's violations range from illegal disposal of hazardous wastes to bribing state officials. BFI recently submitted a report to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DER) admitting to 270 civil penalties or permit suspensions and 10 misdemeanor or felony convictions from 1981 to 1991. In more than one instance, BFI has tried to monopolize markets and force out competitors. In addition, several state officials have plead guilty to accepting bribes from BFI. For example, in 1995 a Texas state employee plead guilty to accepting a bribe from BFI in exchange for granting permits to the company. In 1997, BFI paid over $5 million in fines in West Chester, PA for illegal disposal of wastewater and treatment sludge. Previously, BFI had pled guilty to a 23-count indictment charging them with conspiracy, mail fraud, and Clean Water Act charges involving the illegal disposal of the sludge at five plants in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

In addition, BFI is also involved in polluting the Chester community in one of the nation's worst cases of environmental racism. The company America Ref-Fuel, 50 % of which is owned by BFI, has recently bought the waste incinerator, which is largely responsible for the pollution in Chester. This waste incinerator is the 4th largest in the country and is allowed to burn 2,688 tons of trash per day. Recently, America Ref-Fuel has applied for a new permit to more than double the tonnage that will be burned each day in the incinerator. In keeping with past history, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will likely grant the permit despite the objections of the residents and the negative health impacts in the community.

It is hardly surprising that BFI submitted a brief to the EPA opposing the application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to environmental regulations. Following President Clinton's executive order in 1994, which directed federal agencies to take actions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations, Title VI has increasingly been used to prevent environmental regulations which result in discrimination on the basis of race. Chester residents have long been fighting to get the DEP to deny permits to companies such as America Ref-Fuel (50% owned by BFI) under Title VI.

Can Bryn Mawr College really support a company such as BFI and continue our work with the Chester residents without being hypocritical? Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions. Few companies, if any, can deliver waste collection and recycling services as cheaply as BFI. How much are we willing to pay to get a company which is environmentally responsible? In addition, as Phil Genther, the Assistant Director of Facilities Services points out, there are also practical aspects to consider. Our waste and recycling company must be able handle the volume of waste produced at Bryn Mawr and also provide consistent high-quality service. These are certainly questions that the Bryn Mawr community needs to consider as our contract with BFI comes up for renewal on June 1. Although BFI can certainly deliver these services cheaply, how good is their service? Perhaps more importantly, we need to ask ourselves if this is the type of company we want to support.