Back From the Bin 3843

In the April story “Cure for the Blues,” we wrote about the Illinois General Assembly considering a bill that essentially would allow Chicago to lease some of its assets, including the Midway Airport and three transfer stations. Mayor Richard Daley had suggested that if the transfer stations were leased the funds might be used to replace the city's frequently criticized Blue Bag recycling program with a curbside collection system. In May, the bill was approved and enacted. Daley, however, has yet to commit to tossing out the current recycling program.

The April story “A Flow Control Win” discussed an appeals court ruling in the United Haulers Association v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority case that said requiring haulers to take trash to a publicly owned and operated landfill did not violate the dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Because the ruling seemingly conflicts with previous court decisions, specifically NSWMA v. Daviess County, Ky., the United Haulers Association filed a petition with the Supreme Court in May, as was speculated. The Supreme Court has until October to decide whether it will hear the case.