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By
John Trotti
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John
Trotti
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I’m
sitting here gazing at our September/October
2005 cover that chronicled the devastation wrought
by Florida’s 2004 sequence of hurricanes, while
trying to make some sense out of what has happened in
the wake of Katrina.
The first
realization is that in terms of violence, Katrina was
pretty much of the same order of magnitude as several
storms that have hit the Southeast in the last two years,
but there the similarity ends. It’s the level and
extent of the destruction that boggles the mind. When
I wrote an editorial for our Erosion Control magazine
more than a decade ago, citing the increasing risks
to the entire area as a result of wetlands loss, never
in my wildest imaginings did I conceive of what this
possibly meant … and this recognition helps me
understand the plight of those responsible for the health,
safety, and welfare of the city’s populace. Even
now it’s hard for me to get my mind around an event
that is all but biblical in its scope, so while critics
may rail at this mistake or that failure, I marvel at
the dedication, industry, and resolve of those who have
stepped into the breach. More than holding on, they’re
gaining the upper hand in a battle that many as recently
as a week ago thought was an exercise in futility.
From a waste
management standpoint, I suspect that the sheer magnitude
of the destruction took a lot of guesswork out of the
question, “Where do we start?” Wherever you
stood, you were in the midst of rubble, so you just
started … and you worked … and you kept on
working until exhaustion set in and you had to rest.
Then you got up and started in again, working your way
house to house, block by block, and finally ward by
ward until things began to make a little sense.
Yes, there
seems to be no clear end in sight, and yes, there are
sure to be recriminations to follow, and yes, the fate
of the entire area in the face of future hurricanes
is still up in the air, but these and thousands of other
challenges seem to pale in comparison with the humanity
we’ve seen unfurl.
In one case
after another we’ve watched in admiration as scenes
of terrible destruction, dislocation, and death have
given way to heroism, selflessness, compassion, and
an outpouring of concern and aid from those on the firing
line.
A Tribute
to Dick Eldredge
Dick Eldredge of Naperville, IL, passed away in
late May 2005 after a long illness. Many people working
in the field of solid waste management will remember
Dick as an individual who was their teacher at some
training course in solid waste management, especially
courses in the design and operation of sanitary landfills.
Dick spent
over 40 years working in solid waste management and
for the most part in some area associated with the design
and operation of sanitary landfills. One of the first
sanitary engineering officers in the newly formed USPHS
Office of Solid Waste (OSW) program in 1965, Dick was
responsible for the development of the solid waste training
program for OSW. Dick also served as the solid waste
regional director in the Chicago regional office of
the USPHS. He later served as the program officer for
OSW with responsibilities for program planning, budgeting,
and legislative issues. After leaving OSW, Dick entered
private practice and eventually formed his own engineering
consulting firm—Eldredge Engineering Associates.
His firm specialized in sanitary landfill design, permitting,
compliance, and operations. Dick retired in the mid-1990s
and sold his firm to his employees.
A long time
member of SWANA, Dick—along with Art Dunn, Larry
Crane, and Lanny Hickman—developed the original
Manager of Landfill Operations (MOLO) training course
for SWANA. MOLO is probably the best-known landfill-training
program in the world. Dick was also involved in the
strategic development of SWANA’s manager certification
program now so popular across the country.
Many will
believe that the excellence of the sanitary landfills
of today in the US is in part because of Dick’s
work.
Send
John an Email
MSW
- November/December 2005
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