MSW Management | N.C. Vasuki: Ad Astra Per Aspera

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Solid waste management recognizes one of its living legends.

By John Trotti

Those of you who know N.C. Vasuki, chief executive officer of the Delaware Solid Waste Association (DSWA), will suspect as I do that the waste community has not heard the last from him despite his decision to step down from his post of 31 years and give over the reins to Pat Canzano. In fact, I think I can promise you this because N.C. has been a member of our Editorial Advisory Board from day one, so not only has he been our mentor and guru, but talisman as well...and only a fool would let someone with those qualities escape.

Vasuki is dedicated to the belief that SWM systems must be based on sound engineering principles.

If you don’t know N.C., then I have only two things to say: your tough luck, and are you sure you’re reading the right magazine? I could go on for hours about what the man means to the community and to me personally, just as I could have loaded up a year’s worth of magazine space with testimonials and accomplishments, but I think I’ll leave that to two people who have had special relationships with N.C.—Lanny Hickman and John Williams, both of whom are waste management innovators in their own right.

Thank you, my very special friend and mentor. Godspeed, fair winds, long runways...and lots of targets.

A Short Set of Observations About NC Vasuki
By Lanny Hickman
Founder and Former Executive Director of SWANA
N.C. is a native of India. He was raised in a family of professional people, which naturally influenced his decision to enter the profession of engineering. He came to America to complete his engineering education and became as American as apple pie, college football and respect for the American flag. His staying here was a major loss for India and a super, major win for the United States.

Rather than returning home upon the completion of his education, he went to work for the state of Delaware in its water pollution control program. Eventually, his skills, capabilities, and ease with people resulted in his becoming the headman for Delaware’s environmental protection program. While in that role, N.C addressed the problems of the state’s many open dumps, leading to the formation of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA).

Showing how smart the people in Delaware actually are, NC was selected to breathe life into this new concept of infrastructure for solid waste management (SWM). As one who was around when this out-of-the-box concept was ideated, I have many times in speeches, lectures, and papers highlighted the DSWA as a role model for many states and local governments to emulate. And the principle reason that the DSWA approach is such a great success can be attributed to the professionalism, skills, smarts, people sense, and political touch of one N.C. Vasuki.

Without a doubt, I believe that N.C.’s dedication to the belief that SWM systems had to be based on sound engineering principles. This approach to building the DSWA has resulted in a national and international treasure. N.C. has proved that solid waste management is a part of the field of sanitary/environmental engineering just like the fields of water and air pollution control and prevention. His dedication to this belief from the start—when SWM was really considered just garbage collection and open burning—has been a major factor in how the handling of garbage is now a professional field.

Beyond the engineering foundation that is so much the fabric of SWM, N.C.’s belief that the polluter should pay (also know as user fees) is reflected in the way DSWA does it business today. In addition, this approach to financing SWM to serve the public has had a strong influence on the enterprise-funded systems and authorities that we see in SWM today. Delaware’s entire SWM management system is funded by tipping fees at the DSWA’s three sanitary landfills, transfer stations, and by customers of its curbside recycling collection services.

One more really great contribution by N.C. and the DSWA is the proof that an exemplary integrated solid waste management system begins with a foundation of blue ribbon award-winning sanitary landfills. From this foundation, the citizens of the state of Delaware now have services for recycling—drop off centers, curbside collection, materials recovery, yard waste management, household hazardous services, public education to enhance recycling and waste reduction, white goods/electronic goods recovery and recycling—and not one cent of tax dollars is necessary. It is all pay as you go.

I have had the pleasure of being both a professional colleague and personal friend of NC since the late 1960s. He has been an important part of the lives of my wife Kay and myself. His retirement is going to leave a mighty big hole in the field of MSW that will not be filled, cannot be filled by anyone. But, as we have talked about many times, the value of one’s life is measured by what they knowingly and willingly leave behind at some point in a lifetime. One moves forward and does not look back. Kay and I look forward to him having more time to spend with friends like us.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded.” This personifies N.C., his life, and his contributions.

N.C.: The Soul of DSWA
By John Williams
Senior Vice President, HDR Engineering Inc.
It is hard to describe N.C. Vasuki. Not because of a lack of adjectives—in fact, there are too many to choose from. It is not fitting to select phrases that are often featured on bumper stickers, team-building posters, or in political stump speeches. N.C. deserves better than to be described with words that have been devalued by frequent use and inflated expectation. The truth is that it is rare for a person like N.C. to come along.

An individual who never walked away from a challenge, N.C. has used his professional career to find ways to be a better steward of the resources in his control. To some, being in control of large quantities of solid waste may not be a dream job. After all, at the beginning of his career, trash was viewed as trash and most people were only focused on getting rid of it. That meant dumping it on unsuspecting communities with little concern for the harm it could do.

N.C. saw that he could help undo some serious environmental wrongs. He saw that the wastestream held great potential. N.C. was chanting “reduce, reuse, and recycle” long before it was cool. He believed in learning from others and sharing what he learned. He took risks to find ways to convert trash to construction materials, manufacturing feedstock, soil conditioners, and fuel. He pressed his staff to focus its landfilling practices on protecting the environment, respecting its neighbors, and preserving opportunities to recover the potential of the wastestream long after being stored in landfill cells. He worked with private haulers to ensure that residents of his state had plenty of choices and a healthy competitive environment. He counseled policy makers to help them do what was right, even when it held political risk.

He has held many titles in his career, including those that most of us only dream of. President, CEO, chairman. While he deserved those titles, and took each role seriously, there are a few more that most people are not aware of that are just as significant. His staff members would view him as a teacher and a mentor. Solid waste professionals think of him as a person who added real dignity to the title “garbage man.” His board members know him as trustworthy, loyal, and totally dedicated to the residents of the state of Delaware. More than two generations of children in Delaware have benefited from his efforts as an environmental educator—thousands and thousands of school children have visited his facilities and have a better understanding of what happens to the material they place on the curb.

N.C. is a natural diplomat and a steadfast promoter of the merits of visiting or even living in Delaware. You know you have arrived as a solid waste professional when your facilities become popular tourist attractions. He has traveled the world seeking better ways to do his job, yet he always heads home, followed by landfill operators from Holland, recyclers from Sweden, waste-to-energy engineers from Denmark, or material recovery specialists from Italy. They all want to see what N.C. is up to and hope to make a side trip to a Delaware beach as a second stop on their journey before they head home.

Most important, there are thousands of people around the world that would refer to N.C. as a great friend and a gentleman who never showed up empty-handed on their door steps or at their landfill and who never left without extending his thanks and an offer (kept many, many times) to return the favor.

Having known N.C. for 20 years, I am thankful that he came my way. I am proud to be part of an industry that N.C. helped to convert to a profession. Thank you, N.C., for living a life that has gone way beyond slogans and adjectives to doing a fine job and being an example for a new generation stewards.

MSW - November/December 2006