"Tanstaafl" 



Carl Woodbury 



"One thing not a surprise because Whoh and I pushed it through during time we still 

 amounted to something in government: a brass cannon on a pedestal in middle of Old Dome 

 and over it a flag fluttering in blower breeze — black field speckled with stars, bar sinister in 



blood, a proud and jaunty brass cannon embroidered ouerall, and below it our motto: 

 TANSTAAFL! That's where we hold our Fourth-of- July celebrations. 



You get only what you pay for — Prof knew and paid, gaily. 



But Prof underrated yammerheads. They never adopted any of his ideas. Seems to be a 



deep instinct in human beings for making everything compulsory that isn 't forbidden...." 



Robert Heinlein 



The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 



THE abovemottofroniRobertHein- 

 lein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 

 is as applicable to members of the 

 New Hampshire Plant Growers' As- 

 sociation as it is to the movement to 

 free Luna City. "There ain't no such 

 thing as a free lunch!" The tightening 

 of environmental regulations in the 

 state has lead to an increase in illegal 

 disposal activities with enterprising 

 entrepreneurs taking advantage of 

 the general public and their lack of 

 knowledge regarding the do's and 

 don'ts of solid waste. As explained 

 below, you should be suspicious of 

 any unsolicited offers of free "good, 

 clean fiiri 



1. Petroleum contaminated soils. 



The leaky underground storage tank 

 program (LUST) in the state re- 

 quires the replacement of tanks 

 which leak petroleum products to 

 the environment. The replacement 

 of these tanks generates soil con- 

 taminated with oil and gasoline. Do 



not accept any fill materials from a 

 service station or any fill that has a 

 petroleum odor. The use of these soils 

 as fill is prohibited. 



2. Cement and brick. These may be 

 good solid fill, but current statutes 

 and rules regulate these materials 

 as solid waste. A landfill permit is 

 required for their disposal. Upcoming 

 changes in the rules may soften the 

 regulatory requirements in the fu- 

 ture, but until then, do not accept or 

 use these materials as fill. 



3. Demolition debris. This type of 

 material, all the waste generated 

 from the demolition of buildings and 

 other structures, may only be dis- 

 posed of at a permitted landfill . If you 

 take it in, you will be held responsible 

 fori ts removal. Donotbelieveassuran- 

 ces to the contrary! 



4. Stumps. Changes in the law dur- 

 ing 1989 allow you to burv' stumps 

 generated on-site without a stump 

 dump permit. However, you may not 



accept loads of stumps from off-site 

 for use as fill. This activity would 

 classify you as a commercial stump 

 dump. Do not listen to "friendly con- 

 tractors who wish to do you a favor! 

 5. Leaves, clippings and yard 

 waste. Again, changes in the law 

 during 1989 deregulate the disposal 

 of these materials substantially. The 

 composting of this waste does not re- 

 quire a pemait but landfilling does. 

 Do not accept these materials as fill. 



Additional information and fact 

 sheets on all these waste streams may 

 be obtained by contacting the DES's 

 Public Information and Permitting 

 Office at 271-3306. What you don't 

 know can hurt you, so it would be- 

 hoove you to ask questions. '■» 



Carl Woodbury is a Waste Manage- 

 ment Specialist in the NH Department 

 of Environmental Services. 



71 Burlington, Street, Wobum, MA 01801 



(617) 933-9815 

 Woburn, MA 



^;;j^C foliage ■ holidays ■ hanging plants - 

 bedding plants • hardy mums 



WHOLESALE ■ RETAIL 



KATHAN GARDENS 



GREENHOUSES i GARDEN CENTER 



NEWPORT. NEW HAMPSHIRE 



TELEPHONE 603-S63-10S9 



OPEN ALL YEAR AROUND 



Oliver, A nne A Dennis Kalhan 



April/May 1991 25 



