The Executive Committee and Executive Director of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials Come to Cheyenne

By Kimberly Mazza

CHEYENNE – The Executive Committee and Director of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) were in Cheyenne recently to hold the committee’s first meeting since being elected.

Suzanne Engels, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Solid and Hazardous Waste Division Administrator who stepped into her new role this fall as the ASTSWMO President explained, “The executive leadership meets every December in the home-state of the President.  The executive leadership team members are from Oklahoma, Virginia, and West Virginia.  Our executive director is from Washington D.C.”

During their time in the Capital City, Engels arranged a meet-and-greet with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.  Each of the committee members spoke about the work they are doing to manage waste in the states where they reside.  The Governor and Engels spoke about the work and various programs that Wyoming is doing as well. 

Governor Gordon asked Engels to touch on the Cease and Transfer Program.  Engels pointed out that when the program was started in 2013, Wyoming had 112 landfills. Many of them were in small communities that found it cost prohibitive to manage. 

“Thanks to our legislature, the program was developed to provide grants, which have helped these smaller communities properly close their landfills and build a transfer station to take their community’s waste to another location with an operating landfill. It’s been a very effective and successful program.  We now have 32 active landfills state-wide,” stated Engels.

Engels provided an overview of the ASTWMO and its mission.  Founded in 1974, the organization works to enhance the State and Federal partnerships, promote effective State programs and provide member States technical assistance, training, and forums for information exchange. She pointed out that it is the only association that represents all 50 States, 5 Territories, and the District of Columbia on all the following programs: Hazardous Waste, Solid Waste, Storage Tank, Federal Facilities, and Brownfields.

Engles noted that ASTSWMO is celebrating their 50^th anniversary this year, and that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality celebrated their 50^th last year.

“The timing worked out perfectly for the Executive Committee to launch our work here in the Cowboy State.”