Interview with Rosa Couch, November 21, 2006

Partial Transcript: This is Dale Johnson from Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, speaking with Rosa Couch, the solid waste manager for Perry County, Kentucky on November 21st, 2006.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson and Couch discuss one of the oldest dumps in Perry County.

Keywords: Dumps; Illegal dumps; Solid waste; Tire amnesty program

Subjects: Perry County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: That's a wonderful thing about the PRIDE program.

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the excellence of PRIDE and the stages of PRIDE dump cleanups. Couch also discusses the beauty of Perry County.

Keywords: Dump cleanups; Dumps; Hal Rogers; Illegal dumps; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Rogers, Hal

Subjects: Perry County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: The PRIDE program is, by far, one of the best things that's ever happened to Eastern Kentucky.

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses her position as PRIDE co-coordinator in Perry County and the different PRIDE programs in the county.

Keywords: Denny Ray Noble; Noble, Denny Ray; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Solid waste; Spring cleanups; Volunteering

Subjects: Hunting; Perry County (Ky.); Roadside litter; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you grow up here, in--

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses more PRIDE programs in Perry County. Couch also discusses how garbage takes away from the beauty of her county. Couch discusses various awards she has won from PRIDE.

Keywords: Garbage; Hal Rogers; Litter; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Rogers, Hal; Trash; Volunteering

Subjects: Awards; Litter (Trash); Perry County (Ky.); Pollution.; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: This is the Buckhorn Lake cleanup.

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the Buckhorn Lake cleanup and the unexpectedly cold weather and other challenges. Couch also discusses the commitment of Denny Ray Noble to participating in PRIDE cleanups.

Keywords: Buckhorn Lake (Ky.); Denny Ray Noble; Noble, Denny Ray; Volunteering

Subjects: Adoption; Children; Environmentalism; Families; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: That's what everybody says about the appliances, they keep, they do these buybacks and they keep thinking they'll be, they'll finally get all the appliances out of the creeks and everything and then every year...

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the success of appliance buybacks in Perry County. Couch also discusses the success of a metal drop off site in the county that the judge owns and the many new signups for garbage pickup.

Keywords: Appliance buybacks; Garbage pickup; Krypton (Ky.); Metal dropoffs

Subjects: Household appliances; Judges; Perry County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Do you have any good stories about things that have happened at cleanups?

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses some problems that have occurred during PRIDE cleanups, including people throwing things at them and children finding drug paraphernalia.

Keywords: Cleanups; Creeks; Danger; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Spring cleanups

Subjects: Drug paraphernalia; Environmentalism; Harassment; Law enforcement; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Schools; Students

Partial Transcript: I have cited people with, uh, using trucks as garbage bins by their homes.

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the many varied duties she has as solid waste coordinator, including field work and office work.

Keywords: Community service; Garbage; Grants; Office work; Solid waste coordinator; Trash

Subjects: Field work; Grants and funding; Refuse and refuse disposal; Trucks

Partial Transcript: Do you have any suggestions for the future with PRIDE, uh, something that could beef up certain programs or funds for different things, or, or--

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the importance of education for PRIDE and her suggestions for improvements in the PRIDE education programs. Couch explains that it's easier to reach younger generations than older generations.

Keywords: Competitions; Environmental fairs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Riverwoods

Subjects: Children; Contests; Education; Environmental education; Environmentalism; Older people; Youth

Partial Transcript: They've done a pretty good job of getting the dumps, haven't they?

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the success of illegal dump cleanups in Perry County. Couch also discusses the importance of more hands-on education for kids in the county, and the importance of media exposure for PRIDE.

Keywords: Dump cleanups; Dumps; Hands-on education; Illegal dumps; Media; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE)

Subjects: Children; Education; Environmental education; Environmentalism; Perry County (Ky.); Youth

Partial Transcript: Well, that's what I'm in, I'm in that situation in Letcher County with our judge getting voted out.

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the difficulties of her job as solid waste coordinator.

Keywords: Jobs; Paperwork; Solid waste; Solid waste coordinators

Subjects: Annual reports; Careers; Occupations; Paperwork (Office practice); Perry County (Ky.); Records

Partial Transcript: Did y--what kind of groups, uh, shows up at the cleanups? Do you get the scouts and church groups and--

Segment Synopsis: Couch discusses the groups that participate in the yearly spring cleanups. Couch also discusses making sure no communities are left out in her programs.

Keywords: 4-H; Businesses; Churches; Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC); Skateboarding club; Spring cleanups

Subjects: 4-H clubs.; Boy scouts; Communities; Employees; Girl scouts; United States. Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.