Interview with Mike Crum, September 5, 2006

Partial Transcript: Hello, this is Dale Johnson for Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, uh, talking with Mike Crum, solid waste coordinator of Martin County on, um, September 5th, 2006.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses his childhood in Martin County and the closeness of everyone in his small town.

Keywords: Inez (Ky.); Solid waste coordinators; Tomahawk (Ky.)

Subjects: Childhood; Communities; Counties; Families; Martin County (Ky.); Youth

Partial Transcript: Do you remember your first house you grew up in, how you got your water?

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses his access to water in his childhood homes. Crum also discusses how people used to get rid of garbage.

Keywords: Garbage; Grandmothers; Houses; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Reusing; Trash

Subjects: Dwellings; Martin County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Sewerage.; Water; Wells

Partial Transcript: I was gonna look and get an idea of how you've used the PRIDE money over the years.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the very successful white goods buyback in which the county collected 46 tons of household appliances.

Keywords: Appliance buybacks; Dump cleanups; Illegal dumps; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Transfer stations; White goods; White goods buybacks

Subjects: Discarded household appliances; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Household appliances; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Are you thinking--what's your plan from now on?

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the county's current approach for white goods and the plan to not do any buybacks in the future.

Keywords: Appliance buybacks; White goods; White goods buybacks

Subjects: Discarded household appliances; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Household appliances; Martin County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: I'm looking here, you've, you've had some super grant money.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses super grant funding received from PRIDE to clean up a series of dumps. Crum also discusses the issue of people going back and dumping in sites that have previously been cleaned.

Keywords: Dump cleanups; Dumps; Enforcement; Illegal dumps; Super grants; Surveillance cameras

Subjects: Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Grants and funding; Law enforcement; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Rural conditions; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Have you, have you had somebody once in a while if they go to a place and they find five or six envelopes with the same name on it, you go over to their house and--

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses how laws against illegal dumping are enforced in Martin County.

Keywords: Dump cleanups; Dumps; Enforcement; Illegal dumps

Subjects: Education; Environmental education.; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Law enforcement; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Punishment; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Yeah, and uh, uh, the thing that bothers me--I probably ought to shut that door.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the issue of roadside litter in the county and how PRIDE cleanups could be leading people to think it's okay to litter.

Keywords: Attitudes; Litter abatement; PRIDE cleanups; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Roadside cleanups; Spring cleanups

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Litter (Trash); Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Well I know PRIDE is really thinking about trying to get to the younger people.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the importance of reaching younger generations to educate them about protecting the environment. Crum also discusses teachers who help get students involved in PRIDE cleanups.

Keywords: Enforcement; Garbage; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Spring cleanups; Trash

Subjects: Children; Education; Environmental education.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Litter (Trash); Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roadside litter; Schools; Teachers

Partial Transcript: I'm trying to s, see, uh--you had a bunch of tires. Everybody's had trouble with tires.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses how refuse disposal works in Martin County. Crum also discusses the unique system that doesn't involve any garbage collection in the county.

Keywords: Garbage collection; Garbage pickup; Green Valley (Ky.); Landfills; Refuse pickup; Tires

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Martin County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Refuse collection; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: You've had a ton of volunteers, that's good.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses sewer programs in the county and the requirement that people get a sewer permit before they get electricity in their home.

Keywords: Sewers; Straight pipes

Subjects: Electricity; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Martin County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Septic tanks; Sewerage.; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I noticed that you, you guys are probably like us down in Letcher, you still have a pretty booming coal business up here?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson and Crum discuss coal mines and their effect on water quality. Crum discusses the successful water system in Martin County.

Keywords: Careers; City water; Jobs; Occupations; Water; Water filters; Water tables

Subjects: Coal mines and mining; Employment--Kentucky; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Martin County (Ky.); Plumbing.; Sewerage.; Water quality.

Partial Transcript: So what do you think is, um--what do you think would help you from PRIDE from now on?

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the success of dump cleanups and roadside cleanups. Crum also discusses the frustration that stems from people dumping illegally when there is a free and legal option.

Keywords: Dump cleanups; Dumps; Illegal dumps; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Roadside cleanups; Spring cleanups

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Tourism; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: But, um, is there anything, you know--you know about PRIDE programs. Is there anything that you, you think PRIDE could expand?

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the need for more education and enforcement through PRIDE. Crum also discusses the nuisance ordinance that has helped with cleaning up abandoned buildings.

Keywords: Enforcement; Junk cars; Nuisance ordinances; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE)

Subjects: Abandoned buildings; Abandoned houses; County ordinances; Environmental education.; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Law enforcement; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Now I haven't talked to the mayor but, sounds like they, they haven't done anything since 2001 for that sewer extension.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses some other people who are involved with PRIDE in the county. Crum also discusses how the issue of illegal dumping affects Martin County more than other counties.

Keywords: Dumps; Enforcement; Illegal dumps; PRIDE coordinators; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Warfield (Ky.)

Subjects: Counties; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Law enforcement; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Is there anything else you'd like to say, just in general, about--um, does it, does it seem though--does it seem to be getting a little bit better, say, than it was ten years ago?

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses progress that's been made thanks to PRIDE funding.

Keywords: Dumps; Enforcement; Illegal dumps; Improvements; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Road crews

Subjects: Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Grants and funding; Law enforcement; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Progress; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Well I can see that you, yeah, you got your community involved here when you got, uh, a thousand volunteers.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses the success of roadside cleanups in the county and the large volume of volunteers who participate.

Keywords: Litter (Trash); Participation; Roadside cleanups; Roadside litter; Volunteering

Subjects: Communities; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Well, um, I appreciate your time.

Segment Synopsis: Crum discusses future funding the county is getting to clean up more illegal dumps. Crum also discusses using local contractors to clean up dumps.

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

Subjects: Contractors; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Grants and funding; Martin County (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Waste disposal sites