Interview with Tommy Conover, January 18, 2007

Partial Transcript: This is Dale Johnson with Eastern Kentucky PRIDE and today we're with the PRIDE club at Russell County Middle School, um, under Jean Clement's supervision and, um, today's date is January 18th, 2007.

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses his time growing up in Russell Springs and one of his first jobs in construction.

Keywords: Construction; Homes; Houses; Jobs; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Work

Subjects: Adair County (Ky.); Careers; Childhood; Dwellings; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Russell Springs (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Alright, uh, whenever you was young, what did your friends do, uh, for fun?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses what he did for fun as a child. Conover also discusses his parents' occupations.

Keywords: Baseball; Bicycles; Camping; Caves; Creeks; Family; Farming; Fathers; Fishing; Golf; Housewives; Jobs; Minnows; Mothers; Parents; Sawmills; Stay-at-home mothers.; Swimming; Tennis; Work

Subjects: Agriculture; Careers; Children; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; Farmers; Farms; Occupations; Recreation

Partial Transcript: Where did you, uh, get your household water, whenever you was younger?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses water, sewerage, and refuse disposal from his childhood. Conover also discusses the bit of recycling his family used to do, and how important recycling is now.

Keywords: Bottles; Garbage; Landfills; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Septic systems; Trash

Subjects: Childhood; Plumbing.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Sewerage.; Water; Wells

Partial Transcript: Could you, uh, tell us some examples and describe of, uh, how you've noticed the environment get better over the years since you've been in Russell County?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses the increase in recycling customers he's seen over the years. Conover also discusses how pollution and litter can harm wildlife.

Keywords: Animals; Garbage; Trash; Wildlife

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Recycling centers; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Russell County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Can you tell us, like, your opinion if the factories today should be shut down?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses his opinion on factories and explains that he believes it's more important to focus on recycling rather than shutting down factories.

Keywords: Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Smokestacks

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Factories; Fruit of the Loom (Firm); Industrial chimneys; Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal.

Partial Transcript: So, when you're at your business, what exactly is your position at your business?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses his position at the recycling center and what his job entails.

Keywords: Duties; Jobs; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Sorting; Work

Subjects: Careers; Employment--Kentucky; Occupations; Schools

Partial Transcript: And also, we have metal.

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses the metal yard at the recycling center and where it's recycled. Conover also discusses some other things that can be recycled, and the hope that funding can be obtained to start recycling tires.

Keywords: Clothes dryers; Dryers; Glass; Hot water heaters; Metal yards; Metals; Plastic; Refrigerators; Tires; Washers; Water heaters

Subjects: Discarded household appliances; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Household appliances; Laundry machinery.; Recycling (Waste, etc.)

Partial Transcript: How did your, uh, recycling business get started?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses the beginning of recycling in Russell County. Conover also discusses helping with the Lake Cumberland cleanup.

Keywords: Businesses; Dump cleanups; Lake Cumberland (Ky.); Lake Cumberland cleanup; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Recycling businesses

Subjects: Cumberland, Lake (Ky.); Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Recycling centers; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Russell County (Ky.); Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: What kind of vehicle do you drive in your company?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses the truck used at the recycling center. Conover also emphasizes the importance of encouraging recycling.

Keywords: Employees; Trucks; Vehicles

Subjects: Automobiles; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Recycling centers; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Russell County (Ky.); Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Since you've, uh, been here, have you noticed the road conditions, like the--get better since, uh, recycling programs have started?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses the improvement in road conditions and the plan for a tire grinder. Conover also discusses what items are not recyclable.

Keywords: Medicine; Metals; Oil; Oil tanks; Paint; Recycling; Road conditions; Tire grinders; Tires

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Recycling centers; Refuse and refuse disposal; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roads--Design and construction; Russell County (Ky.); Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Have you ever--is there the trash along the sides when you're going to work, the t-trash piled up on the sides of the road and everything else and the dead animals in the middle of the road?

Segment Synopsis: Conover discusses roadside litter and dead animals in the road. Conover talks about inmates and the road department helping to clean up the roads.

Keywords: Animals; Awards; Garbage; Jails; Prisoners; Road departments; Trash

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Highway departments; Inmates of institutions; Litter (Trash); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Roads; Roadside litter; Waste disposal sites