EDITORIAL: Take a regional look at leaf disposal

Long Island's communities are graced with beautiful trees, and every autumn, our many towns deal with leaf removal in as many ways as there are colors in a fall display.

What better season to find a more regional approach to falling leaves that is better for the environment and cheaper?

The existing removal methods range from curbside pickup of bagged leaves in most places to self-delivery by homeowners and landscapers to the town composting facility on Shelter Island. Brookhaven sends 34,000 tons of year-round yard waste to a local composting company at a cost of nearly $4 million. North Hempstead has started a pilot program to offer composting devices to homeowners. Oyster Bay trucks yard waste to composting companies off Long Island, and gets 10 percent back for residents to use in their gardens. Doing so in all seasons starting this year will save $300,000 or more in landfill costs - even if the trucking is a strange way to do the "green" work of composting.

Riverhead wants to give up on vacuuming leaves from the street and will distribute paper bags in a pilot project. Southampton isn't picking up leaves in plastic bags because plastic shreds will spoil the compost. And in the most dire situation, East Hampton is giving up leaf collection entirely to save $450,000.

With taxes and costs rising, and landfill space at a premium, the East Hampton scenario could be the future. The collection of leaves is a service suburbanites expect - but it's one that will remain costly unless another way is found. hN