A New Mexico company that cleans garbage containers struck gold in the Legislature.

Taxpayers are picking up the tab — $162,500 — for the company to demonstrate its cleaning system to nearly a dozen cities and counties. Legislators earmarked money for the work although local governments didn't ask for the pilot projects in some instances.

Corrales was allotted $10,000 "to clean, deodorize and sanitize commercial and residential refuse containers in compliance with federal clean water regulations."

"That was not one of our capital outlay requests and was somewhat of a surprise when it was received," said Corrales Mayor Phil Gasteyer.

Belen City Manager Sally Garley gave a similar assessment of the $10,000 provided to the community for garbage container cleaning. "That's nothing the city had requested money for," she said.

But the community will accept the service. "If they're going to do it for free, that's all well and fine," she said.

What happened in the Legislature is a confluence of two forces — a long-cherished practice by lawmakers of earmarking taxpayer dollars for pet projects in their home districts and the influence of lobbyists.

The money approved by the Legislature will pay for a cleaning service offered by an Albuquerque-based company, Blast-N-Clean. The company's lobbyist is a former legislator.

A critic calls it "pork barrel" spending and an inappropriate use of state money. "It certainly sounds like this is something that should come out of the company's own marketing budget, not the state budget," says Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, a research group favoring limited government.

The money for the trash container cleaning was tucked away in legislation that provides $20 million for projects selected by lawmakers and Gov. Bill Richardson.

"You just get everything but the kitchen sink tossed into these pork bills. It's really in dire need of reform, and this is the perfect example of that need for reform," says Gessing.

"There has to be some kind of systemic process by which priorities are agreed to — not just whoever has connections or whoever is more aggressive in accessing the revenues."

The company designed a truck that will pick up an empty residential trash bin or commercial trash bin and spray it clean in a few seconds. The cleaning fluid remains in the truck.

The company will do a one-time cleaning of trash containers in the communities that received money from the Legislature, according to Terry Whitlock, Blast-N-Clean's executive vice president for sales and marketing. The company hopes the pilot programs will lead to more business if local governments like the service.

"It's been our experience where we can actually get out and demonstrate it, the citizens do love the service," said Whitlock.

There are no federal or state regulatory requirements for cleaning trash containers, according to the state Environment Department. Local storm water ordinances could include guidelines for cleaning garbage and trash bins, says Marissa Stone, an agency spokeswoman.

However, Whitlock said the company's cleaning service will help municipalities meet federal rules for controlling pollutants that could go into storm water drainage systems.

If residents or businesses wash their trash containers and dump the water, potential pollutants such as grease and chemicals can flow into storm drains and then into rivers and streams. If trash containers are commercially cleaned by the company, Whitlock said, there's no runoff of pollutants.

"It's a quality of life issue. It will help safeguard the groundwater system and prevent pollutants being discharged onto the ground," said Whitlock.

The company didn't set out to ask the Legislature for money to demonstrate its cleaning system.

A lobbyist, Joe Nestor Chavez, was hired to push for an interim legislative committee study of federal requirements for controlling storm water runoff and the state's efforts to prevent pollution of water systems. The company's goal, Whitlock said, is to establish a requirement in New Mexico for periodic cleaning of garbage containers.

Chavez, a Democrat who represented an Albuquerque district from 1997-2000, said he lobbied for the cleaning projects after learning money was available for legislators to allocate for projects of their choosing.

"I started talking to different legislators and asking them if they think they would be interested in doing a pilot project in their area," said Chavez, who provided lawmakers with estimates of how many residential trash containers were in communities in their districts and the potential cost for the company to clean them.

Rep. Antonio "Mo" Maestas, D-Albuquerque, said he earmarked $10,000 for cleanings in his west side Albuquerque district after the company "educated me on the program." "To me, it was simply a way to make a small dent in the quality of life of the older neighborhoods on the west side," said Maestas.

Initially, $227,500 was approved by the Legislature for trash container cleaning projects, but Richardson vetoed $65,000 that was to go to several communities.

The company's name doesn't appear in the legislation. Instead, money is provided for local governments to "clean, deodorize and sanitize commercial and residential refuse containers in compliance with federal clean water regulations" or for communities "to implement the provisions of federal clean water regulations."




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