Wednesday, September 20, 2006 By Katie Weidenboerner
The Elk County Solid Waste Authority met
Tuesday to discuss the planned fluorescent lamp recycling program,
grant applications and the potential for metals to leak into the
septic system.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved without any
issues. Correspondence included one landfill inspection report. As
to the authority's knowledge, there were no odor complaints filed.
The solid waste management fund had a
balance of $148,227.99 as of Aug. 23. Since that time, there have
been $764.88 in deposits and $13,900.58 in expenditures. The fund,
as of Sept. 13, has a balance of $135,092.29.
Bekki
Titchner, recycling and solid waste coordinator, reported being in
contact with Environmental Coordination Services and Recycling
concerning the commencement of the fluorescent lamp recycling
program. Titchner said she will be meeting with North Central
Enterprise to clean up the future lamp recycling site. Titchner
hopes the clean up will be complete in the next few weeks.
Businesses have been in contact with the authority voicing their
interest in using the fluorescent lamp recycling service.
“I'm optimistic we can begin this program prior to the end of the
year,” Titchner said.
The six committee chairs of the Stackpole-Hall Foundation Project
will be meeting individually with the foundation to start the
community planning process. Information about this project will be
available at the next authority meeting.
The 904 grant application was submitted last week. Tonnage claimed
for 2005 totaled 2,561.6. This reflected a 32.6-ton increase in
residential recycling from 2004, and a 37-ton increase in the
commercial sector. These amounts refer to Act 101 materials, which
include materials such as bottles, cans, glass and office paper.
Also a 15 percent contamination rate was deducted from the drop-off
containers.
Titchner stated a need for volunteers in the upcoming months, and
encourages anyone who would like to volunteer to contact her. It is
estimated that 44 people have used the electronics recycling center
in September. Ridgway has also used the container for their fall
cleanup last weekend.
The sixth reimbursement request has been sent to the Department of
Environmental Protection. Also, a request was submitted for
additional reimbursement through a federal eCycling grant
administered through DEP.
Dave Stubber, enforcement officer, was unable to attend the meeting,
but Titchner reported on Friday that Stubber will be working with
the Army Corps of Engineers to address the issue of two 55-gallon
drums of linseed oil, a wood protectant, being dumped near the East
Branch Dam.
Chairman Russ Braun said they must have been at the site for years
because the barrels were corroded and rusted away. The oil was
leaking out on the ground. It is estimated that one-third of the oil
spilled on the ground.
The Army Corps donated their backhoe, Cleanways is donating cement
and sawdust, Weyerhaeuser will donate barrels and Jones Township
will donate a dump truck to take the barrels on Friday.
New business included the request from the Conservation District for
wage increase and insurance change for Stubber for 2007. A 4 percent
wage increase was suggested, but the authority concluded to raise
Stubber's wage the same amount as the county raised its wages.
The Conservation District wishes to switch from individual policies
to a group policy for their three employees: Stubber, Kim Lanich and
Bob Dippold. The group policy will include a $250 deductible.
John Moran questioned the efficiency of the three-member policy and
questioned whether the three employees could latch onto another
entity within the state that the Conservation District was
associated with. Emily Leither said there is no other entity, and
that this policy was better than the individual policy where the
employees were paying majority of the expenses out of their own
pockets.
The policy was approved for recommendation to the commissioners.
A
discussion was held as a follow-up to John Buerk's presentation at
the August meeting. Buerk is in the business of land application at
his cousin's site on Rosley Road.
There are heavy metals, such as copper and nickel, that work their
way into the waste stream through the powder metal industry. So if a
person works at a plant and goes home and bathes and does their
laundry, those heavy metals will get into the septic tank.
DEP has no test requirements concerning heavy metal deposits of this
kind in the residential sphere, and Elk County would be one of the
few areas that would have to deal with this problem. Wendel Lion
voiced concern over how Buerk will control the heavy metals and the
effect this heavy metal will have in the long term. Currently Buerk
only tests pH and PCB of the septic waste.
“If we sit back and do nothing, we could have further contamination
of land in St. Marys, that's my concern,” Lion said. “I'm not
concerned with seeing this in my lifetime. I'm thinking about the
next 30 to 40 years.”
Lion
motioned to write a letter to the DEP to address the issue of heavy
metals in septic waste. The motion was approved.
Visitors recognized Tuesday included Michele Nestor, consultant for
the 901 planning grant. Nestor will be working on the county's
recycling and overall program study. Nestor works with many counties
to determine their sustainability and survivability in the light of
loss of certain forms of funding.
Every aspect of the solid waste plan will be evaluated through a
business lens: where money is being spent, if it is being spent
wisely, where can costs be cut, can partnerships be developed, is
there additional outside funding available, evaluation of staffing,
and organization of sites and services.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” Nestor said. “My goal is to get
you the biggest bang for the buck.”
Throughout the process, interim reports will be brought to the
authority so they can help shape the path of the study and of the
future of the solid waste program. Nestor estimates the final report
will take six months to have a document, but the authority will be
updated on the findings as the study progresses.
“We're holding our own at the moment, but sooner or later it will
catch up with us,” Titchner said.
Other items required attention at the meeting. Braun proposed and
the authority approved the idea that commercial, industrial
demolition projects will be permitted at a fee of 12 cents per
square foot. This permitting change will be effective immediately
and applies to all nonresidential permits. Residential demolition
permits will remain at $25. The permit fee has been raised because
of the time invested in the services included in the demolition
permit, like the asbestos remediation process.
