Greene County using $70,000 grant to pay for solid waste study

BY CARA HOST

Observer- Reporter Staff writer

WAYNESBURG – Greene County will use up to $70,000 of the state's money to draft plans for solid waste and recycling.

Commissioners hired Nestor Resources Inc. of Valencia Thursday to lead the planning. A grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection will pay for the work.

"It's a very detailed process, but it also should be a painless process for the county," said Michele Nestor, president of Nestor Resources.

The county's existing solid waste and recycling plan is more than 10 years old. The state requires that the plan be updated at least every decade. Drafting a new plan will take about 16 months, Nestor said.

All aspects of waste disposal and recycling will be examined. The plan will specify how much garbage the average resident produces, and it will log the capacity of available landfills.

However, the focus of Nestor's research likely will involve Greene Arc's recycling facility in Ruff Creek. Nestor will outline a business plan to increase the income generated through recycling and decrease the overall cost.

"We hope to make improvements. That's why we try for these recycling grants," said Robbie Matesic, executive director of the county's planning department.

Nestor will come up with preliminary data within a few weeks so that the county can compete in the next round of state recycling grants, Matesic said.

In other matters, commissioners:

• Appointed George Howard, Rhonda Kerr and David Balint to post properties for the 2005 Greene County tax claim sale.
• Approved a $21,085 Emergency Management Performance Grant. The money will be used to cover the emergency program planner's salary.
• Approved the annual report on hazardous materials that have been remediated in the county.
• Signed a contract to paint Greene County Courthouse.