County's solid waste plan to be revised
By JUDY D.J. ELLICH
Daily American Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 2:30 PM EDT


Somerset County commissioners are updating a solid waste plan to make the county eligible for state recycling grants.

"The revision and update of the solid waste plan is required by state law to obtain grants," Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said.
 

he group agreed Tuesday to a 17-month contract with Nestor Resources of Valencia to perform the work. The company will be paid $99,852, 80 percent of which is covered by a state Department of Environmental Protection grant. The remaining 20 percent, or $19,971, will be paid through in-kind goods and services, county recycling coordinator John Peters said.

"The fact there is no cost to the county is a good part of it all," he said.

Somerset County was not among the 57 counties that received $1.4 million in grants in November as reimbursement for recycling coordinator salaries and related expenses. In fact, the county has not applied for a coordinator grant since at least 2000, according to Peters. The county has struggled to obtain DEP approval for its solid waste recycling plan updates, he said.

The county is required to update its solid waste plan every 10 years. The latest version must be finished by 2011.

"It should be a good plan when we are done," said Commissioner John Vatavuk.