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Mulling the ramifications of C&D Before you answer that, write it down and bring it to the Town Building tonight at 6 p.m. The Board of Selectmen wants to know what you think. The board is holding a public hearing to seek community input on the ramifications of a policy change which would stop the flow of C&D to the dump and force it to go directly off island. The change is not happening; it is only part of a "range of methods (being investigated) for reducing the cost for disposal of C&D waste," according to the public hearing notice. Much, if not all, of the C&D waste does go off island, but the transfer station is a central point where island res- idents and companies - large and small - can dispose of their waste. At the transfer station, it is crushed and sorted, then shipped off island by Waste Options Nantucket, the company that runs the landfill. Whitney Hall, president of Waste Options Nantucket, decline to comment saying he would be at the hearing and "would like to hear what is being presented before we make any comment." According to the public meeting notice, "How would C&D waste be managed if it could not be accepted at the transfer station at the landfill? Where would it be taken, and at what cost?" are the questions which will be addressed at tonight's meeting. While the Board is seeking input from the community on the impact of this potential move, they have already sought professional advice from a consulting firm, CommonWealth Resource Management Corporation. In a four page report, CommonWealth reviews the potential impact to the town should C & D waste not be accepted at the transfer station, including lost revenue from tipping fees and potential savings from having to ship the waste off island. "Overall, this scenario would be positive for town economics by approximately $280,000, because the decline in payments to Waste Options Nantucket ($4.17 million) would be greater than the lost revenues ($3.89 million)," the report reads. The report goes on to state while the move would save the town money there are a number of other factors that must be taken into consideration, such as small companies and residents illegally dumping C&D waste or mixing in with the regular waste stream. CommonWealth's final recommendation for the town is to seek input from the community. "It would be a finical hardship for us," said Patti Santos, co-owner of Santos Rubbish Removal. "It requires a whole other aspect of our business. We don't have the trucks to be able to put them on the steamship and send them off island. To do that would be a huge mountain for us to climb." Santos likes the idea of the waste leaving the island, but feels there is a need for a central location in order to do that. "Things are alread ending up in dumpsters and I really hope people won't just dump it in the moors, but you are seeing a lot more of that," said Santos. Illegal dumping was specifically mentioned in the report as a potential negative impact. "Additional illegal dumping of C&D waste, which might occur to some extent despite town enforcement efforts," states the report under "alternatives for C&D waste disposal." Planning Board member and island gadfly Nat Lowell does not see the situation being as dire as predicted by some. Lowell feels the free market will take care of the issue on its own, but it will take some time. "C&D is already diminishing because the private sector is coming up with ideas to fix it on it own at a cheaper rate," said Lowell. "The town doesn't even have to establish a policy for not taking it at the dump, it will happen on its own." Lowell explained how companies like Toscana Corp. utilize empty barge space on return trips to bring waste off island. He used an example of a barge coming over loaded with containers of gravel. Those containers will have to be shipped back to the mainland to get more gravel, but why not take C&D - and charge for it - to help off set some of the shipping cost," said Lowell. I |
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