Waste District Scales Down District Survey
ADAMS, Mass. — The regional solid waste district won't be able to do an in-depth survey of its needs but the state coordinator will be able to help member towns with specific issues.
Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District Program Coordinator Linda Cernik told the district representatives last week that although they have to scale down their district survey, Veronique Blanchard, municipal assistance coordinator for the state Department of Environmental Protection, is still committed to making improvements for them.
"We can't apply for technical assistance grant for the entire district but Veronique said she is willing to work with anyone who needs some help," Cernik said. "If anyone needs anything special she is willing to work with you."
Blanchard had told the directors at their last meeting that the district could can apply for a grant to fund her time for a complete district survey in hopes of finding ways to increase funding through the Recycling Dividends Program.
Cernik said this grant is not available districtwide, however, Blanchard is willing to help communities with specific concerns.
She said her first charge will be to help improve the new Adams Transfer Station and address its brush removal practices.
The transfer station was burning brush against regulations and the Board of Health placed a cease-and-desist order on burning.
In other business, Cernik asked the district representatives if they would like to alter how they remove tires as a district because of increasing removal costs.
She said it is specifically a problem in Adams, where she suspects dealers are abusing the tire drop off.
"I am not getting the income, and do we want to have the district pay for it or discontinue it?" she said. "It is very expensive to get rid of tires ... business should not be using it either."
Adams representative Edward Driscoll said some transfer stations use a tire ticket system and it seems as though some people aren't abiding by the rules or have stockpiled tickets when they were cheaper.
"They may have a while ago bought a bunch of those stickers when we were charging a small amount and those stickers, and they are still one per tire," Driscoll said. "They did buy them but they outsmarted us."
Driscoll suggested that each town figure out how to handle tires and their removal.
"Williamstown and Adams have businesses that generate tires so we may want to handle it differently than say, Savoy who may just pick out an old tire in the middle of the woods," he said. "I think we need to tailor it to each community."
The district representatives agreed that this may be the best solution and will discuss it at a future meeting.
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