Public meeting to discuss proposed transfer station and recycling center:
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4
Where: Springview Government Center, 3130 E. Main St.
A local company that wants to build a solid waste transfer station and recycling center must comply with multiple local and state regulations before it can begin operating.
Recycle Clark County LLC has proposed building the facility which would separate recyclable materials from trash and compact trash on West Leffel Lane. The public will have a chance to learn more and voice any concerns about the facility at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Springview Government Center, 3130 E. Main St.
Heather Lauer, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said new transfer stations must obtain a permit to install and comply with siting, design, operational, and closure requirements as well as meet other regulations before the facility can open.
Lauer said if the facility moves forward it would be among more than 60 transfer facilities in Ohio.
She also said it would become only the second solid waste transfer station and recycling center in the state. A similar facility is in Medina, Lauer said.
Mike Snoddy, co-owner of Recycle Clark County, said combination facilities are unique to the state.
“In Ohio, it’s a transfer station or a material recovery facility. It’s either one or the other. But this is a hybrid,” Snoddy said.
Snoddy said officials are currently going through the siting process and that it could take between six to nine months for the company to comply with state EPA regulations.
If approved, the business could open December 2014 or early 2015.
The 120-by-200 facility is expected to create 12-14 new full-time jobs that would pay about $10 to $20 per hour, Snoddy said.
Snoddy said owners of the company look forward to hearing from the public about the proposed facility on Wednesday.
“We’re excited to do it. I think it’s a great opportunity for the county. The community needs this,” Snoddy said.
Snoddy said he and his partner proposed building the facility in Springfield in part because it would fill a void for area haulers when the North Transfer Facility in Vandalia closes in 2014.
Lauer said the Ohio EPA has not received an application from Recycle Clark County LLC, but have been in discussions with developers.
She said developers can often save time and money by getting approval from local leaders and zoning officials before the proposal comes before EPA officials and moves to the public hearing process.
The proposed facility would be constructed along West Leffel Lane, which is an industrial area, but it also backs into a residential community, Lauer said.
She said it’s important for residents to learn more about the facility and voice their concerns about the facility early in the process.
“The reason it’s good people can voice general objections now is that if they come to one of our hearings we can’t take concerns about truck traffic or what increased traffic would do to the road into consideration. They would need to be very specific about what does not meet environmental laws. We can’t take anything else into consideration, ” Lauer said.
Snoddy said residents should not be concerned that the new facility would impact traffic or bring an odor or litter in the area.
Lauer said regulations the company must follow ensure transfer stations do not emit an odor.
But she said if residents don’t want the facility in their neighborhood because of concerns about “safety because of the trucks, we don’t have the ability to take that into consideration. The law will not allow it. If people are concerned about those issues they should raise them now. When the issue is before the commissioners, the zoning board. That’s when those types of things can be brought up.”
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