Date: Fri 14-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

transfer-station-HRRA

Full Text:

Transfer Station Opens June 19

WITH PHOTOS

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

It has been a long haul, but Newtown's permanent transfer station on Ethan

Allen Road will finally open on June 19. The facility, built and operated by

Wheelabrator Environmental Systems, will handle about 65-75 tons of trash per

day deposited by residents and commercial haulers from Newtown as well as

commercial haulers from Brookfield.

"Up until now, the town has had two costs [relating to garbage disposal] - one

for hauling to Bridgeport and the other to pay for the actual disposal of the

waste," said Public Works Director Fred Hurley. "What's different now is we

will pay a single fee. It's actually a little bit more [right now], but it's a

fixed price contract which extends over 26 years... What it gives us is the

stability of price and the absolute certainty that we will be able to dump

according to the state solid waste plan."

The 4,680 sq ft steel building on concrete slab will be used for the

trans-shipment of garbage from Newtown to a waste-to-energy incinerator and

electric power plant in Bridgeport or Lisbon. The land, approximately the same

size as the building, has been leased to Housatonic Resources Recovery

Authority (HRRA) for 26 years at $1 per year.

Commercial haulers will be permitted to deposit trash directly into the

facility but, for safety reasons, residents will be required to continue to

use the current citizen's drop-off location, according to Mr Hurley. "People

are under the incorrect assumption that they're going to drive into that

building but nothing changes for the citizen's drop-off," said the director.

"It'll be business as usual from Day 1."

The facility will be open six days a week and trash will be transferred each

day, thereby preventing any odor problems. The longest period material would

be left covered and contained within the building would be a 24-hour period,

according to Mr Hurley. If odors ever become a problem, carbon filters will be

installed to remedy the situation, he added.

Mr Hurley said he has received calls from residents who are under the false

impression that hazardous and nuclear waste will be accepted by the transfer

station. "That rumor is just that - not true," he said. "This is strictly a

processing center."

Any hazardous material may be disposed of at the Household Regional Waste Day

scheduled for the fall, he added. Recycling will be located in the same place

it is now, but residents will see cosmetic improvements to the area, as well

as a parking lane for recycling. "We're trying to establish a way for people

to do recycling and be able to leave with a minimum of problems," said Mr

Hurley. This would include not having to waiting in line with those dropping

off garbage, he said.

The director anticipates little additional traffic even though Brookfield

haulers will be using the transfer facility. "It will be minimal - we're only

talking about a handful of trucks," he said.

Newtown's permanent transfer station is a major piece of HRRA's

13-year-project to provide four permanent transfer stations for its 11 member

towns. (The last step is to build a transfer station in New Milford). Under

the HRRA agreement, Danbury, Bethel, and New Fairfield bring their trash to a

transfer station in Danbury run by Automated Waste Disposal. Trash from

Redding and Ridgefield will go to a transfer station in Ridgefield. Haulers

from New Milford, Kent, Sherman, and Bridgewater have the option of sending

trash to the transfer station in Danbury or hauling it directly to the

Bridgeport plant until New Milford builds its transfer station.

The Newtown landfill was closed in 1993 in response to an order from the

Department of Environmental Protection. A temporary transfer station was built

at the site. Municipalities began sending garbage to waste-to-energy plants in

recent years due to lack of landfill space and for environmental reasons.

Stickers to drop off garbage for 1996-97 are now on sale at the citizen's

drop-off station. The cost remains $80 ($5 for a second or third vehicle) and

residents are required to show proof of registration when applying for a pass.