News
Advisory Group Being Formed For Materials Recovery Facility
By: Steve Robb-Athens Messenger staff journalist
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An advisory committee is being formed to assist Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers Inc. with the task of developing plans for a materials recovery facility.
On Monday, Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel asked the board of the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District to allow Roger Bail, the district’s coordinator, to serve on the advisory group. Chmiel is a member of the waste district’s board, but is also on the board of the nonprofit Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers which is developing the materials recovery facility.
Bail said that since money from the district’s garbage generation fee could help fund construction of the materials recovery facility, he saw some value in his serving on the advisory board. Bail said it would allow him to see how the money is being spent and how the new facility will operate.
Chmiel said having Bail on the advisory board would help Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers Inc. make sure that the design of the facility will serve the interests of the district.
The goal of such a facility would be to process recyclables on a larger scale, thus reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill.
The board voted to authorize Bail to serve on the advisory group.
After the meeting, Chmiel said the group is just in the formation stage. He said two Ohio University representatives — Annie Laurie Cadmus, director of sustainability, and Andrew Ladd, recycling and refuse manager — have agreed to serve. Chmiel said representatives will also be sought from Athens and other communities.
Meanwhile, Chmiel said representatives of the Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers Inc. will be meeting this week with a consultant regarding equipment requirements for the materials recovery facility.
He also said soil testing and surveying has been done on the proposed site, which is near the Route 13 recycling center that the nonprofit operates near Chauncey.
Chmiel said he would like to see the materials recovery facility go into operation next year, if possible.
Chmiel also announced that the current recycling center is now accepting more types of plastics — number 1 plastic through numer 7 plastic. He said people who have curbside recycling pickup can include all those types of plastic. He also reminded people that wax-covered milk cartons should be treated as cardboard.