Vassalboro transfer station task force continues talks at Lombard Road facility

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Transfer Station Taskforce members met Dec. 12 to continue discussion of options for changes at the facility on Lombard Dam Road. (See the Nov. 21 issue of The Town Line, p. 8).

The group began months ago with one main goal: improve safety by eliminating the need for users to back their vehicles to the disposal containers. That safety issue is still vital, taskforce chair (and select board member) Chris French emphasized.

Since discussion began, the town has had an engineer, Jeff Senders (head of Senders science, engineering & construction, of Camden), prepare three possible configurations for a covered, drive-through building that would eliminate backing up except, probably, for commercial haulers.

New station manager, Adam Daoust, has two more goals: improve efficiency and save money. A concept he proposes includes removing the tower and providing two containers, with cover from rain and snow; and allowing two vehicles at a time to dump into the containers, driving by rather than backing up. After the Dec. 11 rainstorm, he emphasized covering all on-site containers, so voters do not pay to truck water to disposal sites.

Taskforce member Amy Davidoff added a third goal: more recycling. Vassalboro now recycles metals and cardboard; Davidoff would like flexibility to add more materials as markets change.

Shannon Conti, an environmental specialist with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, attended the Dec. 12 meeting. She said any of Senders’ plans appears doable.

Vassalboro has foreclosed on an adjoining property, about five acres with buildings, for unpaid taxes. State law requires the town to sell the property, keep what is owed in taxes and any other charges and give the rest of the proceeds to the prior owners or heirs.

Town officials’ current plan is to sell the house and garage with a minimum lot and keep the rest of the land, perhaps for future transfer station expansion.

Conti provided information on actions that might or might not require DEP pre-approval, and on how to find permit application requirements.

Taskforce members were surprised when Conti said if the town keeps foreclosed land, clears or otherwise changes it, and only afterward makes it part of an expanded transfer station, her division does not care how it is changed. If, however, town officials designate an area for transfer station expansion, they will need a DEP permit to make changes to it.

Daoust would also like to add scales and pave more of the grounds. A new backhoe would be very useful, he added.

French called for taskforce members to reach consensus at their Jan. 9 meeting, to be held in the town office building at 5:15 p.m., before that evening’s select board meeting. Town Manager Aaron Miller summarized their options: do nothing; recommend building Senders’ covered drive-through building; recommend accepting Daoust’s less extensive reconfiguration; or recommend adopting a temporary improvement plan.