SWA Meets with Public
Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
Special meeting of the Pocahontas County Commission was held March 19, with an agenda to select a person to fill the unexpired term on the Solid Waste Authority. The seat was left vacant by the resignation of member Ed Riley.
The SWA consists of five members – two who are appointed by the county commission; one who is appointed by the West Virginia Department of the Environmental Protection; one appointed by the West Virginia Public Service Commission; and one appointed by the West Virginia Soil Conservation.
Riley, who resigned March 15, was one of the two commission-appointed members, so it is up to the commission to appoint his replacement. The term expires June 30, 2028.
At the special meeting, the commission decided to follow their established procedure for filling the position. They specified that anyone interested in being appointed to this SWA position must send a letter to the Pocahontas County Clerk’s Office on or before Friday, April 3. The letter must include why the applicant believes they would be the best person to receive the appointment and should list their experience and qualifications for the position. The position is strictly voluntary, as SWA members do not receive any monetary compensation. Once the application letters are received, the commission will review them and select the new member at the regular commission meeting Tuesday, April 7.
SWA holds Special Meeting
The SWA also held a special meeting March 19 at 2 p.m. Although public input was not on the agenda, nearly 50 county residents showed up because of rumors about the future Transfer Station at the landfill. Due to the number in attendance, the meeting was moved upstairs to the courtroom.
The SWA members distributed a fact sheet describing their efforts over the past several years to consider options for the future of solid waste disposal once the landfill becomes full and unusable, which is expected to be at the end of this year. This lengthy fact sheet lists the reasons why they believe their potential transfer station agreement to have the Meck family build it is their most affordable and best option.
After distributing that fact sheet, they addressed a few question from the audience including one about a rumor that the SWA will be charging green box fees on every parcel of land in the county, occupied or not. SWA chairman Dave Henderson stated emphatically that that is false – the SWA will not be charging fees on every deeded parcel in the county. They also said that no landfill real estate will be deeded to Meck, but a few acres will be deeded to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation – the county’s official economic development agency – and that entity will lease the acreage to Meck.
The members then addressed the items on the meeting agenda, emphasizing these were only considerations as they would not be taking any official actions or votes on them at the meeting.
The SWA’s Attorney, David Sims, explained lengthy proposals for updating the mandatory garbage disposal regulations. A few of those included:
• Ensuring that all solid waste disposal price increases are distributed equitably.
• Requiring that all trash generated in the county must pass through the new transfer station with the possible exception of construction and demolition debris which might be allowed to be taken to disposal sites outside the county.
• Prohibiting people from otherwise dumping, burning or burying trash in the county.
• Requiring that everyone in the county must either pay a green box or tipping fee or have their trash picked up by an authorized and licensed solid waste hauler or town trash hauler.
The members also indicated they want to end the “Free Day” at the landfill once the transfer station is operational, and that the state only requires a free day be provided at landfills, not at transfer stations. The SWA members pointed out, and Landfill Manager Chris McComb concurred, that only one person ever uses the free day option.
They also said that all household furnishings being disposed of, in the future, need to be subject to the normal tipping fee charge as determined by their weight on the new transfer station’s scale and not be charged separately as is now done.
The collection of recyclables and tires will continue at the transfer station.
The members agreed that future green box operations must be better controlled to prevent unauthorized people using them and to ensure that only household items are placed in them. Henderson suggested that stickers might be issued to vehicles belonging to people who pay their green box fee, and only those stickered vehicles would be allowed to bring household trash to more secure green box sites.
The meeting seemed to end with less audience confusion and hostility than was present at its beginning.
