Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
The Pocahontas County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) held a special meeting April 23 where Jacob Meck, owner of the Allegheny Disposal, announced that he will be building a transfer station in Green Bank which he hopes to open at about the same time the Solid Waste Authority will be shutting down the county landfill when it reaches its maximum capacity, which is anticipated to be in the fall of 2026.
Meck offered to provide transfer station services to the Solid Waste Authority when that happens.
AMR later met with Meck at his facility in Green Bank.
“In regard to garbage going forward after the landfill is closed, there is a need for a transfer station,” Meck said. “Allegheny Disposal is currently working on plans for a transfer station in 2026. We started planning for that in 2024. We are continuing to plan and prepare for that. There are a number of permits, of design items, equipment to be ordered, and then in 2026, we plan to build that. We do want the completion of the transfer station to coincide with the completion of the landfill. So, again, Allegheny Disposal is going to continue to use the landfill until the landfill can no longer accept garbage, and hope at that time we have our facility up and running and, hopefully, and that allows there to not be a stop in trash service.
That’s the most important thing; we’ve got to be able to continue to take care of customers and take care of Pocahontas County. So, there cannot be a stop in trash service.
“The transfer station, at this point we are building this for Allegheny Disposal. We are genuinely open to opening this up to the public, including the Solid Waste Authority. If the Solid Waste Authority would want to bring the green box trash to us, we certainly would accept that. If we could open to the general public, and if they wanted to bring trash to us, we would certainly be open to that. If the municipalities, Durbin-Marlinton, needed a place to go, we would absolutely be open to that. The facility that we are putting in will easily take care of the entire county, not just Allegheny Disposal.”
Meck went on to explain that if his transfer station will be used strictly for his company and its customers, he won’t have to have the state as involved with regulations of it, but if the Solid Waste Authority takes him up on his offer, or if the general public starts bringing their trash to it, then the Public Service Commission will set the tonnage rates. He believes that since he already owns the building for a station, and will only have to modify it into being a modern, efficient transfer station, his lower costs will enable the county Solid Waste to save a lot of money and headaches over building their own transfer station. He also said that his transfer station will involve hauling trash out of the county in big tractor trailers which hold a lot more trash then by a small truck load, which is much more economical and would save costs to the SWA. He agreed with SWA Member Jamie Walker’s comment at the special SWA meeting that “it would make no sense to have two transfer stations in the county.”
With his offer now on the table, Meck said it is entirely up to the SWA whether they want to accept it or not, but either way he is building his transfer station.
