A trash transfer site proposal to be located in Walpole, Mass., rejected by selectmen last week may resurface and become operational by as early as November, according to its proponents.
The development calls for a railroad-based, containerized facility to be built on property at 400 South St. that is linked to CSX Transportation railroad, said Ken Foley of Pond View Recycling. The company is a Rhode Island-based recycling, excavation and demolition company.
Officials said containerization means there will be no loose or exposed trash on the property. The containers would be brought in by trucks, and then conveyed onto airtight railcars.
Unlike the previous proposal that needed a lengthy permitting process and was estimated to be completed in 2005, the new proposal would be designed to circumvent Department of Environmental Protection regulations, slashing about two years off the process and becoming a reality by end of the year.
Officials remained unclear if or how they planned to circumvent approval by town boards but said they expect to approach town officials with the new proposal soon.
"The federal Department of Transportation regulations (under the auspices of the Surface Transportation Board) that govern interstate, railroad transportation activities of this nature allow for containerized, intermodal activities to be created and operate outside the state of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection permitting requirements."
Town officials said they are not aware of any plans for the new proposal, and proponents have not yet approached them.
Health Agent Robin Chapell and selectmen Chairman Bill Ryan said businesses can circumvent DEP regulations, but it's unclear how they could go about circumventing town approval.
"The town will do whatever it can to make sure whatever business that comes in is safe and makes sense, and that it's done in the appropriate way," Chapell said.
Foley's business partner, Clyde Ames of Modal Resources, said the group plans to approach town officials with the revised proposal and prepare to put the tracks down on the property.
Ames said currently the group envisions using South Street as the truck route, because it's already used for commercial and industrial purposes. The 23-acre site is industrially zoned, he said.
Records released from the Registry of Deeds show the land is currently owned by property developer Michael Viano and former selectman Albert Lamperti.
The pair bought the land in March 1999 from Norwood resident William Hawkins for $210,000. In May 1999, they set up a corporation, Southridge Farm and Nursery, and transferred the land with all buildings located on it to the corporation, records show. Lamperti is president, treasurer and clerk of the corporation, records show.
Last week, residents blasted the trash site proposal saying such a facility would depreciate property values and compromise public safety, health and traffic in the neighborhood. Residents charged town officials knew about the proposal, and entertained the developers.
Ryan said he met with the developers together with a few other town officials, but officials never made any recommendations or lent support to the proposal.
He said the developers were informed of the process, including a public meeting with the Board of Selectmen, community involvement and the involvement of other boards, including the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Board of Health.
"I didn't think it was the best thing for the town, but I had an open mind and was ready to hear them out, out of courtesy," said Ryan.
At the time, the developers proposed an entirely enclosed transloading operation, handling about 500 tons of municipal trash that would save the town over $300,000.
Officials said the town may save even further with the potential for a consolidated waste contract with other municipalities such as Worcester, Shrewsbury, Westwood, Franklin and Natick.
Those towns' current solid waste programs are expiring around 2007, the same year as Walpole's. Assuming they all went with the same contractor, it would help defray each municipalities' disposal costs, Blaisdell said.
Officials said there would be about 30 packer trucks coming in to the facility with trash every day. The site is 500 to 1,000 feet from residential areas.
The trash would be loaded into about 110 airtight and watertight rail cars, developers said. The rail cars would ship out five times a day, but if they have to stay in, they are completely airtight and watertight to avoid odor and fluid leakage. The rail cars take the garbage to sites in western New York or Ohio. Daily News Transcript