Dear fellow Hanoverians:
If you have been reading “Around Town on the
Web” this week, you will have certainly noticed a great emphasis on
energy conservation measures, organizations and programs. All good
news! A few months back I was asked some questions about Hanover’s
transfer station, some of which I could answer, and some of which I could
not. In keeping with this week’s “ATOTW” theme, I offer
the following information with great thanks to Victor Diniak, the
Superintendent of the Department of Public Works for the Town of Hanover.
As
you probably know, residents of the Town of Hanover are allowed access to the
town’s transfer station simply because we pay our taxes. There are
no additional “sticker fees” or “pay as you throw” bags
for residents as there are in some other area towns. This year’s
budgeted expenses alone (not salaries) for the transfer station are
$926,030. At $103 per ton, that’s a lot of trash! The DPW
budgeted for and purchased recycling bins this year for residents in an effort
to divert more recyclables out of “the pit”. As Victor said,
“My hope is to increase our recycling numbers over time. We feel there is
quite a bit of paper, glass, and cans that are being thrown away into the main
pit. That was why we purchased the first batch of recycle bins – we were hoping
it would make it easier for people to separate their recyclables. I would like
to continue to purchase and distribute bins, but we will have to wait and see
whether the Town’s finances can support this activity.”
The
trash that ends up in the main pit is currently transported to SEMASS, where it
is converted to electricity. There is an interesting video located at
http://www.energyanswers.com/development/Proven_Experience_-_SEMASS/
that describes this process. The DPW is currently negotiating contracts
with disposal firms for the next fiscal year in an effort to generate some
competitive bidding. In addition to the $103 per ton, there are
considerable transportation expenses associated with just getting it
there. In Victor’s words, “We are also being proactive to control our
transportation costs. You have probably seen the green trailers at the station.
The town recently purchased these with the hope that by owning the trailers we
could open up the transportation contract to competitive bidding and hopefully
save on the haul costs. I am just waiting for some permits from Mass Highway
before we put these trailers into service. We will see if my gamble pays
off.”
All of
this great information has me emptying paper into my recycling bin as I write
this. Hanover has always been known to have pretty good recycling numbers,
but they could always be better. It is interesting to see that we can all
play a role in keeping our taxes down simply by continuing or instituting some
recycling measures in our own homes. If we can keep the trash out of
“the pit”, we will save on those transportation and disposal
costs. Let’s all be a part of the solution…we will all
benefit!
For "Around Town on the Web",
Cathy H-B
"Around Town on the Web" is a community service
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