Facility

In 1976 the town stopped receiving municipal waste in its landfill on Weston Hill Road and built the current transfer station on the site. Construction waste and demolition debris continued to be received at the site until 1990. Although still referred to as "the dump," it is now a transfer station over an unlined, uncapped closed landfill.

Mont Vernon residents are required to have a permit (dump sticker) to bring their trash to the transfer station. They divide the trash into categories of trash, untreated wood, and recyclables. Trash is compacted and delivered to the Souhegan Regional Landfill, located on 37 acres off of Route 101 in Amherst and hauled to Rochester, NH for incineration. The Souhegan Regional Landfill District (SRLD) also services the towns of Brookline, Hollis and Amherst.

The public works department is primarily responsible for the operation of the transfer station. The transfer station is open 20 hrs a week, which is currently adequate. More people visit the dump on Saturday than on either Tuesday or Thursday. Currently there is no problem with parking, even on the busiest days. It is likely that the hours will need to be increased if the population grows as projected to 2,448 by 2010. The traffic situation should be monitored as years pass to make sure traffic does not back up into the street.

The glaring short-coming of the existing facility is the lack of sanitary facilities for the staff. At the very least, a portable privy should be provided. When the new highway garage is built, it should be in such proximity to the transfer station that transfer station staff could make use of its bathroom without leaving the station unattended.

A second short-coming is the lack of a roof over the main platform, which means staff are out in the weather in all seasons in order to oversee what people are throwing into the dumpster. A lean-to style roof could be built over the platform with volunteer labor and minimal materials. This is a suggested design, which would allow for snow run-off:

The existing lot should be analyzed to determine where the highway garage, well and septic tank could be located. It is lawful to build a structure on the closed landfill lot as long as the structure does not go directly over the landfill area, for reasons of ground shift and gas entrapment.

The landfill site, according to State law, must be used only for public purposes by the Conservation or Recreation Commission of Mont Vernon and may not be sold or developed. It could be considered for recreation facilities such as a full-size ballfield, tennis courts, and/or a skate park.

Services

In addition to the general trash dumpster, the transfer station includes areas for metal salvage, household refuse, tires, brush and clean demolition materials, white goods (refrigerators, stoves, etc.), landfill items which cannot be burned (such as couches and mattresses), and waste oil. Co-mingled containers (plastics, aluminum and glass), brown paper and corrugated boxes, newspaper, and magazines are collected in trailers for recycling. There is also a collection box for used clothing and a short-turnover area for re-usable goods. Mixed paper was collected until 1997, when it was discontinued due to the downward shift in the market price for that material. Marketability of various materials is likely to change over the years, and the recycling program will reflect that.

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission, in coordination with the Nashua Regional Solid Waste Management District and area volunteers, arranges household hazardous waste collection days at area sites.

The town does not currently have a curbside garbage collection program, and there is currently no need for it.

Recycling Rate

Source: Souhegan Regional Landfill District

Table I shows that townspeople have kept their trash tonnage relatively level over the past five years through improved participation in the recycling program. The trend of level trash costs could continue if the recycling rate continues to rise; our neighboring towns have managed to reach 30% and even 40% recycling rates, so this is possible, although unusual.

Over the past five years, tonnage of recycled newspapers, corrugated paper, and "other" (combination of batteries, propane cylinders, metal scrap, tires, shingles, oil, demolition, and appliances) has risen dramatically, while that of co-mingles and textiles has remained level. Tonnage of recycled magazines has dropped.

A continued effort to educate residents as to what is recyclable will benefit the town as a whole. Currently all dumpsters are conveniently located, which encourages participation in recycling. We save money in the long run through reduced tipping fees and hauling costs by recylcing.

Combined Solid Waste Volume Projections, 2000-2020

Rate based on OSP estimated population of 1,982 in 1998 and 929.43 actual tons combined waste. (2240 lbs./ton)

Source: SRLD data, Mont Vernon Town Hall Population Data, 1998 OSP Population Projections.

Summary of Action Items