News & Events

Curbside recycling, clean-up projects topic for authority
By SUMMER WALLACE-MINGER,Staff writer
(originally appeared in the Steubenville Herald Star)

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WINTERSVILLE — The Belmont-Jefferson Solid Waste Authority board discussed the Powhatan Point curbside recycling and Belmont County tire clean-up programs during its regular meeting Monday.

Director Pat Lanaghan said the Powhatan Point curbside recycling program had generated between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds of recyclables monthly, but the collection had dropped down to 3,000 pounds in May.

“I don’t think it’s time to pull the plug on this,” Lanaghan said, adding he hoped to negotiate a six-month contract extension with Shadyside Garbage to pick up recyclables. Lanaghan said the program could be re-evaluated at the end of that period, adding there was some confusion on what days the recyclables are picked up. He noted the pick-up dates are the second and fourth Mondays of the month.

Powhatan Point Mayor Mark McVey said he believes participation in the program to be at 25 percent or 30 percent, not 15 percent as reported by Shadyside Garbage officials. “I think it’s a wonderful service,” said McVey. “It’s the first time I’ve recycled. It wasn’t a hassle at all.”

In other Belmont County matters, solid waste authority fiscal officer David Hays asked the board to approve a $20,000 transfer to the Belmont County clean-up line item because the line item was over budget by more than $17,000.

Samantha Carroll, Belmont County Recycling and Litter Prevention director, explained the funds were needed because approximately 16,000 tires have been collected to date during the ongoing annual spring cleanup in which the authority is accepting various items for disposal. She said this number of tires was twice as many as were collected last year.

“If we didn’t accept (the tires), these people would just roll them over a hill somewhere,” said Carroll, adding disposal costs to the authority had doubled from $1 to $2 per tire now that the authority is taking the tires to the Apex Landfill in Amsterdam.

Lanaghan said he had discussed lowering costs to the authority for the cleanup with representatives from the landfill.

Edward Argentine, board member, noted approximately 8,500 tires had been collected in Jefferson County as part of the cleanup.

Also during the meeting:

• Chairman Mark Thomas informed the board the executive committee was still in negotiations with Apex officials to formulate a contract for Apex’s operation within the district.

• Lanaghan informed the board he had sent a letter to Apex because the authority had received its tipping fees from the landfill eight days late. He added the authority could impose a 10 percent late charge and said he had informed Apex officials this would be done the next time the tipping fees are late.

• Board members agreed to have contracts for Lanaghan and Hays composed by John Mascio, the authority’s legal counsel.

• Board member John Abdalla proposed the board receive some stipend to cover the cost of travel to meetings because of the increased cost of gasoline. Mascio said the authority was limited by state law as to what it could spend. Lanaghan noted he would look into the matter with officials from other multi-county districts.

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