KINGWOOD — Terra Alta Mayor Daniel Hauger told members of the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) he would like to expand the recycling program in Terra Alta.
“I’m asking you to team up with us and build this up,” he said. “We can bring in people from Maryland and Pennsylvania.”
Hauger said he was also interested in the possibility of glass recycling. Glass recycling was discussed by members of the SWA but it was later dropped.
SWA Chairman Don Smith said he would look into the possibility again, He said having a place to recycle would be an asset for the county.
“A couple of years ago I wrote a grant for glass recycling,” he said. “It would be a bonus for you guys. I was looking at recycling a half ton per day. A county in Virginia charges $5 for a gallon bucket of glass mulch. It can be used in landscaping and because the glass mulch shines at night it can be used in sidewalk and driveway construction. It can also be made into glass sand or glass mulch, which could be used in parks.”
In June 2020, Smith submitted an application for a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Grant for a GP-05L system. At that time the system cost $104,210, including shipping instillation and five days of safety training.
During the 2020 meeting, Smith said the GP-05L System could process two tons of glass an hour. He said if it operates 48 weeks a year, over 10 years it would process 38,600-plus tons of glass at less than
$3 a ton.
The system separates glass products from non-glass debris, which would eliminate the need to separate glass by color. The machine is 35 feet long and about 14 feet wide.
Hauger asked if the SWA would help the recycling center if they needed help during the first year of glass recycling.
“We would the first year but not the second. By then you should be doing well,” Smith said.
In other business, Hauger said Terra Alta was considering hiring its own code enforcement officer to deal with dilapidated buildings. He said until he could hire some one he was using town police officers.
Smith said Litter Officer Jay Sowers can’t help with enforcement in towns that have ordinances that cover dilapidated buildings.
The next meeting of the Preston County Solid Waste Authority will be 7 p.m. Nov. 1.
