On-site drilling is prompting recyclables bins to be inconveniently, temporarily relocated

MCSWC Transfer Station asking customers to hold off making ‘deliveries’ April 14-18

Thu, 04/10/2014 - 6:00pm

Story Location:
90 Union Street
Rockport, ME 04856
United States

    ROCKPORT — If you're a regular customer of the transfer station on Union Street in Rockport, Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation Manager Jim Guerra is giving you permission to avoid trash duty next week.

    Actually, while he can't close the facility, he hopes that customers will accept his offer and wait a week to drop off trash and recyclables, as the facility will be undergoing on-site exploratory drilling activities the week of April 14.

    The drill rig will begin working Monday, April 14, in the recycling area, and as of Thursday, the big green bins and smaller recyclables containers have already been moved half-way across the parking lot. Guerra said the next step is to move them all beside the building and the semi-truck trailer jutting out from one of the building's bay doors at the end of the day Saturday.

    "It's going to be a mess over here, and while I know people are going to be inconvenienced trying to drop off recyclables where the bins are being relocated to, I won't know how much of a mess it will be in and around the drilling area," said Guerra.

    Guerra said the drilling is a subsurface exploration in preparation for a bigger project aimed at reducing the amount of leachate the landfill generates, thereby lowering MCSWC's costs at the treatment plant. And the goal is to reduce that cost.

    The drilling is being done to collect data to help the facility determine the design and cost of a grout system to cut the persistent flow of water leachate from the north into the south quarry.

    If all goes as planned, the drilling will be completed, the necessary data will be collected, the drilling rig will leave and the Guerra's crew can get everything put back in its regular place by Saturday, April 19.