Will the city do business with WastAway?
|
About 10 people are working in two shifts at WastAway’s newest facility, the former Findlay building in Morrison. WastAway purchased the 100,000-square-foot building a month ago and has pumped out around 50 tons of 6x6s from one assembly line since then.
By the end of the year, WastAway has plans to have five of its assembly lines up and running in the former Findlay building to create around 50 jobs.
“We’re birthing this plant again,” said WastAway owner Floyd Bouldin with a smile of satisfaction.
There has been much for Bouldin to smile about over the last eight years ever since he, Tom Cantrell and others began work on a process which would transform household garbage into building materials.
After years of fine tuning, WastAway is ready to crank up its operations. The company has been recycling Warren County’s household garbage since last June and is now trying to handle the city of McMinnville’s trash.
But the prospect of the city doing business with WastAway is not an open and shut case. While city officials said they are impressed with WastAway’s concept, there is also apprehension about the well-documented odor problem the company has experienced at its plant on Belmont Drive.
“I think everybody on the board would be tickled pink if WastAway was widely successful,” said McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport. “The problem is legally we can find ourselves liable because we know what city code says and we know an odor problem exists.
“If we take our city garbage out there, we have knowingly contributed to the problem. We have to assure our city residents there won’t be an odor problem aggravated by our garbage.”
The odor problem only pertains to WastAway’s plant on Belmont Drive, which is the former Aquatech building. WastAway’s facility at the former Findlay building is not affected by McMinnville codes.
Under its zoning restrictions as a light industrial district, city codes say that only businesses that “are safe and not a nuisance due to dust, fumes, noise, odor, refuse matter, smoke ? or other adverse effects on surrounding areas” can operate there.
WastAway officials say they have spent considerable time, effort and money working on the odor problem and say they have made great strides.
“If we still had an odor problem then why haven’t we been given another citation?” asked Bouldin, referring to a fine WastAway recently paid in city court because of its odor. “And there are officers riding by day and night with their windows down just trying to smell something.”
City officials admit the smell has gotten better, but they don’t want to leave McMinnville open for a possible lawsuit, which has been threatened by residents who live near the plant on Belmont Drive.
“This is a brand new thing and there were bound to be some wrinkles,” said Vice Mayor Patti Nunley. “This odor is one of the wrinkles. The city has an obligation to its citizens and the odor is one of the issues which needs to be resolved.”
Davenport and Nunley both said the city has been in contact with engineering companies intended to monitor WastAway and determine the extent of the smell. Davenport said one company, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. out of Nashville, even has an electronic nose device that will determine the level of odor and exactly where the smell is coming from.
Davenport was hopeful a glowing environmental report would clear the city of liability in court, if it ever came to that.
“It’s good for the city to have the extra jobs,” said Davenport. “But it WastAway creates 50 to 100 jobs and ruins the quality of life for 100 residents who in turn sue the city for millions, what have we gained?”
The added jobs are a major upside to WastAway. The company estimates it will create 328 jobs over the next four years, which is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. WastAway estimates if it can recycle 25 percent of Tennessee’s household waste, it will create 3,560 jobs.
The recycling aspect is also a factor. With landfills across the country filling up with trash, America is searching for a better method of disposing of its trash. Converting it into usable materials would certainly ease the burden on landfills.
Warren County was also the recipient of over $200,000 in state grants because it currently recycles 95 percent of its household garbage through WastAway.
“I’d certainly like the bragging rights if we could be the first city and county to recycle 95 percent of our household garbage,” said Alderman Bobby Kirby. “I think the city will end up doing business with WastAway and very soon I hope. I’m totally in support of WastAway.”
Alderman Jimmy Bonner said he wouldn’t be inclined to support WastAway until it lowers its costs. WastAway wants to charge the city $40 per ton to dispose of its household garbage, while McMinnville is currently receiving the same service from Waste Management for around $35 per ton. It amounts to a savings of between $25,000 and $50,000 a year.
“Until we get the smell straightened out and the cost straightened out, I won’t vote to do business with WastAway,” said Bonner. “Take gas for example. Why are you going to pay $1.59 a gallon when you can get that same gas somewhere else for a whole lot cheaper? Our goal is to protect the residents over there and WastAway needs to come down on their price.”
Bouldin said WastAway is going to keep doing what it’s doing with or without the city’s garbage – but preferably with it.
“We’re taking something that was going to the landfill and turning it into something useful,” said Bouldin. “Even with all the controversy, we’re here doing our thing. Every day we do something that hasn’t been done before.”
Bouldin said one final point of emphasis is WastAway will help ease America’s dependence on trees. With so much concern surrounding clear cutting – especially in this area – using WastAway’s building materials is an alternative to wood.
Bouldin indicated his building material has been tested and it’s equal to, if not twice the life, of pressure-treated lumber. He also said the eight-foot 6x6s which were coming off the assembly line at the former Findlay building would require a tree 10 inches in diameter to make.
Impressive job projections
WastAway officials estimate if they can recycle 25 percent of the household trash in Tennessee it will create:
• 50 recycling systems to manufacture
• $365 million in total revenue
• 3,560 new jobs
WastAway officials estimate if they can recycle 75 percent of the household trash in the United States it will create:
• 7,500 recycling systems to manufacture
• $48 billion in total revenue
• 325,000 new jobs