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AMHERST — The Board of Health is recommending modifying Amherst’s waste-hauler system to encourage a pay-as-you-throw fee structure, with compost pickup at curbside.
At the request of the Zero Waste Amherst group, made up of residents but not appointed by town officials, the health board voted unanimously on May 11 to urge the Town Council to pursue possible changes this summer so the new system could be in place by January. Under the proposed changes, the town would contract with a hauler rather than license haulers who contract with residents.
“We are now urging the Town Council to act on adopting the proposal on town-contracted residential refuse, recycling and compostable materials collection included in basic service,” reads a letter sent by Board of Health Chairwoman Nancy Gilbert.
Gilbert said the idea is to hasten decisions that have been languishing for the past couple of years. The Town Services and Outreach Committee, a subcommittee of the Town Council, has been regularly discussing the matter.
Currently, USA Waste & Recycling, with a local office in Hatfield, is the only company licensed by the town, due in part to consolidation in the industry that once also included Duseau Trucking and Amherst Trucking. Residents also have the choice to, on their own, bring their trash, recyclables and compost to the transfer station on Belchertown Road.
Board of Health members cautioned that they are making a recommendation, but it is the discretion of councilors whether to take action, and understand there are also concerns that any change could mean an increase in costs.
Health board member Timothy Randhir said adding regulations may increase recycling expenses. “The delay is because a lot of the information is missing on economics,” Randhir said.
Maureen Millea said the health board would like to adjust the “Regulations for Refuse Collection and Mandatory Recycling” last revised in June 2014. But Millea, too, noted there are questions about whether this would be economically feasible.
“The idea of moving it forward to the point where the Town Council can make a decision is a good idea,” Millea said.
The vote and discussion came after a presentation by Darcy DuMont, a Zero Waste Amherst member and former councilor who said that 3,200 customers use USA and a recent survey showed there is interest in doing better for the environment and saving money, as the average household is paying around $550 for the service.
“We found out in the survey that USA is not attempting to reduce trash at all through any pay-as-you-throw system,” DuMont said.
The accuracy of this contention, though, has been disputed by USA officials. Chris Antonacci, counsel and third generation owner for USA, said that the goals for his company already align with the values espoused in Amherst.
“We are 100% focused on diversion and keeping paper, plastic and recyclables out of the landfill,” Antonacci said, adding that his employees “eat, sleep and breathe” the trash and recycling business.
USA is also involved with the Material Recycling Facility in Springfield, and has a fleet of trucks that have an average age of 3.8 years. “We’re very proud of that sustainability and to keep new trucks fuel efficient and adhering to various standards,” he said. “We are hyper-focused on sustainability.”
Part of the complaint from Zero Waste Amherst and others has been what they consider a lack of options in the size of toters. Some customers would like smaller toters, but USA says the sizes they offer are needed for automated collection. The automation includes a hydraulic arm on the vehicles that reduces the company’s carbon footprint by using fewer vehicles and helps with driver retention, said Eric Fredericksen, USA’s director of operations.
If the company were to use a bag-based system, he said, it actually encourages people to use more plastic. He said people are already doing composting and USA delivers organics to Martin Farm in Greenfield.
In other business, the Board of Health turned down a request by Northampton attorney Dick Evans, who represents the owner of a new package store planned at 6 University Drive, to grant a variance or change its rules so the owner can have a license to sell tobacco.
The health board’s rules state that when a tobacco license expires or isn’t renewed in time, it remains retired, meaning that the number of tobacco retailers in town should dwindle over time.
“My belief is that the permit is gone, it has been retired, and once it’s retired we don’t let them be renewed,” Gilbert said. “Our regulation is clear.”
Gilbert said this understanding was confirmed by Cheryl Sbarra, the executive director and senior staff attorney for the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards.
Evans had argued the new package store would use the same license as the previous occupant, and that because it is also selling alcohol, only people 21 and over would enter the business.
Heather Warner, a representative of the Hampshire-Franklin Tobacco Free Community Partnership, said regulations such as increasing the age to use and buy and prohibiting flavored tobacco sales have been effective at reducing youth tobacco access.
“Policy is one of the most important ways we can reduce harms for tobacco use,” Warner said.
Lisa Stevens-Goodnight, tobacco control director with the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said younger people might still enter the package store, and they could be impressionable if they see cigarettes or vaping devices.
“The exposure to products is one of the things you’re trying to reduce,” Stevens-Goodnight said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
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