As part of developing a long-term waste management plan aimed at meeting new state requirements, the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority is conducting an environmental review of potential sites for a new or expanded transfer station and recycling facility.
Starting next week and continuing through the month of May, the authority has scheduled a series of public meetings to allow the community to weigh in on the details of a planned environmental impact study of a range of waste management site and facility options.
On Tuesday, the authority also known as Salinas Valley Recycles will host an environmental impact report scoping meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the authority鈥檚 offices, 128 Sun St., No. 101, in Salinas. The authority will also hold a series of five public meetings in Salinas, North County, south Salinas Valley and Marina from May 8 to May 25.
Authority general manager Patrick Mathews said the organization serving the eastern portion of unincorporated Monterey County, as well as the cities of Salinas, Gonzales, Greenfield, Soledad and King City, has no preferred project in mind.
鈥淥ur board has taken a step back and has no preference,鈥� Mathews said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l let the community decide.鈥�
However, the authority has developed a public-private partnership with Minnesota-based Global Organics Energy to develop a clean fiber recovery system aimed at converting certain waste items to paper pulp for sale, and the firm has committed to paying for about one-third of the $810,000 environmental impact report, according to Mathews.
Among the project options to be considered are:
- A combination transfer station, materials recovery center and clean fiber recovery system on a vacant parcel on Harrison Road near the Highway 101 Sala Road exit in Salinas.
- A transfer station and materials recovery center only at the current Sun Street station site or the Harrison Road site or at the closed Crazy Horse Canyon Landfill north of Salinas.
- A clean fiber recovery system site alone at the Harrison Road site or the Johnson Canyon Landfill.
- Direct haul all waste to the Monterey Regional Waste Management District鈥檚 Marina Landfill instead of building new facilities.
- A minor expansion of the current Sun Street Transfer Station with or without access to the Marina Regional Waste Management District鈥檚 Marina Landfill.
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