Photo by Christine Barnes, The Northfield News Michael Tisdale, left and his mother, Brenda will continue to work at the Northfield recycling center after the change over to Earth Waste from the Central Vermont Waste Management District. Prices for recycling are not expected to change from current levels. The recycling center will not close as was reported earlier this month thanks to the swift action of the Northfield Selectboard and Selectman Charlie Morse in particular.

At its meeting in late January, the Selectboard acted to implement a short term contract with Earth Waste to provide recycling services during the interim period from February 8 through June by which time a new long term contract must be negotiated.

Originally, Earth Waste indicated that it was not interested in a short term solution and it was feared that the recycling center would have to close, at least for a period of two weeks while Northfield filed for and obtained a permit to operate the center itself.

However, under the deal reached between the former operators, Earth Waste and the Selectboard, the recycling center will continue to operate with the permit which is currently in place until at least June of this year, according to Mr. Morse.

A total of 19 towns had been part of the waste management district.

However, to date, only Northfield and Barre Town, the two most heavily used locations, have entered into new contracts.

Bradford, Cabot, Calais and Hardwick are said to be attempting to negotiate deals with other haulers, according to Executive Director Donna Barlow Casey of the waste management district.

Earth Waste is headquartered in Castleton and has submitted a proposal to take over all six depots but only Northfield and Barre Town have signed so far.

If, for some reason, that takes longer than expected for the change over, Earth Waste will send a truck to collect trash and recyclables at the site on February 10, Ms. Casey said.

Mr. Morse undertook to find a solution after it was announced just a few weeks ago that the Town may need to take over the trash and recycling depot in February because the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District was going to cease recycling operations.

Notice that the management district was going broke and couldn’t continue to run the center came as a big surprise to us, Mr. Morse said.

He attended a meeting of the management district where the district agreed to run the centers only through February 6 and then it would cease recycling operations.

Donna Barlow Casey, the executive director, told those at the meeting in January that the market for recyclables has been and continues to be in steady decline.

She said that the surest way to stem the tide of losses would be to walk away for cost-intensive recycling depots – even if that means putting several committed employees out of work.

“That allows us to squeak by this fiscal year without going broke,” she said, suggesting the district can and will work with member towns to transition services to Earth Waste, or some other private hauler interested in taking over individual depots.

She said that the Northfield depot does make money but that is off set by other depots that lose money.

At the time of the January meeting, Earth Waste indicated that it was not interested in the short term solution but would enter into a long term contract with the proviso that substantial improvements were made to the center.

Mr. Morse stated that the improvements that they want would include the installation of 220 power to the recycling site so they can bring in compactors and bathrooms for the employees.

He was asked why employees could not use the bathrooms in the municipal garage which is just adjacent to the center. However, the garage is not always open when the recycling center is. However, Mr. Morse said that more than likely, a port-a-potty would suffice.

During the interim period from February until June, the town must complete and get a new long term contract negotiated and executed, he said.