SOLID WASTE and RECYCLING
Department of Economic Development
Justin Kubicar, Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator
Robbie Matesic, Executive Director 49 South Washington Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
Phone: 724-852-5234 / Fax: 724-852-2944
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m., Monday—Friday
Background/Introduction:
The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988 (Act 101), placed upon a county the responsibility for securing sufficient disposal capacity for its wast through contractual commitments with landfills or other processing facilities. Additionally, it required a county to demonstrate to what extent it could feasibily attain the states's recycling initiative. In 1993, in accordance with the provision sof Act 101, Greene County set forth plans for the management of Municipal Solid Waste generated within its boundaries for a ten-year period.
A Solid Waste Planning Advisory Committee comprised of municipal officials, representatives of the waste industry, and citizens at large spearheaded the project. Together they determined how municipal waste should be collected, transported, and disposed. The Plan they developed was approved by the County Commissioners, ratified by the municipalities, and accepted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmnetal Resources (now the Department of Environmental Protection).
Act 101, for the first time, shifted the authority for Municipal Waste Management to the County. This transfer of authority away from the municipalities was intended to give the County the ability to implement the recomendations developed in the planning process. In Greene County, however, decisions were made for much of that authority to remain at the municipal level. The Plan provided numerous benefits to Greene County . . . click here for a complete copy of the Municipal Solid Waste Mgmt Plan for Greene County ((11 mg pdf file)).
Solid Waste:
The Solid Waste and Recycling Office performs a wide range of functions to accomplish an efficient and harmonious approach to these issues in Greene County. The office is also called upon to dispense information to municipalities, businesses and citizens regarding hauler and landfill issues through daily phone calls, news articles, personal contact and speaking engagements.
In conjunction with PA CleanWays of Greene County, the office also organizes and conducts a number of recycling events throughout the county. These events include, but are not limited to, collection events for tires, used motor oil and white goods; Chemsweep in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension; overseeing the operations of the 11 recycling trailers in the county; identification and clean-up of illegal roadside dumpsites; speaking engagements to civic organizations and school groups to educate and promote recycling; and addressing individual citizen's needs in regards to solid waste and recycling issues through daily phone calls and direct contact.
The Solid Waste and Recycling Office maintains a working relationship with the waste haulers who are licensed to pick up in Greene County and the landfills that are authorized to accept municipal waste from Greene County. This involves ongoing contact with these businesses and the processing of the tonnage information, remaining capacities and quarterly fees received by the county based on the tonnage of waste received at the landfills from the municipalities.
Nearly everything people do leaves behind some kind of waste. Households create ordinary garbage. Industrial and manufacturing processes create solid and hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste comes in many shapes and forms: chemical, metal and furniture manufacturing are some examples of processes that create hazardous waste. All hazardous waste is tightly regulated from "cradle to grave." Garbage and industrial waste are also controlled. Common garbage is municipal waste, which consists mainly of paper, yard trimmings, glass and other materials. Industrial waste is process waste that comes from a broad range of operations. Some wastes are managed by federal agencies or state laws. Examples of such wastes are animal waste, radioactive waste and medical waste.
Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. Some are small companies. For example, the following types of businesses typically generate hazardous waste: dry cleaners, auto repair shops, hospitals, exterminators and photo processing centers. Some hazardous waste generators are larger companies like chemical manufacturers, electroplating companies and petroleum refineries.
Household hazardous wastes (e.g., paint, paint thinner, batteries, used oil) are not regulated. Disposal centers are located throughout Greene County, providing collection centers or pick-up services for the management of household hazardous wastes.
To learn more about solid and hazardous waste issues, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Wastes Office. Also . . . click here for a complete copy of the Municipal Solid Waste Mgmt Plan for Greene County ((11 mg pdf file)).
Sources of Municipal Waste in Greene County:
Determining what is municipal waste is based on as much on who generates it or where it was generated as it is on specific physical characteristics of the material. According to the PA Environmental Quality Board's Municipal Waste Regulations, municipal waste is garbage, refuse, industrial lunchroom or office waste and other material, including solid, liquid, semi-solid or contained gaseous material resulting from operation of residential, municipal, commercial or institutional establishments and from community activities, and sludge not meeting the definition of "residual" or "hazardous waste" from a municipal, commercial or institutional water supply treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant or air polution control facility. That is a rather board and inclusive categorization of materials from the County to manage.
Municipal waste is generated where we live, work, and play, Every household, business, and community activity within Greene County is a generator of municipal waste in some form. A variety of sources can be identified as generators of the type of municipal wste with which most of us are familiar. They include residences, commercial establishments, government buildings, institutions, and community events. Others generate special types that are less recognizable as municiapl solid waste to the average person. Therefore, as the County revised its Plan for proper solid waste management it examined many factors to ensure that the special needs and conditions of all of these entities were considered and incorporated . . . click here for a complete copy of the Municipal Solid Waste Mgmt Plan for Greene County ((11 mg pdf file)).
Disposal Centers/Landfills:
The following is a listing (updated 1/31/2011, per Justin Kubicar) of area landfills that currently are authorized to accept municipal waste from Greene County:
Seneca Landfill: PO Box 1080, Mars, PA 16046
Tri County Landfill: 159 TCI Park Drive, Grove City, PA 15127
WM South Hills Disposal: 3100 Hill Road, South Park, PA 15129
Solid Waste Haulers:
The following is a listing (updated 1/31/2011, per Justin Kubicar) of area solid waste haulers that currently are authorized to haul municipal waste for Greene County:
Arden: Arden Station Road, Washington, PA 15301
Greenridge Reclamation: RD 1, Box 716, Scottdale, PA 15683
Veolia Waste Services: 1184 McClellandtown Road, McClellandtown, PA 15458
Imperial: 11 Boggs Road, PO Box 47, Imperial, PA 15126
Westmoreland, LLC: 901 Tyrol Blvd, Belle Vernon, PA 15012
J.P. Mascaro & Sons Wetzel County Landfill: Rt 1, PO Box 156A, New Martinsville, WV 26155
Recycling:
The Solid Waste and Recycling Office also spearheads recycling efforts in the county, including maintaining a working relationship with the only recycling processing facility in the county, Greene ARC, Inc. recycling located on Dunn Station Road, Prosperity, PA 15329 (Phone 724-627-5511).
Recycling News:
November 18, 2011: County signs lease to keep recycling center site in Ruff Creek — click here for complete story.
Recycling Facilities:
There are ten (10) recycling trailers located throughout Greene County at the following municipalities: (updated 9/30/2011 )
Aleppo Township Building, New Freeport
Carmichaels Area High School, Carmichaels
Center Township Building, Rogersville
Cumberland Township Building, Carmichaels
Dunkard Township Building, Bobtown
Jackson Township Building, Holbrook
Morris Township Building, Sycamore
Perry Township Building, Mt. Morris
Wayne Township Building, Spraggs
Waynesburg University, Wayneburg (every Thursday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm)
West Greene Middle—Senior High School, Rogersville
For more information on recycling in Greene County, call Greene Arc at 724-627-5511 or the Ruff Creek recycling center at 724-852-3062.
For general information, please contact the Information Services at 724-852-5399 / Toll Free: 1-888-852-5399. County Office Building, 93 E. High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
