By Harlan Levy
Journal Inquirer
WINDSOR LOCKS — The three selectmen are not happy about Babylon Recycling Center’s intent to expand its operations from processing only building and construction material to include municipal and industrial garbage at its facility straddling the Windsor Locks-Suffield town line.
In a unanimous vote at Tuesday’s meeting, the board adopted a resolution opposing the expansion. The resolution will go to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the sole body with authority to approve Babylon’s request.
DEP is now in the technical review portion of the permit-modification application that the 10-year-old facility filed Aug. 9 to increase the 850-ton-per-day limit to 1,100. If granted, Babylon can accept 250 tons of town, business, and residential garbage as well as the 850 tons of construction waste.
In a public hearing the selectmen hosted last week, Babylon representatives told a crowd of around 75 residents that gaining DEP approval would allow for an extra 28 or 29 large trucks per day every day but Sunday hauling in garbage weighing 9 tons per truck to its building and then heading to other locations, all between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The materials would be treated inside the building, and the compacted debris would be required to exit within 48 hours. It would go to a dozen railroad cars arriving on the tracks adjacent to the plant or to large trucks, both of which would have the loads tightly covered — but not sealed — before transferring them out of state to disposal centers. Because of having to wait for gaps in Amtrak’s rail schedule, the rail cars would sit outside the plant loaded with garbage and leave either the same day or the next day.
None of those who spoke at the hearing supported Babylon’s quest, and all the speakers vehemently opposed it.
The expansion would “adversely affect the quality of life with no off-setting benefit,” the board said in its resolution. “Increased truck traffic laden with garbage will impact our Main Street business community and residents” while the town, DEP, and Babylon “have no control of the railway that will be transporting the waste from the facility at all hours of the night.”
The noise from the rail traffic is already loud and irritating late at night and in the extremely early hours of the morning, First Selectman Steven Wawruck said.
As for the truck traffic, he said, “It’s already horrendous on North Main Street, and we’re experiencing some of the side traffic on Suffield Street. This town has trucks on every main artery, and now we’re going to add upward of 58 trips, because those empty trucks still have to leave after they deliver, and they all stink.”
The DEP’s technical review is expected to last a few more months, Town Attorney Scott Chadwick told the board. “They indicated to us that if the town has any concerns, problems, questions, now is the time to raise them,” he said, “and one of the suggestions was a joint letter from the selectmen and Suffield pointing out whatever joint concerns they have, so that the DEP can consider those as part of their technical review.”
Chadwick said he would follow up on that suggestion. He also said the DEP won’t hold a public hearing unless the board requests it, which selectmen agreed to do.
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