ROCKPORT, Maine — Representatives of two waste management companies vying for a slice of the state’s trash pie say the decision of several midcoast area communities to send their garbage to a third entity in southern Maine is not a concern.
The officials made their comments Wednesday during a recess at the 23rd Annual Maine Recycling and Solid Waste Conference and Trade Show held at the Samoset Resort.
Craig Stuart-Paul, chief executive officer of Fiberight, and Bob Knudsen, vice president of USA Energy Group LLC, the majority owner and managing partner of Penobscot Energy Recovery Company’s waste-to-energy plant in Orrington, made presentations Wednesday to more than 50 people.
More than 180 members of the Municipal Review Committee already have made or will be selecting a plan soon on solid waste disposal for beyond 2018 when the MRC contract with PERC expires.
Stuart-Paul pointed out that communities have been given an extension until June 30 to decide whether to enter into a contract with Fiberight through the MRC.
The MRC has aligned with Maryland-based Fiberight LLC to build a $69 million Hampden facility that would use technology to change organic materials in trash into biogas after the glass, metal, paper and plastic are recycled. Biogas is similar to natural gas.
He pointed out that Bangor, Bar Harbor and Waldoboro are among the communities that have chosen to go with the Fiberight proposal.
Knudsen said there was a lot of waste statewide. Last month, Knudsen announced an agreement with Casella Waste Systems to deliver commercial waste from around the region to PERC’s incinerator in Orrington.
He said Wednesday that the municipalities do not control all the wastes that come from a community and that commercial operations can dispose of their trash in the way they want.
“We’ve been here for 28 years. We’re here to stay,” Knudsen said.
The city of Rockland voted in April to send its solid waste to ecomaine of Portland, once its contract with PERC expires.
In March, the boards of the Mid-Coast Solid Waste Corporation, which serves Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville and Hope, and of the three-town cooperative that serves Thomaston, South Thomaston and Owls Head voted separately to recommend that their communities enter into a contract with ecomaine of Portland. Those towns also currently send their waste to PERC.
Residents of those towns will decide at June town meetings whether to follow through on the recommendations. South Thomaston is the sole town to already have voted, and its residents supported Fiberight.
During his presentation, Stuart-Paul said that Fiberight is not simply gobbling up solid wastes but will put a focus on recycling materials. He said the process used by Fiberight will produce one-sixth the carbon emission of older plants. He said this was important for the environment.
“How many times does Manhattan have to be flooded. How many times do we have to have extreme weather,” he said, making reference to unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions that have fueled wildfires in Alberta, Canada.
Knudsen said his company also realizes the state wants more of an emphasis on recycling and that PERC will be receiving less wastes to convert to energy. He said the company is working with other companies such as WasteZero to address the demand for more recycling.
Sarah Bernier from WasteZero said 30 percent of municipalities in Maine have some form of pay-as-you-throw program in place. Those communities, on average, produce 44 percent less waste.