Dive Brief:
- The City Commission of Brunswick, GA has approved Liberty Roll-Offs and Recycling's expansion request for its transfer station site on the condition that it make improvements for the community as well.
- Residents of the nearby Magnolia Park neighborhood have said the site creates noise, odor, dust and pests. While Liberty has been responsive to their concerns, it hasn't claimed responsibility for all of them.
- As part of the agreement Liberty will construct a large earthen berm to reduce noise, install a sprinkler system to mitigate dust and enlarge the waste transfer station building to better control odor.
Dive Insight:
Liberty handles refuse and recycling from multiple counties and areas, but has long assured residents that none of it remains onsite overnight. Yet the surrounding neighborhood has been complaining since at least 2014. These concerns were a large factor in the company receiving approval for its other expansion projects — which include new recycling capacity, a parking lot, an office building and other facilities.
According to city officials this compromise seems to satisfy residents, provided that Liberty holds up its end of the deal. The company must install the berm and sprinkler system by January 2017 and enlarge the transfer facility by August 2017. They are also required to spray chemical deodorizers more frequently.
It can be challenging for waste facilities and neighborhoods to coexist, but not impossible as long as all involved maintain open communication. Other recent incidents over dust have taken turns for the worse because residents say the companies weren't fully engaging with officials and the surrounding communities. A Seattle construction recycling facility was removed from the city's list of approved recyclers and a Minneapolis metal shredder may soon have its permits revoked due to ongoing dust issues.
