Clear bags, stricter rules: changes at transfer station

KENT — When the town’s new transfer station opens up sometime in October, users can expect some changes in the way the station’s rules are enforced.

While the Board of Selectmen did not formally approve the enforcement suggestions made by Recycling Committee member Ken Cooper and Selectman Vincent LaFontan at its regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, there was strong support for their ideas.

All of the proposed changes come down to one thing: encouraging recycling.

When the new station opens, LaFontan proposed having users sign a contract that outlines what can be recycled at the station.

“The recycling committee looked at the current [user] contract and expanded it greatly to define what the recyclable items are,� LaFontan said. “The committee feels that while this information was out there, it was not readily available to users. Some residents probably didn’t even know some of the things that were recyclable.�

“It also will list what can’t be dumped at the transfer station and where you can dump it instead of dumping it illegally,� Cooper added.

First Selectman Ruth Epstein said stronger recycling rules for the station were all well and good, but enforcing the rules would be another matter entirely.

“We will not be able to catch all offenders,� Epstein said. “There will be times [Transfer Station Attendant John Kaminski] will be over somewhere taking care of someone while someone else is dumping. He can’t be in one place all of the time.�

Cooper conceded the point.

“It’s just like police issuing tickets to speeders: You can’t get them all,� Cooper said. “He’s not expected to catch everybody.�

In addition to enforcing the rules tightly, LaFontan proposed a “three strikes and you’re out� system for violators.

The first time a user is caught violating the rules they receive a verbal warning. The second time they receive a written warning. The third time a user is caught, they lose their transfer station permit and do not get a refund.

“However, there will be a break-in period when the station first opens,� Cooper said. “We don’t have to be so strict for the first month or two. But afterward we can go into much more strict enforcement.�

As for the issue of requiring residents to use clear plastic trash bags, which was discussed at length during July’s meeting, Cooper suggested the station make an exception for bags under 3 gallons in size, which would mean residents can still use bags from grocery stores.

“I was persuaded by residents who asked why we would make them buy bags when they already recycle [grocery store] bags, which they don’t have to pay for,� Cooper said. “All of the [trash bag] vendors in town sell transparent bags and it’s the same price as non-transparent bags. This will better empower John to see what people have inside their bags and give him an educational opportunity.�

Epstein raised a concern about the clear bags.

“When this issue first came out in the newspapers I received a few phone calls from residents concerned about identity theft,� Epstein said.

Cooper said the color of the trash bag is not what puts people at risk for identity theft.

“If you put your papers in a public garbage dump, regardless of what kind of bag you use, there’s a chance for identity theft,� Cooper said. “If you want to recycle more and encourage it, it’s not free. You have to have a commitment to do things differently.�