The following was posted by Rich Defuria on Facebook:
“I have not spoken on this local issue in a while.
But this issue should be on every resident’s radar, because it impacts our quality of life in Sterling: a Regional Food Waste Composting project proposed to be built behind the Sterling Police Station.
I encourage you all to read the ACTUAL report produced by the Sterling DPW — that is, a written proposal (versus the often conflicting [and every-changing] verbal accounts).
The report has a filename of “Sterling DPW Compost Facility Final Report June 23, 2021.pdf”
The title of the report is : “Town of Sterling Department of Public Works Food Waste Composting Facility Final Report June 23, 2021”
So these illustrate two things: (i) this is the DPW’s report and (ii) it says “final” report.
The first line of the first paragraph of the report says : “The Sterling DPW is proposing to develop and operate a food waste composting facility in accordance with a MDEP General Permit (310 CMR 16.04). That permit will allow for up to 105 tons per week, with a maximum of 30 tons per day, of food material.”
It’s right there, in black and white: “develop and operate” For reference, 30 tons is equal to 3 dump trunks filled to the brim (with rotting food [and potentially plastics and other contaminants]).
The second paragraph of the report says : “The proposed Sterling compost facility is intended to serve residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial food waste generators in the region.”
So it does not purport to merely compost the food scraps from our dinner tables (which clearly can be done in our own back yards individually [much more cheaply, too]); rather, it targets big, industrial food waste from the “region.”
Worried yet? You should be.
We have formed a group of citizens, united to oppose this project; we maintain that a commercial composting facility is not a compatible so close to residential neighborhoods, a first responder station, numerous local businesses, the Wekepeke Aquifer, Bartlett Pond, etc.
Email me at SterlingAgainstWasteProject@gmail.com if you want to join our group. And email me for the report if you wish to read it for yourself.
Thank you for reading, and I apologize for the length of this post.”
SO, FOLKS, JOIN “STERLING AGAINST WASTE PROJECT” AND STOP THIS REGIONAL, COMMERCIAL FOOD COMPOSTING OPERATION BEFORE IT STINKS UP NORTH STERLING AND POLLUTES BARTLET’S POND AND WEKEPEKE BROOK.
J.G.
STERLING, MASSACHUSETTS, OVERWATCH 