County looks to sell recycling center

BY STACI WILSON

Equipment failures, building repairs, mounting financial losses and cuts in state funding for the county’s recycling center prompted the Susquehanna County Commissioners to look into the possibility of selling it to a private entity.

At the Feb. 13 meeting, the commissioners approved moving forward with a study into the feasibility of privatizing the center, located off Rt. 29 in Bridgewater Twp.

Commissioner Alan Hall said the facility has been losing, on average, over $60,000 per year and available state grant money to fund the county recycling program is drying up.

“I’m not saying (the county) should not promote recycling,” Hall said. But he said there is not enough community support to sustain the program as it exists even with low-cost work being done by inmates from the county jail.

Commissioner Michael Giangrieco said the recycling center has lost $1 million over the years.

The commissioners said other counties in the region had privately run recycling centers and that some counties were looking at consolidating program efforts or at privatization.

Hall and Giangrieco both said they would be opposed to any fees being assessed to residents to use a privately-operated recycling center in the county.