Puckett would still like to see regional trash disposal sites in Mercer
princeton — A member of the Mercer County Commission says he still supports the idea of developing regional trash collection sites that would allow citizens to dispose of their own garbage.
Having such regional trash disposal sites in place also would help in reducing the amount of trash that is being illegally dumped across the county, according to Greg Puckett, who also is the coordinator of the annual Keep Mercer Clean campaign.
That campaign is still ongoing, and Puckett points to the large number of citizens who have been taking advantage of the free weekend trash disposal sites provided by Keep Mercer Clean as further evidence of the need for something that is more permanent and year round.
'I think it proves the need of why the county needs to have regional dump sites or regional drop sites,' Puckett said. 'Hopefully I can advocate for that again. I think Virginia does it well.'
In neighboring Tazewell County, Va., citizens who live in the county are allowed to dispose of their garbage for free at designated transfer station sites across the county as long as they have a valid Virginia license and proof of residency in Tazewell County.
Puckett said he has advocated for several years for a similar type of program for Mercer County.
'I think it would be fantastic,' Puckett said of setting up similar transfer station sites in Mercer County. 'The discussion definitely needs to be reengaged. The question you get is where do you put it? If we pilot one, I would like to see it in the Brushfork area. I think you would look at the locations of where the highest need would be.'
However, setting up something in Mercer County that is similar to what Tazewell County in neighboring Virginia does isn't as easy as it sounds.
Rules and regulations are different between the two states and counties.
Puckett said the Mercer County Commission can only make a recommendation.
'The commission can make recommendations but ultimately the Solid Waste Authority is the one in charge of determining our waste procedures in the county,' Puckett said. 'They are great partners. They help us out on this campaign (Keep Mercer Clean).'
Such a discussion wouldn't even be necessary if citizens in the county were more responsible and didn't illegally dump trash and garbage along area roadways, hills and mountains, Puckett said.
'People still need to be responsible,' Puckett said. 'Some of the places I've been working on trying to get cleaned up are literally open dumps on private property.'
The Keep Mercer Clean campaign continues until Wednesday, April 30.
According to the official Tazewell County, Va. website, the free transfer or convenience stations help with litter control in the county while also making garbage disposal more convenient for Tazewell County residents.
The convenience stations are located in the Falls Mills, Boissevain, Baptist Valley, Burkes Garden, Cedar Bluff, Gratton, Raven, Jewell Ridge, Tannersville and Thompson Valley communities.
As part of the Keep Mercer Clean campaign, the free trash disposal dumpsters will be available this Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon on the grounds of PikeView High School and Oakvale School.
Contact Charles Owens at
cowens@bdtonline.com
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