Have you seen the newspaper articles regarding Grinnell Recycling’s new operation? I wonder how many Spartans saw that coming. Asphalt, sheetrock, cardboard, chemical-laden treated lumber, soil and more, being brought into Sparta from far and near. Do you wonder what might be in “soil” that requires handling by a recycling center? Four hundred tons per day isn’t going to fit for long in a 25,000 sq/ ft. building, so, there’ll be outdoor storage aplenty. Environmentally safe? Well, the article didn’t mention any controls for outdoor pollution such as airborne smells or ground water leachates. The Germany Flats aquifer, you know, is just a stone’s throw away. Then there’s “noise pollution” too. No mention of hours of operation. Are they really going to process 400 tons of waste in an eight hour work day? The article says the material will “…leave the plant by truck”. Will it arrive by truck also? I wonder because there’s a rumor afloat that has four sidings being added to the rail line currently running through the property. Granted though, Grinnell’s been a pretty good neighbor so far, so, we’ll see. Still other “improvements” along Houses Corner Road appear to be on the way. Blue Diamond Disposal - the company that wants to be Sparta’s exclusive garbage collector -- is largely owned by the same fellows who own Diamond Chip Realty, LLC. Diamond Chip Realty has become the new owner of the former Sparta Sand and Gravel site. That’s located where Demarest Road meets Houses Corner Road, a half mile from Grinnell, but along the same railroad track. Hmmm, a 68 acre site with 900 foot frontage on a rail line, owned by individuals with substantial investment and experience in waste handling, but none in the sand and gravel business. Might there be some ambition afoot to bring the garbage business into Sparta, perhaps in the form of a garbage transfer station? Blue Diamond obtaining a “foot-in-the-door”, three-year garbage contract (renewable forever) here in Sparta would be like hitting a “home run” in such a scheme. The Sparta Town Council’s 12-20-07 Newsletter tells us that Blue Diamond also collects garbage in “…Byram, Green, Jefferson, Randolph, and others”, so, this isn’t just about hometown garbage. Blue Diamond now has a place to park their fleet of trucks, an operating, expandable rail line on site, 68 acres to work with, and a neighbor just a half mile down the track that already has an operating construction waste recycling center. Much here to speculate on for sure, but was Diamond Chip Realty “just speculating” when it invested 1.75 million dollars on the site? Could all this become Sparta’s true cost in a low garbage collection bid?
Ten years ago Sparta had groups like SCARY, Our Group, and SORRY mobilized to fight railroad expansion in this same area. All the reasons for their existence back then are present again - perhaps twofold. Since 1998 new residential developments have gone in. People are heavily invested in their homes and cannot afford to risk declining property values. Increased truck and train traffic would seriously impact quality-of-life issues, not only for Sparta residents, but for neighboring towns such as Ogdensburg and Hardyston that also serve as hapless rail line hosts. Imagine Route 15 with “garbage shuttles” traveling along it all day long - and perhaps at other hours as well. And most certainly, all the above-stated concerns held for the Grinnell operation hold true for such a Blue Diamond operation. The time to safeguard against such a potential scenario is now. It’s time for diligence and asking questions regarding Blue Diamond’s true intentions. Soon enough, the County landfill will reach capacity and northwestern NJ will need a garbage transfer station. Right now, Sparta is looking like a prime location.
Herbert Sauter, Sparta
