I would like to introduce myself as the new district coordinator for the Lawrence-Scioto County Solid Waste Management District.

In the few weeks I’ve been on the job, we’ve received numerous phone calls on several issues, but two in particular are most frequently asked:

No. 1: Where are the recycling drop-off trailers? and No. 2: Why are we assessed a $12 parcel fee, and what does this pay for?

Until Rumpke closed March 15, all recycling material was picked up weekly and taken to its recycling center in Ashland, Ky. Once it closed, there was no place to take recycled materials.

Rumpke offered to provide service on two recycling trailers in each county — two in Chesapeake and two in Portsmouth. They hauled these trailers for us to the closest recycling center in Circleville.

Your county commissioners requested that we seek a short-term solution before the permanent bid is awarded.

Therefore, we issued a request for bids to several solid waste haulers operating in this district to provide temporary service. We request that for Lawrence County, one trailer be placed in the Chesapeake/ Proctorville area and the second one in Ironton.

We are preparing to seek bids for a contract for the operation of the new expanded recycling program. This will create 29 permanent sites in the District.

In Lawrence County, the sites are: City of Ironton — three sites; Union Township (Chesapeake); Perry Township (Sheridan); Union Township (Proctorville) — one; Fayette Township (South Point and Burlington) — two; Rome Township (Rome and Athalia) — two; Upper Township (Coal Grove); Elizabeth Township — one.

Again, these are to be permanent sites. The exact location within the townships for the recycling trailers will be announced as soon as we make that decision.

These sites and number of sites were determined by the population access goals required by the Ohio EPA and the state-mandated Solid Waste Plan.

We must be in compliance with Ohio EPA and the district plan as ratified.

So, our expanded recycling program

must be operational by October. These permanent recycling sites will be available for use 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

I ask for your patience and understanding as we begin to implement the district plan.

If you are aware of someone illegally dumping, please report this by calling (740) 532-1231 or (740) 532-1243 or call toll free in Ohio (888) 565-7888. It will be investigated, and if necessary, the responsible party will be prosecuted.

Dan Palmer is the district coordinator for the Lawrence/Scioto County Solid Waste Management District.