WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Burlington Intervale To Stop Composting

Burlington Intervale To Stop Composting

Burlington, Vermont - February 28, 2008

The Intervale Center in Burlington has decided to close down its composting operation. The Center says it simply cannot afford to comply with environmental standards.

The Agency of Natural Resources ruled that the Intervale Center's composting facility needs an Act 250 land use permit. On Tuesday, the board that oversees the non-profit organization decided it just could not afford it. Intervale Center Director Kit Perkins said, "We cannot continue to move through this permit process as we know it, specifically with Act 250 and the costs that we see ahead of us in the face of the risk of the uncertain outcomes."

Perkins says the cost of going through Act 250 would run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Intervale Center agreed to phase out its composting operation after the state Attorney General's office sent a letter, dated Jan. 30, threatening enforcement action. A phase-out leaves one more season for composting -- and begs the question: where would an operation like this be moved?

Attorney General Bill Sorrell says a phase-out, rather than an abrupt closure, was good enough to avoid penalties because composting is so important. The facility handles 30,000 tons of organic waste in a year. After subtracting the part that makes fertilizer, it saves 5,000 tons of waste that otherwise would go into a landfill.

Sorrell said, "If the Intervale stopped tomorrow taking food waste from Burlington restaurants, from Fletcher Allen Health Care, other large institutions in this area, we'd be in a world of hurt."

Meanwhile, there's a proposal to exempt future composting operations from Act 250.

"I hope new and better rules get established soon," Perkins said. "I hope that the state will accept those rules and begin to really incentivize and find sites."

Coming up with a place-- or places-- to put the composting operation will not be easy.

Andy Potter - WCAX News