By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has scheduled a public hearing for March 6 pertaining to a highly contested application that would increase capacity and also allow collection of construction and demolition debris at Recycling Services, Inc.
The storage and transfer facility located at 43 Industrial Boulevard is owned by Acuity Management, and in recent months the zoning board and city council have made moves to stop the project in its tracks. This proposal dates back to 2019, and most recently amendments were made to the city code that would prohibit what is entailed. However, the company has since submitted an application to NHDES and a public hearing is needed before approval.
There have been heated discussions over the years, with members of the public coming out in droves to voice opposition, as many have said that it would lead to increased pollution, increase safety concerns, and other negative aspects like damage to roadways.
Recycling Services, Inc. submitted a Type-I A permit modification application to request an increase in permitted capacity, as well as authorization to collect construction and demolition debris, as well as recyclables that are currently permitted.
“Recycling Services, Inc. is proposing to expand its operations to remove recyclable materials from C&D, transfer recyclable materials by truck to other facilities for further processing, and transfer C&D by rail car to out-of-state disposal facilities,” a release by NHDES stated.
The application to the state is available to the public, and in it, Acuity says that there will be no negative impact to public health, safety or the environment.
Acuity says they will not be accepting items like garbage, asbestos, electrical fixtures with hazardous liquids like fluorescent lights, furniture, tires, fuel tanks and other containers.
On the Acuity website, Recycling Services was described as a “cornerstone in the recycling industry since its establishment in 1972.”
“The company specializes in recycling a variety of metals including alloys, aluminum, copper, brass, and other valuable scrap materials,” the Acuity website states. “With a focus on environmental sustainability, Recycling Services, Inc. helps reduce waste by repurposing these materials, contributing positively to both the local community and the environment.”
In August, the Claremont Planning Board unanimously voted to approve amended language to the city code that prohibits collecting, storing and transferring construction and demolition debris. While at the meeting, a local grassroots group, A Better Claremont, had members on-hand to speak out. They also published a letter in the Eagle Times, saying that Acuity has ignored the “no” handed down by the ZBA.
“Acuity’s efforts are blocked at the local level, and they have refused to respect the city code,” the group wrote in the letter. “They have filed a threatening lawsuit against Claremont and aggressively pursued a state-level permit application at the Department of Environmental Services (DES). State permitting officials must recognize that the site is far too small for a massive waste transfer station.”
The Claremont City Council met on Aug. 28 and upheld the ZBA’s amended language of the policy, voting unanimously to approve it.
The company is estimating that it will receive about 80 trucks a day with just over 500 tons of mixed construction and demolition waste. A Better Claremont wrote in their letter that this means that over four or five days, more construction and demolition waste comes into the city than it produces over the course of a year.
During the August ZBA meeting, some of the comments against the proposal included concerns about the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Claremont and generations to come. One person said there are simply too many hazards to consider the company coming in. Another point of concern was that the property is adjacent to the Westwood Village Housing Complex.
“There is no place for Acuity in Claremont,” Karen Parker of Ward 2 said in the ZBA meeting.
A message was left with Recycling Services Supervisor Dave Schiebel but not returned by deadline. A voicemail was left with NHDES Permit Engineer Jason Evancic but not returned.
Written testimony may be submitted to NHDES at any time before close of the public comment period on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 4 p.m.
To be included in the public record, written testimony must be submitted using one of three methods: by email to [email protected]; by post to NHDES-SWMB Attn: Jason Evancic, PO Box 95, Concord, NH 03302; or by hand delivery to NHDES’ office at 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH.
The application is available for public review during business hours at Claremont City Hall, 58 Opera House Square, Claremont, NH; and at NHDES’ office, 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH. The application is also available electronically on NHDES’ OneStop website.
The public hearing, which was originally supposed to be last month but cancelled due to snow, will take place on Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at the Claremont Opera House. NHDES needs to complete its technical review of the application and review public comments and then decide on whether to approve the application within 30 days.
