SPRINGVILLE — City Council members were talking trash Tuesday.
No, it wasn't a case of partisan wrangling among the city's politicos. It was a discussion on the future of the city's old solid waste transfer station.
A private construction waste company wants to build a new collection facility at the site, 2450 W. 400 South.
The new building would be used specifically to collect debris from demolition and construction projects. Under the proposal, Springville residents will also be allowed to dump debris.
Currently, the only landfill in central Utah County accepting construction debris is in Payson, said Mike Dunn, who works for Cedar Valley C&D Landfill, the firm making the proposal.
Dunn also said the Payson landfill is starting to turn trucks away because it is becoming overloaded.
The waste company said the collection facility would be a temporary holding facility. Trucks would then haul the debris to a permanent site in Fairfield.
Once the collection facility is built, Dunn estimated that about four trucks a day would be hauling debris from the site — collecting concrete, asphalt, debris from home demolitions, sheet rock and roofing waste.
Councilman Jay Knight said he is concerned about asbestos contamination. Dunn said the site would not store asbestos.
Although the facility would provide a much-needed collection site for annual city cleanups and residential projects, some city leaders expressed concern over expanding the city's transfer station.
Councilwoman Dianne Carr said traffic near the transfer station already is a problem and expanding the waste facility would add trucks to the traffic mix. City staff also pointed out the property surrounding the transfer station is zoned for future commercial use in the city's general plan.
"It's going to be some very expensive real estate," said Mayor Fritz Boyer. He added the city will have to balance building the collection facility with the possibility of having to move the whole waste transfer site to another location in the future.
Councilman Craig Conover said the city is in dire need of a place for residents to dump debris. If residents have no central dumping location, Conover said he is convinced residents will find remote places in the area to dump illegally.
Boyer said Cedar Valley C&D will have to seek approval of the Planning Commission before it can be officially reviewed and voted upon by the City Council.
"I think eventually someone has to face the problem" Conover said.
E-MAIL: gfattah@desnews.com