OPINION: Transfer Station — Forgotten, or Issue That Won't Go Away?

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Chester Suchecki.

Salem had an election last November and one of the major issues was the transfer station problem. Most of the candidates that were elected and the incumbents that were reelected were in favor of Northside Carting to take control of the land, tear down the old incinerator building and cap the ever-spreading ash pile and construct a state-of-the-art transfer facility. They also wanted to build a state-of-the-art recycling center for residents to drop off household waste products like TVs, batteries, paint, bottles, cans, yard waste etc.

So, now it is six months after the election and the city council is worried about fountains, parking meters or what kind of trees to put on Essex street. What happened to the transfer station? Do the people who live on the hill downwind of the place have to put up with another summer of dust and stink from the existing transfer station “or” does the city of Salem and the city council approve Northside Carting's plan for a new state-of-the-art transfer station and recycling center with an environmentally sound cap on the ash pile?

So what’s it going to be, Salem? Another lame duck city council or one that acts on campaign promises?

There is one other issue that goes along with this subject. That is truck traffic. How in the he77 [sic] can you tell the difference with all the traffic that goes up and down Swampscott Road and First Street? The road is the only cut across road from Swampscott to Peabody. I don’t know the vehicle count ,but it has to be in the tens of thousands. A few more trucks won't make a difference. A traffic light at First Street and the transfer station would be safer.

Salem is into the 21st century, but its waste system is still in the 60s. It's time this issue gets addressed, then there will be one less subject to gripe about.

Chester Suchecki

Salem Resident