For Immediate Release
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Town of Marion Exploring Options for Leaving Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District

MARION — Town Administrator James McGrail reports that the Town of Marion is currently exploring two options relating to leaving the Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District (CMW).

At an Oct. 21 Special Town Meeting, Marion voters approved a plan for the town to begin negotiating an exit from the district, which was formed more than 40 years ago to allow the three member towns to dispose of waste — free of charge — at the Southeastern Massachusetts Resource Recovery Facility (SEMASS) in Rochester.

The first option would call for the town to negotiate the terms of its exit from CMW between now and Town Meeting in May 2020, since a second Town Meeting vote  is required to approve the terms of the exit for the town for it to be official and final.

This plan calls for the town to leave the district by the end of June 2020.

The second option involves all three towns in the district agreeing to wind down the operations of CMW, keeping a skeletal entity to manage liabilities.

This would result in all operations of the district being closed down by December 2020.

“CMW has formed a task force to develop a plan for what winding down the district might look like,” McGrail said. “Once the three member towns review the plan, each town then can make an informed decision as to whether they want to vote to terminate the operations of CMW at the end of 2020.”

Regardless of which option, CMW has made clear it does not intend to operate the Benson Brook Transfer station after 2020. Marion is studying what permitting would be required and what it would cost for Marion to operate the Benson Brook transfer station several days per week after CMW suspends operations there.

The town’s contract with SEMASS expires Dec. 31, 2020. Each member town will set their own sticker prices for the use of the CMW transfer stations in Marion and Rochester for the coming calendar year.  Marion is currently evaluating the appropriate charge for stickers for waste disposal in calendar year 2020, and more information will be discussed at the upcoming Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

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