LAWRENCE COUNTY Rising steel costs affect recycling program

The county had hoped to attract more bidders.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Rising steel prices have Lawrence County officials rethinking an expansion of the county recycling program.
Commissioners opened bids Tuesday to manufacture new bins for the countywide recycling program and found that the cost had doubled since last year.
Thompson Fabricating Inc. of Wheatland, Pa., submitted the only bid at a cost of $4,749 per container, said Mary Ann Reiter, county controller. The same company manufactured 64 bins last year at a cost of $2,317 per bin, she said.
No surprise
County Commissioner Dan Vogler said the increased cost was expected. He said they bid the project out again when Thompson Fabricating said its price would increase because of rising steel costs. Vogler said they had hoped to attract competitors to get a better price for the work.
Vogler said they will wait for Amy Labi-Carando, county recycling director, to return from a conference before deciding how to proceed.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught said they aren't sure if they are even going to buy additional bins because the cost has doubled.
Labi-Carando told commissioners earlier this month that the extra bins were needed because the county had none available to replace bins that are damaged or enough bins to take to special events such as fairs for short-term use.
The blue metal bins are used to collect aluminum, cardboard, paper and plastics.
The drop-off recycling bins are now available at Pulaski and Hickory township municipal buildings and the parking lot of Wal-Mart in Union Township. Labi-Carando said she is waiting for approval from Perry and Wayne townships and Enon Valley and New Beaver boroughs to place recycling bins.
cioffi@vindy.com