Disposal proposal: Council awaits info before OKing deal

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — Concerned about environmental issues and a possible bad odor, city council members aren’t willing to approve an economic incentive package for a business planning to build an industrial waste treatment facility.

Council’s public utilities committee met Tuesday with North Star Disposal Services officials to discuss the proposed $1.7 million project.

Committee members want to be sure that the proposed facility won’t create unpleasant odors.

While North Star would be located in the Ohio Works Business Park, near Division Street, it’s about a half-mile from residential neighborhoods.

Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th and chairwoman of council’s public utilities committee, said more information is needed before council could approve the proposal.

Youngstown officials will contact elected officeholders in three communities in western Pennsylvania that have similar treatment facilities operated by Hart Resource Technologies to check for odor problems, Rimedio-Righetti said.

Hart and D&L Energy Group are partners in North Star Disposal.

“There shouldn’t be any smell,” said Ben Lupo, D&L’s owner.

Council will wait until receiving information from the three Pennsylvania communities — Creekside, Josephine and Franklin — before giving the go-ahead for the North Star proposal, Rimedio-Righetti said.

“If there’s no issues then we can move forward,” she said.

Paul Hart, president of Hart Resource, said he’s “fine with slowing it down,” and encouraged Youngstown council members to contact officials in the three communities.

It would take about a year to get the facility running, Hart said.

North Star would take wastewater from companies in the gas and oil industries, treat it to remove hazardous materials and then discharge the cleaned wastewater into the city’s sewer system.

The economic incentive package would have the city selling 7.5 acres of property in the Ohio Works Business Park to North Star for $10. The company would also receive a 75-percent, 10-year real property tax abatement.

North Star plans to spend $1.7 million to build the facility.

The company would create nine to 12 new jobs with an average annual salary of $30,000 to $35,000, Lupo said.

skolnick@vindy.com