Pamlico recycling center delayed

ORIENTAL - The return of a county recycling center in the Oriental area has been delayed.

Pamlico County had planned to reopen a recycling site on land next to the Southeast Pamlico Volunteer Fire Department on Straight Road.

Oriental Town Manager Wyatt Cutler said there were safety concerns about the public entering the highway at that location, which is near an intersection. He said the town is looking at a different site.

He said the town has proposed exchanging the town land next to the fire department for a tract owned by the fire department behind the fire house. That land is adjacent to town-owned recreation property.

Cutler said that proposal had been agreed upon in principle by the fire board, but it still has to go before the full department membership.

He said the Oriental commissioners would discuss the matter at their next meeting on July 1.

The town of Oriental, which has a recycling program for residents, has been willing to allow the county to use a site at no charge.

County recycling coordinator Jesse Bloomberg said earlier that the center would have recycling bins on a 60-by-90-foot pad, and the site would have a chain-link fence, but no gate, allowing use 24 hours a day.

Bloomberg said about 15 tons of material was dropped off at the old site on N.C. 55 each month. The new site would accept plastic, bottles, cans, cardboard, mixed paper and newspapers.

The Oriental recycling center closed April 1 after a private landowner letting the county use his property requested that the bins be removed.

This will mark the third site in about a year for county-operated Oriental recycling. After years at the Town and Country grocery, the county was asked to leave that location because people abused the drop-off area, leaving litter and nonrecyclable items.

Since the April closing, residents in that area of the county have had the option of going to recycling sites on Janeiro Road and at the Florence-Whortonsville Volunteer Fire Department. Recycling at those sites is limited to plastic, glass and cans. Those two sites are open only on Thursdays.

There are other county recycling sites in Arapahoe, Hobucken, Bayboro, Grantsboro and at the county recycling center - Mount Trashless - on N.C. 306. The main county center is open weekdays and from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

For information, call the recycling department at 745-3283.