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8- August 13, 2015 editor@newslj.com
news letter journal t{0W$
Cashiers & Courtesy Clerks
Grocery, Meat and Bakery/Deli Clerks
Assistant Manager/Supervisor
Floral Clerks
FullTime & PartTime positions include some
evenings and weekends. EOE
Applications available at the Courtesy Desk or mail resume to
Decker's Market PO Box 249 Newcastle, WY 82701
40 lb. bags that work
in any type of water softener
141770, 908202, 908210
Starting at
Home, Ranch & Hardware
21 South Railway Ave • Newcastle WY, (307] 746-3144
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 am.6,.O0 pm • Sat B:O0 sun.5:00 pm • Closed Sunday
~xa~: ~:~ ~ ~ ~ Sale ends August 22
The Bird Cage Theatrics Company
IN COOPERATION WITH,
Casper College Department of Theatre & Dance
and The Flying V Lodge
presents
.::::::.:::::: :
August 14-15, 2015
The Flying V Lodge
Cocktail hour begins at 5:00 p.m.
Prime rib dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Curtain at 7:30 p.m.
$50 per person
Please call 307-746-8378for tickets and information
Environmental Award
On July 27 the Wyoming
Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) Wyoming
Environmental Stewardship
Program (WESP) recognized
Red Giant Oils for their volun-
tary efforts to reduce impacts
to the environment in a pre-
sentation at their facility east
of Newcastle.
DEQ said the company
works with local businesses
within Wyoming, Idaho,
South Dakota, Nebraska,
and Montana to recycle their
waste, and in 2014, Red Giant
Oils recycled 343,520 pounds
of steel from used oil filters,
and roughly 16,500 gallons of
used oil from these used oil
filters, which prevented these
wastes containing hazardous
constituents from entering
Wyoming landfills. The agen-
cy reported that, in total, Red
Giant Oils facility in Newcastle
recycled over 3 million gallons
of oil in 2014.
According to a press release
from the DEQ, Red Giant Oils has also worked to reduce their own impacts on the environment by switching to a com-
plete paperless system, retrofitting exterior lighting at their facilities to low energy LED lighting, converting all over-
the-road trucks to model year 2013 or newer to reduce emissions, and utilizing a high efficiency pressure washer that
also reduces air emissions.
"It's great to see companies like Red Giant Oils step up and show outstanding leadership in environmental stewardship
while running a successful business operation in Wyoming," said Todd Parfitt, DEQ Director. (Pam Penfield/NLJ)
from page 1 .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
in regard to landfills that he
saw in Wisconsin, which he
said ultimately come from
the federal level, eventually
imposed in Wyoming.
Among Brunner's sugges-
tions to the commissioners
was his claim that a smaller
board is better than a larger
one, owing to a reduced
likelihood of having discor-
dant views and personalities.
Still, he said, such a board
should feature representa-
tives of the both the City
of Newcastle and Town of
Upton, and Brunner further
suggested that those munici-
palities should be responsible
for picking their board repre-
sentatives themselves.
Commissioner Tracy Hunt
spoke glowingly of Brunner,
even though he admitted not
all of Brunner's experience on
the matter may translate into
the Wyoming context.
"Ron understands the
options of transfer stations,
landfills, whatever else, and I
think that he understands the
economics of the problem. I
have every confidence that
he would investigate every
aspect of what our situation
is and what options are avail-
able and that he would advo-
cate for the one that made
the most sense," Hunt said,
adding, "We're looking for
candidates. I don't think we
could find a better one."
In response fo aquestionFor his 15art, Brunner said
from Commissioner Rafidythat whi[ . eis interested in
Rossman, Brunner said that he helping the landfill district
believes that in the interest of
efficiency the landfill district
board should have a maximum
of five members.
Brunner further cautioned
the commissioners about what
he said he feels are the lack
of controls at the existing
landfill, saying he worries
that the dumping of certain
hazardous materials could
result in its swift shutdown.
Brunner added also that, if
possible, legal buffers should
be created to help protect the
county-from liability attached
to the landfill district.
"Right now there is no
control at the landfill, at least
that I remember," he said.
"You've got to be careful
about what goes in it."
up and running with a solid
foundation, he is not inter-
ested in holding a position on
the landfill board for the long
term.
That afternoon, responding
to an article printed in the July
30 edition of the NLJ titled
"Landfill board needs people,"
City Engineer Bob Hartley
appeared before the commis-
sioners where he complained
about statements made about
him by Commissioners Tracy
Hunt and Randy Rossman
that described him as "par-
tisan," "an advocate," and as
having a conflict of interest
due to his work for the City of
Newcastle.
"There's only one reason
I put up for [a position on
the landfill district board],"
said Hartley. "That's because
[Commission Chair] Bill
[Lambert] and [Commissioner]
Tony [Barton] asked me if I'd
be willing to serve on that
board. I've already told the
[Newcastle] City Council I'm
retiring a year from January.
My first thought was ... 'No, I
don't want anything to do with
that. I'm going to retire.' ...
Then I got to thinking, 'You
know, I've done enough on
this [issue] I probably ought
to at least be on the ... board.
I don't want anything to do
with your damn board now."
Hartley went on to tell the
commissioners that a partisan
or advocate is exactly what is
needed if a landfill or transfer
station project is to succeed,
denying also that his work
as Newcastle's city engineer
represents any conflict of
interest.
"I don't know how many
times I've said this to the
commissioners: 'Don't forget,
Newcastle is in Weston
County.' I don't know what
in the hell the animosity is
toward Newcastle, but I can
tell you guys right now, since
I've come here in 1998 ...
I've never heard one council
member or one mayor ... try
to do anything adversarial to
the county."
"That city," Hartley con-
tinued, speaking of Newcastle,
"has offered the county the
equipment, the landfill to use,
they've offered everything to
the county to try to help get
this thing off its feet."
Hartley went on to describe
himself as frustrated with the
situation, saying also that he is
not interested in being brought
on in an advisory or consulting
role, as had been mentioned as
a possibility by the commis-
sioners in the July 30 article.
Echoing Brunner, Hartley
suggested that the landfill
board will need representa-
tives from Upton, Newcastle,
and Weston County in order
to be successful. Whether a
landfill or a transfer station
will be most feasible will have
to be worked out, he said.
Following Hartley's abrupt
departure, Chairman Lambert
described the exchange as an
unfortunate one, saying also
that he regretted not previ-
ously mentioning to his fellow
commissioners that he had
asked Hartley to consider
applying for the board.
Also discussed in regard
to the landfill district at last
Tuesday's meeting was the
possibility of drawing on the
experience and knowledge of
the Central Weston County
Solid Waste Disposal District
(Osage).
Several letters of interest
the commissioners had ori
hand from applicants for the
landfill district board were
noted but not discussed at
length on Tuesday, and County
Attorney William Curley told
the commissioners that Dan
Fouche had also inquired
about applying to serve on the
board.
Alexis Shultz
NLJ Reporter
Concerns regarding solid waste disposal
and landfills have been the focus of many
conversations within both city and county
government for some time now, and the
subject came up again at the regularly
scheduled city council meeting on August 3
when Mayor Greg James suggested that the
City of Newcastle not sign a contract that
would require the city to guarantee county
residents would have access to Newcastle's
landfill.
This will mark the second year in a
row, according to James, that the city will
not receive $20,000 from Weston County
to supplement Newcastle's garbage fund
budget.
"I am not in favor of signing this.
Should things, in essence, go south in
other efforts, we would then be bound to
continue allowing the county's use of the
landfill," James declared.
He was quick to provide assurances that
county residents will still be allowed to use
the landfill if they are willing to pay the
tipping fee charged there, but not accepting
the county's money would mean there is
no contractual obligation for the City of
Newcastle to continue allowing county
residents to use the facility if the effort to
establish a countywide waste district, select
a board and identify a landfill stalls.
The contract, if the city would have
agreed to sign it, would have required
Weston County to provide $20,000 to help
fund the Newcastle landfill and would
have made the City of Newcastle contrac-
tually obligated to allow Weston County
residents to access the landfill until June
30, 2016.
City Clerk Charita Brunner confirmed
that the City of Newcastle did not receive
the $20,000 from the county in the last
fiscal year, and the garbage fund's budget
was solid nonetheless.
"We should not have any trouble finan-
cially," Brunner declared. She noted that
extra revenue for the landfill would also
be coming in due to the facility taking in
coal from a recently derailed BNSF train.
She said this revenue was unexpected at
the time the budget was prepared for this
fiscal year.
"They are paying, so if we don't think
we need the money, then we shouldn't do
it," announced Councilman Roger Hespe,
who acknowledged that county residents
will still be required to pay a tipping fee
when accessing the landfill.
Councilwomen Linda Hunt mentioned
that the Weston County Commissioners
had voted to form a countywide solid
waste district and were in the process of
trying to fill the board that will represent
the district, but Councilman Don Steveson
noted that the $20,000 agreement would
contractually cover the county if things did
not move forward in the process to get the
district up and running. He believes that
the city's decision to not sign the contract
might provide some impetus to keep things
moving forward.
After the discussion amongst the
council, and Mayor James' proclamation
that he is "not inclined to sign it," the group
reached a consensus to not sign the contract
but at the same time still allow county
residents to access the landfill and pay the
tipping fee. There was no formal motion.
Thank you First State
Bank for purchasing
my 4-H Market Beef
Project. Knowing the
community supports
the Jr. Livestock Sale
makes it all worth
while.
Pate Tavegie
Thank you very much
Newcastle Motors for
purchasing my 4-H
Market Beef Project at
the Jr. Livestock Sale.
Your c ontinued support
makes it all worth while.
Tell Tavegie