Board approves inclusion of proposed Irvington tire recycling facility in county solid-waste plan

Elmer Herman, acting executive director of the Essex County Utilities Authority, presented an application to include a proposed Class B tire recycling facility operated by Irvin Rehul LLC at 1008 Coit Street in Irvington in the Essex County Solid Waste Management Plan. Herman read a letter from the local mayor endorsing the application and said the facility would collect and process used tires and move processed material on to end markets such as play-surface and athletic-court suppliers.

Commissioners raised traffic and neighborhood impacts. In response, Herman said trucks will be routed to and from Route 78 exits and that maps provided to advisory bodies showed no need for truck travel through local residential streets. He also said the county received confirmation that environmental justice requirements had been addressed by the state Department of Environmental Protection, as noted in the mayor's letter.

After brief questioning about logistics and traffic, a motion to include the facility in the county plan was made and moved ("moved by Carla"). The board approved the inclusion by roll call; commissioners recorded as voting yes in the transcript were Commissioner Gill, Commissioner Mercado, Commissioner Murray Thomas, Commissioner Richardson, Commissioner Seibold and President Palmeiras. Commissioners Luciano, Sermons and Vice President Cooper were recorded as absent for the vote.

Board materials and the presentation described the facility as a tire processing and recycling operation intended to divert used tires from waste streams and supply processed materials to secondary markets. The Utilities Authority staff said the facility is in a highly industrial area adjacent to Route 78.