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Bradford County approves $213,000 air‑curtain incinerator to replace bucket truck in capital plan
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Summary
The county commission approved replacing a planned bucket-truck capital purchase with a $213,000 air-curtain incinerator, which staff said will reduce debris-hauling costs, process 320+ tons of material on site and could be FEMA-reimbursable after storms.
Bradford County commissioners approved the purchase of an air‑curtain incinerator on April 6, replacing a previously approved bucket-truck item in the capital-improvements plan.
County staff presented the incinerator (described as similar in size to a 20‑foot shipping container) as a lower-cost alternative to a bucket truck and said it would pay for itself by processing more than 320 tons of debris that the county currently hauls to the landfill. The incinerator price cited at the meeting was $213,000 compared with a roughly $300,000 estimate for the bucket truck.
Staff said the machine could be used at the county's FEMA‑approved collection site to incinerate storm debris and then seek FEMA reimbursement for the activity. The public-works director was attending a conference and staff noted the county had used contractors previously for similar tasks; commissioners said they had seen comparable equipment operating on construction sites.
Commissioner Doherty moved to approve the purchase and Commissioner Andrew seconded; the motion passed by voice vote and was recorded as 5-0.
The board also gave consensus to offer in-kind incineration assistance to a neighboring county's Lake Geneva restoration work once those cut-and-stack piles are ready, as a partnership to reduce hauling costs and support regional project work.
