Clarifying Information About the Gray Transfer Station

UPDATE (March 27): Transfer Station Director Randy Cookson has issued a letter explaining the source of the recent confusion around the Gray Transfer Station. Read that letter here.

Town government would like to clarify recent confusion expressed by members of our community online and elsewhere regarding the Gray Transfer Station.

The Transfer Station is undoubtedly a valuable resource in our community. Some people have mistaken comments made by the Town Manager at a recent Town Council meeting to mean the Transfer Station might be phased out soon. This is not true.

What the Town Manager shared with the Town Council was a consideration for the future regarding how the Town handles recycling given the new Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Packaging (EPRPP) that the State of Maine has enacted. In 2027, Gray will be eligible to receive funds from this program to help pay for collection and processing of eligible recycling materials for FY26 and onward. The Town would need to collect recycling data, and procure special equipment to gather that data and process recycling.

The Town is an owner of ecomaine in Portland, which is currently where the Town's trash is taken once collected at the Transfer Station. Currently, the Town does not send its recycling there, as Transfer Station Director Randy Cookson and his team do an outstanding job of sorting and selling recyclables on the open market. Ecomaine is investing in a new recycling facility designed to process recyclables according to the EPRPP. This facility costs nearly $40 million and given that the Town is an owner of this facility, we are responsible for our share of those costs.

As part of our budget discussions, the Town Manager shared that we would have to spend time during the next year evaluating how the Town and its residents would like to handle solid waste and recycling services; one of the options to consider would be curbside collection. Given the new packaging program, the Town would be eligible to receive funds used to subsidize the cost of collecting and processing recycling. Should the Town continue with its current operations, it would be eligible for minimal funds to support its operation and a facility we do not utilize. That is fine if that's what the Town Council decides based on feedback from residents. Many towns around us will be considering this. It would take approximately 24+ months to implement any changes once a consensus is reached, which is why it's critical to consider this alternate route during the current fiscal year.

Depending on cost estimates and the subsidy received from the EPRPP, the Town may be able to change how it handles solid waste and recycling services for around the current budget or less. A change like curbside collection could help aging community members and others by providing a more convenient way to dispose of household waste, which is something Town leaders have heard in the past; this option was even evaluated by the former Recycling Committee, albeit before the EPRPP was created. A more convenient disposal method could also improve the Town's recycling rates without paying for bags, and save residents time/money while being more sustainable. The Town Manager wouldn't be doing his job if we didn't share this information with the Town Council and the public.

Rest assured, there are no plans to close the Transfer Station; such plans would require community involvement. It’s an integral part of the community.

Please email questions about this topic to Town Manager Michael Foley at mfoley@graymaine.org.