HOWELL – Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro will ask his fellow members of the Township Council to support a plan put forth by Monmouth County to place solar energy panels at a former landfill in Howell.
Nicastro said he and Jim Herrman, who is Howell’s director of community development, met with county representatives to discuss the former Waste Management Inc. (WMI) landfill on Lakewood-Allenwood Road.
“Jim Herrman, myself, Freeholder Tom Arnone and the county administrator, along with other stakeholders, held a preliminary meeting to discuss putting solar panels on the (WMI) site.
“The goal would be to generate enough money to offset the pumping costs to the township, totally relieving us of our obligation and generating revenue for the county,” Nicastro said.
He said a priority established by former mayor William Gotto and previous council members was to formulate a plan to remove Howell from its responsibility to pay for the pumping of discharge water from the site.
The WMI landfill has been closed since the 1990s and there was a consent decree agreement with the former land owner/business owner, Monmouth County and Howell, according to Nicastro.
“We are hopeful the due diligence of the county will be rapid and a decision will follow shortly. This (solar energy plan) would be a significant savings to the sewer (ratepayers) and hopefully another decrease in our sewer rates can be made,” he said. “Through Mother Nature’s natural process, pumping has decreased, but it has still cost the sewer ratepayers of Howell over $100,000-plus a year.”