Vernon : Trash Recycling Facility to Be Built on 10-Acre Site

Construction of a 200,000-square-foot recycling and waste transfer center, which will handle non-hazardous material from throughout southeast Los Angeles County, has been unanimously approved by the City Council.

The facility, to be built on a 10-acre site at 3677 Bandini Blvd., will process up to 6,000 tons of waste per day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Kevin Wilson, city assistant engineer.

The recycling complex will be owned by SERVCON Vernon Inc., a company created by OLS Energy of San Francisco to develop the property, said project adviser Richard Chase of Consultants Collaborative in San Marcos.

Construction costs are estimated at $10 million to $40 million depending on the final project size and recycling methods, Chase said. Unlike proposals for similar waste recovery and transfer stations, the project has met with almost no opposition.

One of the few complaints came from Los Angeles Unified School District officials, who expressed concern about the 1,037 trucks that could daily pass Vernon Elementary School at 2360 E. Vernon Ave. The city responded by restricting the shipping routes.

Industrial, commercial and household waste will be trucked to the facility and separated for recycling. Non-recyclable materials will be transferred to out-of-town landfills. The facility will help cities throughout southeast Los Angeles County and parts of the city of Los Angeles abide by a state law that requires cities to divert 25% of their waste from landfills by 1995 and 50% by 2000.