Vermont Compost Company appeals ruling

Posted by Shay Totten

July 22, 2008

I didn't have enough room in this week's column to provide updates on the ongoing compost controversies, so readers following the story can tumble these tidbits around for now:

Vermont Compost Company has officially appealed the administrative order issued by the Natural Resources Board. That order, if approved by a judge, would have levied an $18,000 fine, forced an immediate shutdown of the compost operations, and required the company to remove some buildings and compost from their Montpelier site, costing them tens of thousands of dollars.

Karl Hammer, the company's founder, has appealed the order, which will keep the composter in business for now. Hammer's friends, led by NOFA-VT, have set up a legal fund to help defray the cost of the appeal. Interested in helping out? You can mail checks to Vermont Compost Company Legal Fund, c/o Vermont Compost Company, 1996 Main St., Montpelier, VT 05602.  Or, you can visit the company's website and find a handy PayPal widget.

No more news on the Intervale Center's ongoing discussions with the attorney general's office and two major state agencies. For some background on the center's problems and issues facing the Intervale as a whole, check out this Fair Game column.

I'm not sure what the outcome of the Intervale mess will be, but I think most people have come to the conclusion that its current operation is too large for where it is. A smaller demonstration compost project should be kept somewhere down in the Intervale to help keep the soils there healthy and the farm-to-table loop intact. But solid waste diversion for the county may need to happen at one, or two, other sites around the county.

http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2008/07/vermont-compost.html