Trouble at the Transfer Station
Town officials say the down economy, and high price of metal, has led to pickers raiding the metal pile at the transfer station.
Town officials say people are stealing discarded items from the metal pile at the transfer station.
“We are having some trouble with the metal pile because people are going down there and stealing it because they can get a good rate,” Town Administrator Michael Sullivan told the Board of Selectmen at their last meeting.
“Yes, people are picking,” said Ken Feeney, Superintendent of Medfield’s Department of Public Works. “The metal has been a problem and my guys are doing a pretty good job and staying on top of it. The area is so clean because that’s what they do: When someone puts something in there, they go back and grab it and put it in the dumpster so people can’t pick it.”
Feeney said they have talked to people who are picking “telling them ‘No picking’ and ‘Stop’ and they stop.”
“But that’s the economy,” he said. “It’s a tough economy right now. A lot of people are out of work and the price of metal is up – it’s very expensive.”
Feeney said the DPW will soon install signs that say “All metal is the property of the Town of Medfield”, and “No Picking.”
Feeney said the department seems to be doing a good job derailing metal pickers because now thieves are cutting copper cords off appliances. That issue is being watched as well.
Will E
7:51 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Are these residents with stickers taking items away from the metal pile that other residents have discarded? Is the issue that the town is losing money by not being able to turn the metal in?
Colleen M. Sullivan
8:43 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I'm wondering the same....does the town profit by selling or recycling this metal? If not, why is it a problem for someone to take away metal that another resident has discarded?
Concerned
7:50 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
The metal disposal area is not a swap area. I say, let the town make money. Rather that then they raise the sticker fee.
Randy D
8:20 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
I cannot believe what I am reading, people recycle many items from the metal pile. I have reused several lawnmowers and bikes from the metal pile... Why the big deal now?? scrap steel is only paying .10 / lb as of last week... I say keep our taxpayers a little happier and reuse some of the discarded items...
Steven Catanese
1:40 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
If the town wanted to really make money on the metal, they would separate the brass and copper from the light iron. If a pound of copper goes into the metal dumpster, the town makes about 9 cents. If the town sorted that one pound of copper, they could make as much as $2.50. Also Framingham Salvage notoriously has a bad reputation in the scrap metal industry for not being honest about weights.
Tax Payer too...
2:39 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
more troubling are the metal pickers taking usable items from the swap to sell for scrap. I was there one Saturday and a guy took every bicycle in sight just to sell for scrap