State and Town Officials Talk Recycling Center Future

Above, Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, DPW Director Robert Cantoreggi, MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, Deputy Town Administrator Amy Frigulietti, and DEP Regional Director MaryJude Pigsley

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection recently retweeted a Town of Franklin tweet of a photo showing town officials and state officials at the Beaver Street recycling center.  The tweet said the two groups "discussed plans for developing a state-of-the-art recycling center at the site."

We asked Town Manager Jamie Hellen to explain. This is what he wrote:

A bigger center is in the works and we’ve discussed [it] for years. There was even a $1 million earmark in an environmental bond bill in 2018. Were awaiting the land swap with the state filed by special legislation ten years ago. The town had used state land for refuse for years and we’re now responsible to clean it up.