A solid waste processing company has introduced plans to build a new processing facility in Cookeville.
Novastus Chief Operating Officer and Founder Kelly Warbis said the estimated 30,000 square foot facility would be built adjacent to the company’s current facility off of CC Camp Road. Warbis said the company uses a sophisticated non-thermal system to recover recyclable materials. It then dries the remaining waste stream, turning it into fuel. Warbis said the goal is to have a commercial-scale facility.
“In the newer facility, we have more leg room,” Warbis said. “It’s just a larger facility for us to be able to put in that large front-end system in that we would need, because right now in our R&D facility, we just do a batch, we have a real small front-end system.”
Warbis said the public will have a chance to comment on the facility which also must be approved by the Putnam County Commission.
“Well, the building is up, we just like to move you know, fast as we can,” Warbis said. “And we’re gonna do it somewhere. So if it’s not here, we’ve got a few other places that we have looked at, but since we live here and the employees for this facility, our first employees are here. We don’t have to train any new people for the new facility. It makes the most sense to do it in this location.”
Warbis said some people may be against a solid waste processing facility because they don’t know they do. Warbis said he encourages people to come and take a look at what Novastus is doing.
“We’re not a landfill,” Warbis said. “We’re making a valuable product. It’s got the BTU that is similar to Powder River Basin coal out of Wyoming, and it’s keeping material from going to a landfill, so it’s being used.”
Warbis said he is looking forward to bringing people from all over the world to Putnam County to show how they are changing the game when it comes to waste.
The public hearing will be held at the Putnam County Courthouse Monday at 5pm. The county commission is scheduled to decide on the facility Monday, October 20.