Waste accepted by Maya would be sorted and treated, and recovered plastics, cardboard, paper, glass and metals will be transferred off site for recycling.
Usable wood and combustible municipal solid waste will be processed and transferred via truck haulers for resale as fuel or recycling. Unusable MSW and construction and demolition materials will be transferred to a landfill for disposal, according to Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Once constructed, the tipping floor and process lines will be housed in an enclosed building with solid walls, sloped floors and doors, with adequate ventilation for workers, Ventura said.
Ventura said CP Group, a recycling equipment firm based in San Francisco, California, is supplying “state-of-the-art” equipment, and Maya is considering the use of robotics, in addition to traditional workers, to sort materials.
Ventura’s bid for permits from IDEM was met with fierce opposition from several groups, including the Steel City Academy charter school at 2650 W. 35th Ave., which is located less than 100 feet away from the proposed plant.
Ventura also faced criticism from the Gary Common Council, which rescinded its support of the project in late 2019, citing alleged misinformation about project scope, only to later reverse course, again, in the face of a lawsuit.
