GORHAM – Piles of recycling material visible from Route 25 near the Westbrook-Gorham line could be buried in a municipal landfill as efforts continue to seek a resolution of the Plan-It-Recycling case.

At issue is disposal of recyclable material piled at the Plan-It-Recycling plant in the Gorham Industrial Park. The town and Maine Department of Environmental Protection want the site cleaned up.

The town, claiming the company had violated local rules concerning stockpiles of recyclables, took the company to court last year in an effort to force compliance. Then, this year a judge temporarily barred the company from accepting additional material following complaints by the town and Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

This week, outside the plant’s padlocked gate posted with a keep-out sign, used furniture, a mattress and tarp had been dumped.

Gorham Town Manager David Cole estimated that if Plan-It-Recycling piles were deposited in a commercial landfill in Old Town, Norridgewock or Rochester, N.H., it would cost $750,000.

Cole said the DEP has determined the Plan-It-Recycling material could “safely” be disposed of in the town’s construction and demolition debris landfill on town-owned land near the public works garage off Huston Road.

Under a possible scenario being discussed, R.J. Grondin & Sons would acquire the property where Plan-It-Recycling is located and truck the debris to the Gorham landfill. The town would not charge a disposal fee, but Grondin would be responsible to open and re-seal the landfill.

Early this week, it was unknown whether Grondin would buy the property.

“We can’t comment at this time because the disposal site will be determined by the town and the DEP,” Ken Grondin, president of R.J. Grondin & Sons, said.

The Gorham Town Council has called a special council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Gorham Municipal Center, 75 South St., to consider re-opening the town’s landfill, which has been closed 15 years.

The town has notified all abutters to its landfill. Cole had one abutters’ meeting and planned several more this week.

In litigation, Gorham has incurred about $10,000 in legal fees and staff costs.

“We’re working hard not to have to have additional taxpayer money spent,” Cole said.

Cole said Wednesday that “the current amount of taxes owed by Plan-It is $100,674.”

Use of a town-owned landfill would make a cleanup more feasible.

“There’s no apparent solution without this material being disposed of in the town’s construction and demolition debris landfill,” Cole said.

Cole said parties involved in court mediation talks include mortgage holders Bank of America and Grondin. Cole said the Small Business Administration is also involved in the proceedings.

Eric Hamlin, an environmental specialist with the Maine DEP, declined comment this week because the case is still in litigation.

“There has not been a final court order,” Cole said.

According to tax records, CLRS Properties owns the site. Grondin Properties sold the 8-acre site at 18 Gorham Industrial to CLRS Properties for $398,350 in 2003 and a building was added in 2005. The town lists assessed tax value of the property at $668,500.

Cole said the total amount of mortgages owed exceeds what most parties believe the value would be without any demolition on it.

“Grondin is trying to buy the property but it has to make fiscal sense to do that,” Cole said.

Plan-It-Recycling had telephone service Wednesday but no one could be reached for comment.

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