ERVING — The town of Erving selectboard gave tentative approval to a new agreement with Erving Paper Mill to accept sludge from the Millers Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant, pending a formal contract accepted by both parties.
Representatives from the paper mill attended Wednesday night’s selectboard meeting and offered a proposal based on previous conversations with the town.
What was eventually reached, a one year trial period with the option to renew for 10 years, came after some back and forth between the board and the mill.
The agreement, once formally approved, also includes more formal conditions, including the trial period, and a right to refuse the outside sludge at any and all times.
After the presentation, the board expressed several concerns, and the Mill representatives went to another room to discuss. They returned to the open meeting with an amended offer that the board discussed and gave early approval to.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think we can find common ground here,” chairman Jacob Smith said after the mill’s first presentation.
They also extended the temporary agreement the town and the mill are under until the final terms could be formally approved.