A plant that will convert chicken litter into potting soil and a speculative industrial building site will be created if Schuylkill County is successful in getting state grants.

Wednesday morning, the county commissioners approved assisting the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. and the Schuylkill County Industrial Development Authority in applying for state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants for the projects.

SEDCO President Frank Zukas told the commissioners a $4.8 million capital grant would assist the Espoma Company of Millville, New Jersey, to build a plant that Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington said will convert chicken litter - which is chicken manure and straw - into potting soil.

Espoma will build a 40,000-square-foot plant off the Hegins exit of Interstate 81 in Frailey Township which will produce Holly Tone brand potting soil.

Hetherington said last week the company has encountered unexpected problems excavating the site, and needs the grant to help with those problems.

Zukas said the material will be trucked right inside the plant, where trucks will be washed before leaving the plant.

The second, a $750,000 RACP grant, would assist in creating a six-acre “pad ready” site for a 75,000-square-foot building in the Highridge Business Park in Cass Township.

“Having the site pad ready means saving 9 to 12 months of permitting,” Zukas said.

Since SEDCO cannot be the applicant, Zukas said the commissioners have to be the applicant, along with SCIDA, which was created in 1969-70 just for that purpose. Zukas said SCIDA has been used in the past.

“One was for a major expansion of Air Products,” Zukas said. “Two more were for speculative industrial buildings that are now occupied by companies, and for a truck plaza.”

Awarded grants

Hetherington said the county has been notified of two, $2 million grants - one from Congressman Dan Meuser and the other through U.S. Sen. Bob Casey - are on the way and will go toward the construction of a training center for county emergency personnel such as firefighters.

“Public safety is the number one priority of the county,” Hetherington said. “This emergency operations center will enable fire companies to train personnel, where in the past they had to rent some kind of hall.”

Commissioner Gary Hess said Casey had a front seat on how county emergency personnel perform when a serious, chain-reaction crash happened on Interstate 81.

“Sen. Casey was caught in the traffic jam created by that crash,” Hess said. “He saw firsthand how first responders handled the situation. Tragically, lives were lost, but it showed how well emergency personnel worked together.”

Tax claim help

The commissioners also approved a contract with Susan Graver for consulting services for the Tax Claim Bureau, where two employees have been suspended for more than two years.

The original motion was to pay Graver, who worked in the office previously, $40 per hour on an as-needed basis.

At Hess’ request, the commissioners amended the motion for Graver to work no more than 15 hours per week for a period of three months. She will be paid $45 per hour.