A company specializing in providing environmental management services plans on opening a waste treatment, storage and disposal facility on South Third Street in Niles Township.

Earth Smart Environmental Solutions is seeking a special land use permit from the Niles Township Planning Commission in order to operate the facility on property located at 1400 S. Third St., near the intersection of Fort and South 3rd Streets.

Anyone with questions, comments or concerns about the proposed facility can attend a public hearing for the special use permit at 7 p.m. today at Niles Township Hall, which is located at 320 Bell Road, in Niles.

The seven-member planning commission is scheduled to consider the permit following the public hearing.

Niles Township Zoning Administrator Peg Hartman said Earth Smart Environmental Solutions purchased last spring just more than 11 acres at the 1400 S. Third St. property, which contains five buildings. The property is the site of the former Green Giant mushroom plant and has been vacant for several years except for a company that is currently leasing space in one of the structures.

According to the special land use application submitted to the township by Earth Smart Environmental Solutions, the company works with federal facilities such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ medical centers to package, load and transport for disposal various types of waste, including non-hazardous, hazardous, universal and medical waste.

David Hux, co-owner of Earth Smart, said the facility would be regulated by the EPA, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation.

“It is so heavily regulated that it is probably one of the safer industries that you can have,” Hux said.

As for what waste would be stored there, Hux provided a few examples:

• Non-hazardous — Petroleum oil

• Medical — Band aides, gauze, syringes

• Hazardous — Rubbing alcohol, aerosol cans

“When you come right down to it there isn’t much you wouldn’t find in most people’s homes, just in a larger volume,” said Hux, adding that nothing would be stored on site long term or disposed of on site.

“Most of it will be bulked and shipped to treatment facilities.”

The company said in its application that it has no plans for constructing new facilities on site. It intends to use a 23,000 square foot building on site as the storage facility.

The company said it would not install or utilize above ground or underground storage tanks and that all materials brought onto the site would be kept inside of building structures to prevent exposure to the environment.

The company also plans to do exterior and interior work on the building in addition to installing a security fence around the property, which is currently open.

The company estimates it would have 18 employees initially with as many as 30 in the near future, according to the application.

Hartman said a company representative would be at today’s meeting to talk about the plans for the facility and answer questions.

She encouraged residents to attend if they have any questions, concerns or thoughts about the facility.

“We need to know what people are concerned about and hopefully have those concerns answered,” she said.

A majority vote of the planning commission is needed for the special land use to be permitted.

Hartman said the company would also need to obtain approval from the MDEQ.

Hartman said property owners within 300 feet of the proposed storage and disposal facility were notified of the hearing by mail.

The area in which the proposed facility is located is zoned industrial. It is surrounded mainly by other businesses, although at least two residential properties border the property.

Truck traffic is expected to be limited to four deliveries a day, according to the application.

Earth Smart Environmental Solutions was founded by retired U.S. Air Force service members and is a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. Its physical office is Winter Garden, Florida.