NORWAY — Oxford Hills School District officials may save money by burning waste wood in the high school furnace in the future, district facilities director David Marshall said.

“We’re guaranteeing for five years (that we’ll) burn a specific type of (wood) chip,” he said of the furnace contract specifications. Once Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School determines what type of savings it will see from the furnace, it will be possible to incorporate other types of wood, Marshall said.

Discussions about burning waste wood came about after the Norway-Paris Solid Waste Committee, which oversees the Frost Hill facility on Route 117, decided in late November to increase the fees for disposing of demolition wood and brush. The increases, due to higher disposal costs, took effect this month.

While the boards of selectmen in Norway and Paris supported the increase, some members said they hoped that ways could be found to reduce or eliminate the brush fees. That concern led to a preliminary discussion between school and town officials about the possibility of disposing of some of the demolition wood at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s new wood chip boiler.

Marshall said the idea is one he would fully support, calling it a “win-win” for all involved, but he said the school has its hands tied at this time.

“I’ve had some discussion with the Norway town manager (David Holt) but we couldn’t do anything until our performance contract is up,” Marshall said.

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