LIVERMORE — Unexploded fireworks have turned up at the Transfer Station, and the town is working on a plan to enforce the ban.

Supervisor Juanita Jordan-Bryant alerted administrative assistant Kurt Schaub that fireworks have been found at the Transfer Station, Schaub said Tuesday.

“She has now had several instances where people have brought in ‘duds’ that they believe can be disposed of in our compactor,” he said.

The operations manual prohibits the disposal of explosives at the town’s facility, which is also the case at virtually every other municipal transfer station in Maine, Schaub said.

“Juanita and I have both been in touch with the Department of Environmental Protection and the (State Fire Marshal’s Office), both of which agree that unexploded fireworks are not to be accepted at transfer stations,” he said. “At this time, both are working to come up with a plan so the public will not be tempted to leave a potentially hazardous problem on our doorstep.”

Some people believe if they put water on unexploded fireworks and throw them in the trash, it would safely be disposed of, Schaub said.

The compactor is emptied every two weeks, and items in it get hot. The duds will dry out and could explode, he said.

Someone suggested putting a 55-gallon drum of water at the station to put the unexploded fireworks in, Schaub said.

Because heavy metals are used to generate colors in fireworks, the drum of water idea was rejected in order to avoid ending up with containers of hazardous waste, he said.

In another fireworks matter, Schaub said he also informed the Board of Selectpersons on Monday night that he met with Tim Bolduc, who is proposing to open a store called Patriot Fireworks in the former D & D Donuts building on Route 4.

“Tim owns the fireworks store in Manchester,” he said.

As the Planning Board was meeting last Tuesday night, Bolduc prepared a site plan application, which is required for the commercial use of property.

The Planning Board reviewed the state law, regulations and the town’s ordinance.

“At the 2011 town meeting, an amendment to the Site Plan Ordinance was adopted which grants to the code enforcement officer the authority to review and approve a new commercial use of a property that has previously gone through the site plan process, provided there are no substantive additions or changes to the building or property, business hours and traffic volumes,” Schaub said.

On review, the Planning Board agreed that the plan meets these criteria, so the matter now rests with CEO Richard Marble. 

He reminded selectpersons that towns have the right to enact ordinances to prohibit or limit the sale and use of consumer fireworks, he said.

Livermore has not done so.

The building and operation will be inspected and monitored by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Schaub said.

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