The people of Lewiston and Auburn need a heads-up. Casella is trying to penetrate the area once again with a proposal to build a sorting and recycling facility on River Road.

They would take over the recycling transfer station. How nice is that? They did a nice presentation at a recent City Council workshop of the facility they would build. Very few people were aware of that.

Biddeford recently agreed to pay Casella, the parent company of MERC, $6 million to purchase and close the MERC facility. That is not the only community that has been unhappy with Casella’s presence in their midst, costing a lot of hardship, time and money.

How much would Lewiston and Auburn be willing to pay? And won’t it be safe and wonderful to have 15 more large trucks daily on area roads and turnpike exits. That number would increase, we were told.

And what a coincidence — the city just repaved and enlarged River Road. Miracles do happen.

Citizens of Lewiston-Auburn and surrounding area must wake up. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 14. The public should come listen and speak.

Rachelle Michel, Lewiston

Editor’s note: As part of the MERC sale, Biddeford has agreed to enter into a new 10-year waste handling and recycling collection agreement with Casella. The entire deal, which is not expected to be signed until November, is contingent upon Casella’s success in getting a permit for the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town to accept the waste.