NEWPORT — Newport officials are continuing their search for a stump dump and demolition site, but are looking at other options.

After more than 12 Newport residents were notified that their land was being considered as a possible site, eight landowners responded. Only three said they were interested. Civil Engineering Services of Brewer, the firm hired to locate a dump, narrowed the search to four locations, which were scattered throughout the community.

The next step, according to Town Manager Carlo Pilgrim, was to contact each of the four landowners about the possibility of obtaining an option on their land and continuing with soils tests. Testing could run as much as $1,000 per site, said Pilgrim, and CES is recommending that options be taken on suitable properties before any testing is done.

The state has given Newport until July 1992 to have a site ready. The old site, located across from the transfer station, was not relicensed by the Department of Environmental Protection because it was found to be located directly over an aquifer.

CES will be set up meetings with the four landowners, said Pilgrim, and will conduct site visits to prioritize the properties. They are recommending that two locations be tested. The final cost of such a project might cost between $165,000 and $200,000, said Pilgrim. This will encompass both the purchase of the land and the development of roads into the property.

However, Pilgrim said that he is currently researching two options for a stump dump. One option, he said, could be to have an outside firm, such as Sawyer’s Environmental of Hampden, place containers at a specific location to take away the demolition debris and stumps.

A second option, he said, was the purchase of a special machine that literally chews up stumps, metal and other debris, turning them into chips that can be resold or reused. Such a machine, said Pilgrim, could cost up to $400,000, but could be used on a regional basis.

“We are not the only town in this situation,” said Pilgrim. “We could possibly provide a regional service.” Resale and marketing of the chips, which include metal chips, wood chips and plastic chips, could provide an income, which when provided with contract money from other participating towns, could help pay for the machine.