Waste Not! Carroll

From The Carroll County Times; Friday, May 14, 2010 1:00 am on Th

By Michele Johnson

When I first learned that Carroll County was entering into an agreement for a regional waste incinerator, I was surprised.

As a mom, I wondered why this incinerator would proceed despite strong opposition and serious concerns from the Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council regarding potential health and environmental risks. As a taxpayer, I was outraged by the staggering economic cost.

I have three questions for our current elected and staff leaders: Do they believe that putting hundreds of millions of Carroll County taxpayer dollars into trash is the wisest use of our money during our current economic crisis in Carroll County? How do they plan to pay for Carroll's share of this enormously expensive incinerator? What financial sacrifices will Carroll County families have to make to pay for this incinerator?

As a responsible citizen who does my homework before reaching an opinion, I have attended multiple incinerator presentations, both pro and con, and have heard the facts as presented. I am convinced that proceeding with this incinerator will be the biggest long term financial disaster ever for the taxpayers of Carroll County.

In these challenging economic times, it is irresponsible to proceed with this shockingly expensive incinerator. However, I recognize that Carroll County must be responsible for our own trash, so I hereby offer my plan for solid waste.

I believe that if a fact-based economic case on the cost of this incinerator is presented to the citizens, businesses and institutions of Carroll County, most would reject the incinerator for economic reasons, and instead make a choice to recycle everything that can possibly be recycled. Collectively, we could save ourselves and our county hundreds of millions of dollars.

Additionally, increasing our recycling rate would give our county and the industry time to identify another more cost-effective solution for waste disposal, one without such serious environmental and health concerns. Or maybe, if we were to recycle enough, an alternative solution would not be needed.

If elected, once sworn in, I will pursue immediate termination of Carroll County's involvement in this incinerator. With the upcoming change to a board of five county commissioners, it will take a bold commitment from three commissioners to terminate this project. I therefore challenge my fellow candidates from all five districts to clarify their position on this incinerator.

Michele Johnson

Mount Airy

The writer is a Democratic candidate for Carroll County Commissioner in District 4.