Board of Commissioners candidates discuss the Carroll-Frederick waste-to-energy incinerator
Sunday, July 18, 2010 12:00 am
By Adam Bednar, Times Staff Writer
Candidates for the Board of Commissioners discuss whether they support the waste-to-energy incinerator proposal
District 1
I don't support the waste to energy facility out in Frederick. One, because I think the technology is rather old at this point ... I don't think any of the citizens really support it either, and quite frankly, if we're going to be a representative government then we have to abide by what the citizens want. — Michael Blair, Republican
The main reason I do not support the incinerator is because of the money. Not only the money to pay for it, buy it, borrow - of course debt has to be paid off all those years - but also the operating costs of it year after year. — Ron Buczkowski, Republican
I've had an opportunity to get some information from different people and get different points of view. I don't have all the information but I have a general opinion. From what I've seen it appears that the... numbers are such that it's not a good deal. — Robin Bartlett Frazier, Republican
I'm still on the fence about it. I don't think I'm informed enough as yet to make a decision on it. I see the pros that people have pointed out and I see the cons. — Tina Mawhinney, Democrat
I am opposed to the incinerator for a number of reasons. One, this deal with Frederick County: they can't seem to figure out amongst themselves what they want to do. This does not bode well for the future. — Vincent Pacelli, Republican
District 2
Waste-to-energy is a great concept and I hope we can make it work for Carroll County. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed before we approve the final plan. — Stephen Buettner, Republican
I'm against any more capital expenditures. For the main reason, I don't want to see us in any more debt. There's too many questions unanswered about whether this thing will be self-sufficient or not, whether tipping fees are going to go through the roof, so no, as of right now I'm not for it. — Brian Dimaggio, Republican
I'm not in favor of an incineration plant in Frederick County or Carroll County. I have never felt that was the way we needed to go. When it was talked about many years ago I had the same feeling. — Julia Walsh Gouge, Republican
I'm convinced that while we need a long term solution to disposal of solid waste, I'm not convinced a $600 million investment in a technology that will probably be outdated in a few years is the right way to go, particularly when we're obligating ourselves to this particular mode of waste disposal for 30 years. — Haven Shoemaker, Republican
District 3
In some ways I'm for it because we can't keep filling up the landfills. Years ago my dad lived on a farm that was purchased by the bureau of Hanover to be a landfill and filled in and 20-30 years later its able to be farmed over again, but I often wonder about the quality of water around that neighborhood. — Kevin Baer, Republican
I do not support building the incinerator whether it would be a joint effort or not. There are plenty of other options that we can do and try that aren't going to cost us anything or hardly anything at all. — Michelle Jefferson, Republican
I do not [support the incinerator]. The reason why is because the cost to Carroll County citizens is too much. — Gary Johnson, Republican
Not at this time. I'd like to see it revisited, the decision, the entire project revisited by the new commissioners when they're elected for December... . — Doug Mathias, Democrat
We need to do something in the long term about ... waste disposal. It appears [that] we're either going to be landfilling it or converting it into energy. I think the technology to burn municipal waste to make energy is there and that it can be done safely and cleanly, but I'm not sure the current deal is the best deal for Carroll County. — Dave Roush, Republican
District 4
Regardless whether someone right now is for or against the incinerator there [are] no finances to support it, so therefore I can not support it. The money is just not there. — Christopher Eric Bouchat, Republican
I strongly oppose the incinerator. The biggest part of my opposition is the outrageous cost. I feel this cost will lead our county to financial disaster. I also have concerns for the potential of environmental and health risks. — Michele Johnson, Democrat
Not at this time. My biggest concern is the cost of it and forcing the citizens of Carroll County to pay for a 30 year bond that may turn out to be something that could've been either built differently, smaller or maybe not do it at all. — David Jones, Republican
At this time I do not support [the incinerator]. I just think that the numbers keep changing a lot on us right now, you know, as far as what the cost is going to be in the long term... . — Perry Leroy Jones Jr., Republican
I can't give you a direct answer. I wish I could, but I have a great respect for Don West, [an incinerator opponent]...I love the idea of recycling everything and I love the idea of taking waste and making electricity out of it, that just appeals to me a lot. — George Maloney, Democrat
I think it needs to be looked at, probably the whole thing has to start over is where I stand. I don't rule it out completely, but I don't like the way it's been handled so far. — Hank Martin, Republican
I'm already on record in the newspapers as opposing it as it is currently structured. And I oppose it because it's not financially well justified. — Richard Rothschild, Republican
District 5
I oppose the building of the incinerator for a couple of reasons. First of all I think that it's a project that there are still way too many questions for, unanswered questions for how committed we already are. Secondly I think its way too expensive... . — Doug Howard, Republican
I'm opposed to it ... basically I'm opposing the incinerator on a cost basis. There's an awful lot of uncertainty in the cost estimates right now. — Hugh McLaurin, Democrat
I do not [support the incinerator] for a number of reasons. First of all it discourages any conservation efforts that the county may want to instill. — Marcel van Rossum, Republican
I support the process moving forward, and I voted to move the process forward. — Michael Zimmer,
Republican George Butler and Steve Reynolds, Republican candidates for District 1, and Mary Kowalski, Republican candidate for District 3, could not be reached for comment.
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