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1. The proposed WTE Incinerator plans are based on financial, technological, and environmental assumptions that are inaccurate, out of date, misleading, or false.
2. The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority (Authority) plans to borrow approximately $500 million to construct the plant. Repayment is guaranteed by your system benefit charge (SBC) on your property tax bill.
3. The plant will cost millions to operate which are guaranteed by contract to increase approximately 3% per year and will be billed to county taxpayers via System Benefit Charge.
4. Frederick County long hauled 157,000 tons of trash in 2011. Frederick as host County will have to dispose of 151,000 tons of ash resulting from trash imported from other jurisdictions. Frederick County will still need a landfill to bury the ash either in county or long haul it to another landfill.
5. The Authority assumes annual income from electricity sales of $33.2 million based on selling the power at $87.38 per megawatt hour (MWh). Currently the wholesale price of electricity is less than half that amount and decreasing (Wall Street Journal April 10, 2012). Revenue shortfalls will increase the Service Benefit Charge on your property tax bill.
6. Frederick County has not announced even one county signed up to provide trash to the incinerator and appears to be losing Carroll County as a partner. Since all revenue assumptions are based on a plant at full capacity, volume shortages will cause the net cost to increase which taxpayers will pay for via System Benefit Charges.
7. The incinerator contractor is seeking permits to burn up to 40 million pounds of tires per year, emit up to 90 pounds of mercury per year, and discharge 400,000 gallons of contaminated waste water per day into the Potomac River. This pollution will continue every year for thirty years.
8. At full capacity, the incinerator will emit 10 million pounds of particulate matter per year, including mercury, lead and dioxin. These emissions are in very small particles that can lead to serious health problems and environmental damage as they accumulate and persist in the air, water, land and our bodies.
9. The incinerator will be located within 3 miles of 7 schools and 4 daycare facilities exposing thousands of children to the emissions noted above.
10. Alternatives are available for solid waste disposal that cost less than incineration and are better for the environment. These alternatives include recycling, reuse, and composting. The Carroll County Board of Commissioners has established a citizen work group to provide a report recommending alternatives for solid waste disposal by September 2012. The Frederick Board of County Commissioners should consider a partnership with Carroll County and terminate the contract for the incinerator.