Why Are We Against Incineration?
Negative Impact to the Community
Residential property values will only decrease due to the undesirability of the incinerator. Many large residential communities are within 6 miles of the approved incinerator site, and many are currently being constructed in areas where the incinerator is being considered. Shopping centers and hotels are within a mile of the approved incinerator site. Many tourist attractions are within several miles of the site. Depending on the specifics of the incinerators construction, the incinerator could include a smoke stack tall enough to be seen in many of these areas. This visually intrusive eyesore will only diminish the value of the area, and could blight the surrounding community with the stigma of being too close to such a massive pollutant.
The Monocacy battlefield, which is the approved site for the incinerator, has been called the "battle that saved Washington" and is hence seen as the most important battle in the Civil War. Constructing an incinerator, with a 350-foot smoke stack at that, would negatively impact the river and the fish and plant life within it, as well as reduce the number of tourists who come to see the site. The incinerator would hurt the more rural views for which Frederick is known for. The Civil War Preservation Trust has added the Monocacy Battlefield to its list of endangered battlefieds due to the threat of the approved incinerator, and the Citizens for the Preservation of Middletown Valley group is also strongly opposed to the incinerator.
According to an "independent report by Michigan State University that examined the economic impact on communities by visitors to national parks across the country, Monocacy National Battlefield received 22,125 visitors (mostly non-local) in 2007 with an economic impact of approximately $1.5 million, which translated into 17 jobs and $1.1 million in value-added income through taxes and sales. Battlefield visitation in 2008 increased by 76% to just under 29,000, and 2009 is already showing a substantial increase over 2008."
— National Park Service correspondence to the BOCC
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