Why Are We Against Incineration?
Zero Sum Game
The success of generating energy from waste is based on a single flawed concept — waste, and the revenue from the electricity will not cover the costs of the incinerator. The projections used to justify a waste-to-energy incinerator argue that the county will be able to successfully operate the incinerator so long as it receives 1,500 tons of waste per day. The problem is that the county barely produces anywhere from 500 to 900 tons per day during the week (with an additional 200 to 300 tons per day on weekends), and that number is expected to decrease as conservation and recycling plans begin to take root in the community. Eventually, the incinerator will be forced to burn waste from other sources. Importing trash would significantly impact our infrastructure: roads would require additional maintenance, there would be an increased traffic on route 85 and surrounding areas, and there would be an increased risk of hazardous waste spills on our roads. Additionally, there is nothing in the county's proposal that expressly prohibits the incineration of recyclables. There is the potential danger that the county could resort to burning recyclable materials such as plastics, cardboard, and other paper products in order to meet the required daily capacity of the incinerator.
Listen online to hear an analysis of the incinerator financials (June 29 show with Caroline Eader). Download a PDF of the 2004-2007 Dickerson incinerator financials to follow along. Montgomery County subsidizes its incinerator by $30-$40M per year after accounting for the electricity and ferrous revenue.
