A Better Alternative

I believe the taxpayers of San Diego County should be cautioned about the on-going negotiations on a county contract between the county and the contractor for the proposed trash-burning plant in San Marcos.

On Nov. 2, I visited a large trash-burning plant in Baltimore. This was a different type than is proposed in San Marcos and is also the second plant built on the very same location. The first trash-burning plant was a colossal financial failure and cost the taxpayers of Baltimore more than $35 million in losses.

The plant proposed for San Marcos is a style called RDF. Of the 35 RDF plants in the United States, 18 have failed or are in financial difficulties.

I personally spoke with an executive of one of the largest companies in this industry, and he stated that the San Marcos plant is designed to have only one boiler. He said that his company never builds a plant with only one boiler because of the frequent breakdowns in operations. If our county supervisors sign a contract for this plant, they will be putting our future trash-handling capacity in great jeopardy.

I also learned that RDF plants are not cost-efficient in recycling and require large subsidies from the taxpayers.

All of these facts suggest that our county supervisors would be putting our future taxes at risk from the taxpayers.

Fortunately, we have an alternative that is safer economically and safer environmentally. That is, curbside recycling.

With the small inconvenience by each of us separating our trash into different containers, we can avoid large tax increases to subsidize a failed plant--and preserve the air quality of North County for our children and grandchildren.

HOWARD GREENEBAUM

Chairman

North County Slow Growth Alliance