Carroll commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday to move forward with a plan to build a waste incinerator with neighbor Frederick County despite some residents? health and recycling concerns.
The $320 million incinerator would be the state?s fourth waste-to-energy incinerator and the first built since 1995, when Montgomery County opened its facility.
Commissioner Dean Minnich said the decision was more time-consuming than any other in the six years he?s served on the board. He was encouraged that each side acknowledged the others? points, but the process included accusations at times of dirty politicking and heated public hearings.
“I see waste-to-energy as a transitional tool for the future,” Minnich said. “I see a much different world 45 years from now. At least I hope we have a much better world.”
All commissioners wanted to improve efforts to get residents to recycle.
Many people tried to turn the debate over the incinerator into a decision for or against recycling, Minnich said, but the county can have both.
He and Commissioner Michael Zimmer voted in favor of the incinerator; Commissioner Julia Gouge voted against it.
Gouge said that the county has not given recycling a chance, and if residents know that they can burn their garbage instead of recycling it, they are just going to throw it away.
She said she was worred that the county is only now looking at other counties? and states? successful recycling systems “but we?re making a decision anyway.”
“We?re not a leader in recycling and we can learn from someone else,” Gouge said. “We have not given the education to our citizens.”
Residents opposed to the incinerator were disappointed with the vote.
“It?s a long process,” said Sandra Wright, an incinerator opponent from Westminster. “I think, or at least hope, that there?s evidence that will come up to stop it [the incinerator]. At least it seems like they?re making a commitment to recycling.”
