Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin on Monday put his weight behind a plan for the county to purchase a $400 million trash incinerator in the Lorton area on the county’s southern end. The garbage facility currently is owned and operated by Covanta Fairfax, and the county’s privatization advocates would like to keep it that way.

Griffin’s recommendation comes about two weeks after a staff report predicted significant cost savings by 2029, should the county make the purchase. Opponents wonder why the county would take on the expense when there’ve been few complaints with Covanta’s management and pricing. Covanta isn’t looking to sell, but a clause in its contract with the county includes a purchase option this year.