Carroll should increase recycling and burn the garbage that remains instead of partnering with Frederick County to build a $320 million waste-to-energy incinerator, commissioners said Tuesday.
The commissioners shared their views at a public discussion on Frederick County?s recent offer for Carroll to partner with it and build the state?s fourth incinerator. Under the plan, Frederick could burn 900 tons of trash per day; Carroll, 600 tons.
Commissioners laid out an array of possibilities to dispose of trash, including countywide composting and increased recycling at businesses, to avoid dumping it in the county?s landfill or trucking it to landfills in Virginia.
If Frederick were to build its own incinerator, Carroll could negotiate contracts to burn the garbage left after it improves its recycling rate, among the lowest in the state, commissioners said.
“I hear us agreeing that the possibility of a contract with Frederick might give us the flexibility and the time,” Commissioner Dean Minnich said. “What?s remaining for me is I would like to know more about some of the successful reduce, reuse, recycle models.”
The county recently started eliminated the need for residents to separate recyclables into different types, and it needs to continue to make recycling convenient for residents to improve rates, said Commissioner Julia Gouge. Commissioner Michael Zimmer expressed support for burning garbage, but pointed to Harford County to demonstrate that the county needs to look at more options. Harford plans to expand its incinerator and has the top recycling rate in the state.
“We cannot simply do nothing,” Minnich said. “At some point, we need to fish or cut bait.”
All commissioners, however, opposed a system that would charge residents based on the amount of garbage they throw away.
They plan to hold two more public meetings before responding to Frederick?s offer by late April.
