Plan to Sell Landfill Space Is Criticized

How quickly we forget! The article “Plan to Import Trash Causes Stink on Panel” (April 9) explains that our officials have come up with a clever way to balance the budget.

That is to increase the amount of trash in our landfills, by selling the excess capacity to San Diego and Los Angeles counties.

Justification for this scheme is that 10,000 tons a day of imported garbage for the next five years could generate $520 million in revenues.

But the down side is that it would shorten our 44-year landfill life span by two years. As if this is not a problem!

Where, and how much will it cost to buy back those two years of space in the year 2035? Or do we anticipate the end of the garbage era by then?

A follow-up article “Trash Haulers Fight Importation Plan” warns that opening up Orange County landfills to other counties would cause congestion and delays at the four dump sites.

This could result in rate increases for Orange County residents as well as pose environmental problems. Importing 10,000 tons a day would add an amount almost equal to what is now being dumped by our local trash haulers.

If use is doubled, so could everything else double, including truck traffic on our local streets and freeways. This would cause added infrastructure costs in terms of maintenance, county services and personnel at the dump sites.

As I recall, back in December of 1989 the story was quite the opposite. Orange County was searching for ways to reduce the amount of trash pouring into landfills. It was reported that there was no easy solution to ever-growing mounds of garbage, so county officials were looking at ways to solve the problem.

Recycling programs for glass, aluminum and plastic were proving to be helpful in decreasing trash. At the time it was suggested that the solid-waste people look into alternative ways to dispose of two other sources of trash, old tires and the “green waste” of leaves and branches.

Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez was quoted as saying, “We are entering a new era in the disposal of our trash. People feel that they can contribute to the protection of the environment, and they’re willing to do their part.”

It now appears that people were too “willing to do their part.”

Evidently the success of the recycling programs has caused a major problem, not enough garbage dumping. For shame! What’s a public to do?

There could be a positive approach to generate additional revenues and still protect our environment and landfills from overuse.

Why not sell a service, Orange County’s expertise in recycling, to both San Diego and Los Angeles?

If they could achieve the same success as Orange County has, maybe then they wouldn’t need to use our space.

Commissioner Murray Storm had the right idea when he said, “The county should not sacrifice its investment in the future in order to help make up general funds shortages, even for just a few years.”

CAROLYN WOOD

Laguna Beach