Proposed Trash Facility No Threat To Anyone's Yards

The Pasco Tribune editorial, ''Not In My Back Yard' Appropriate Label In Landfill Battle,' (Sunday) raised important points and arguments which we are thankful for the opportunity to address.

The one thing it seems all sides in this debate agree upon is that Pasco County has mounting solid waste needs that must be addressed.

We are pleased that the editorial acknowledges that the safeguards for our composting and recycling facility are more than adequate and our technology is good and necessary.

In fact, the cells into which garbage will be emptied have a double layer of flexible composite membranes backed up by five feet of clay that undergoes constant monitoring.

The location of our proposed project is adjacent to two active landfills, one of which (the county's) has been around and in use since the 1960s.

There is no better proof that this site is suitable and compatible for solid waste management operations than this simple fact, which is backed by state regulators on a regular basis through the permit review and renewal process.

Once the cells of our facility are filled, the trash goes through an accelerated treatment process in which the garbage is turned into compost and methane gas. The methane gas is captured and turned into electricity, a 'green' renewable source of energy.

The compost may then be removed and reused in other applications, allowing the cells to be recycled for new garbage. The integrity of the entire cell is double-checked prior to starting new operations.

The best news is that the entire facility, in addition to our proposed recycling center for glass, plastics and paper, will cost the county nothing, and the fees now paid for dumping will be cut in half.

We take the editorial's NIMBY arguments very seriously. But we believe if we look not only in our back yard but also in the front and side yards of Pasco County, one will see that our proposal is best for our environment and for our pocketbooks.

As for the small rural slice of east Pasco to which the editorial refers, yes, our technology and safeguards are superior and give peace of mind that the surrounding environment is secure.

Traffic engineers are required to study our project, and we will comply with all county and state requirements, just like any other business. We will finance improvements to site roads to bring them up to county standards to assist traffic flow and provide for safety.

Additionally, we will save the county hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, which will free up funds for infrastructure improvements for all of Pasco County - the rest of the yard, so to speak. The site also will be visually buffered so that our operations remain remote to all of our neighbors.

In the debate on how to solve our solid waste challenges, our opposition is intent on addressing these needs through expansion of the county incinerator, an approach Greenpeace and the Sierra Club say is among the worst alternatives.

On the other hand, we and our supporters believe that composting and recycling are the answer.

Expanded incineration would, conservatively, cost the county $160 million. Our facility would save more than $500 million.

That is why we say save the environment and save taxes. Ask our county commissioners to support the composting and recycling center in east Pasco. It will be no threat to our back yard, and it will pay huge dividends to all of our yards.

It is the best alternative for all of Pasco, for our children and our grandchildren.