Why Are We Against the Incinerator?
Conflicts of Interest, Bias and Cover-ups from Officials
Not only will the Frederick County incinerator cost almost $2 BILLION, but there are numerous conflicts of interest with the contract with Wheelabrator and the Northeast Maryland Waste Dispoal Authority (NMWDA)! The NMWDA, who will own the incinerator, is supposed to be an unbiased entity that provides insight to the county about solid waste issues. Instead:
- Robin Davidov, executive director, of the NMWDA, is lobbying around the world in favor of incineration, for which she has not completed the state financial disclosure form.
- NMWDA gets a $500,000 kickback plus 3% every year in the contract (which Robin Davidov did not openly disclose)!
- The contract does not provide for recyclable materials be removed prior to incineration. Additionally, Robin Davidov has not made it clear that the materials with the highest BTUs are the most recyclable materials (plastic and paper) and, therefore, with an incinerator there is incentive to burn these materials rather than recycle them.
- Robin Davidov went to Annapolis on March 2, 2010, and lobbied against the bills that would have protected our citizens from the inappropriate placement of a trash incinerator next to the Monocacy Battlefield and the Monocacy River.
- Robin Davidov has not honored her promise to provide spreadsheets (for independent review) that show the range of heat values (575KWh/ton, 635 KWh/ton) as provided in Appendix 2 of the Service Contract. BUT she admitted:, "...the annual revenue from FOG disposal is calculated to be $142,231, which is $120,000/year escalated. The NEA [NMWDA] in completing this calculation was in error. The costs should be $14,223. This error equates to an increase in the Frederick County cost by $128,008 in the first year."
- Robin Davidov has not provided the name of even one trash incinerator in the world which achieves 750 KWh/ton, the heat value she claims our incinerator will achieve. Wait a minute—if this is "proven technology" then why won't she answer that question?
- Robin Davidov has not accounted for the costs of transporting and handling the resulting ash?
- Robin Davidov will not provide the name of the other "problem" incinerators in this country. Detroit? Spokane? (We all know the mess Harrisburg is in.)
- Robin Davidov did not tell the truth to the State Education, Health, Environmental Affairs Committee about the documented complaints from the communities with their incinerators?
- Robin Davidov supports (endorses) the burning of tires, although they are recyclable, and she has not answered the question about the ramifications of burning tires.
- There are no 30-year facility-life guarantees for the placed upon Wheelabrator.
- There is a paragraph in the contract that releases Wheelabrator from its electricity revenue guarantee.
- In Appendix 12.2 the formula for future escalation changes was modified to no longer pass though 100% of the cost savings or costs of future index changes for deflation or inflation, which was a give-away to Wheelabrator of a free deflation flooring option as well as $26,349,973 of construction savings?
- Frederick was not given the option of processing sludge like the Baltimore City Composting Facility (pg. 2).
