Taking responsibility for our waste
The issue of building a new landfill in Marion County is, without question, very complex. And as a relative newcomer to the area who's still figuring out the difference between the 13-mile road and Indigo Road (note to self: they're the same thing), maybe I shouldn't put in my two cents just yet.
With that said, here's my take on the matter.
Nobody likes the concept of a landfill in his county. What sane person would choose to keep his trash close at hand when they can ship it as far away as possible?
That's the attractive solution. It puts the waste out of sight.
But having a landfill exclusively for Marion County waste isn't just about a place to put your garbage.
It's about responsibility.
When we choose to construct a landfill in this county, we're taking responsibility for our own trash. We're not putting our waste into somebody else's hands. We're accepting that this is what we've produced, and we're going to take care of it.
Taking responsibility for our own trash output also forces us to face the harsh reality of our wastefulness. If you knew that the contents of your wastebaskets would end up twenty miles away, wouldn't you be more inclined to recycle? To reduce that amount of waste while taking care of the planet at the same time?
A couple months ago, the mayors of Marion County met with the county commissioners to discuss a new waste agreement with KC Development. The proposal drafted by the mayors said that each year, the cities would estimate the amount of trash produced per year and would draw up a contract with KC based on that amount.
If the trash amount went below the estimate, each city would pay less. This would encourage recycling among city residents, stressed Mayor Delores Dalke.
The mayors also expressed their readiness to move onto the landfill proposal, thus eliminating the middleman altogether.
The county already knows what it needs to do. It's time to take the first step.
— JENNIFER WILSON
