Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
,~ <br />We continue to strongly oppose the Bingham site - It's too far, there's no <br />water/sewer, there are road safety issues and acres of wetlands that should have <br />disqualified the site from the start -you already know that. <br />We also oppose the Paydarfar site -not only because of the issues raised by the <br />community but because, like Bingham, it's too expensive and it's an investment in <br />models of the past <br />None of the options you are considering conform to the Olver process. But that's <br />not an issue, because we all know that the process was flawed and compromised. <br />Given the changes in our economy and other factors, it's no longer relevant. <br />Then there are the economics -once the landfill closes, the county will no longer <br />make money on trash. Now is the time to re-think how to handle it -- including how any <br />option will impact taxes and fees. <br />Finally, the interlocal agreement needs to be reexamined in the light of changing <br />conditions. What was designed at one time to manage the landfill has inadvertently <br />become a mechanism to dump in-town trash on out-of--town communities. <br />We don't want to belabor the shortfalls of the last 2 years. ---- We're concerned about <br />the next 20. <br />The situation is changing --- We're all better informed, and with Mr. Clifton as Manager, <br />the staff now has the leadership to correct the missed opportunities of the past. <br />We now know that there are options that are cheaper, greener, and more flexible than <br />Bingham or Paydarfar, which would not burden any community. Most importantly, these <br />options begin to build a solid waste infrastructure for Orange County's future. We are <br />prepared to discuss them in the context of a new and better informed process. <br />Tonight we respectfully ask that you choose Durham as an interim solution so that the <br />county can apply the lessons learned over the last 2 years toward along-term solution <br />that makes sense. Since Durham is cheaper than either site, and there are short term <br />benefits that will help with the county's immediate fiscal challenges. <br />We respectfully ask that you choose Durham for the benefit of every Orange County <br />Community and that you not rely on a process that seemed designed to divide us from <br />the start. <br />Please vote tonight to use Durham for the short term and start us on a path to a <br />responsible waste management. <br />