A different kind of green for Earth Day
To the editor:
This year Earth Day is on April 22, and most people in our community are likely thinking about a different kind of green – the kind we need to stimulate our economy. As communities struggle with budget cuts and reduced resources, we are proud that our community made a choice that is green all around – the choice to convert our municipal waste into clean, renewable energy.
Each year, everyone in Lee County sends their municipal solid waste to the Lee County Waste to Energy Facility (aka the Resource Recovery Facility) – helping to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil by producing enough energy to power 40,000 homes while offsetting 560,000 tons of greenhouse gasses from being emitted into the atmosphere. Annually, the facility also recycles/recovers 14,000 tons of metals. In addition to these environmental benefits, sending our trash to the Waste to Energy facility has created well-paying jobs and saved landfill space by sending only inert ash which takes up 90 percent less space.
The Lee County Resource Recovery Facility works every day, not just on Earth Day, to bring both economic and environmental benefits to Lee County.
Tom Mueller
Business Manager
Covanta Lee Inc.