Community Corner
Board of Supervisors to Review Covanta Facility Contract
The controversial issue is still open for discussion
Correction: A previous version of this story posted on Mar. 6 indicated the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would vote on the Covanta facility at their Mar. 8 meeting. During closed session at tomorrow's meeting, county staff will present the board with terms for a contract with Covanta to be reviewed by the board. It is not a vote. Both the headline and the story have been corrected to reflect this change. Annandale Patch apologies for the error.
The very public discussion about Fairfax County’s proposed purchase of the waste-to-energy plant in Lorton will continue for a little longer. During their Feb. 22 meeting, the Board of Supervisors deferred further discussion on the issue until their March 8th meeting. According to Clayton Medford, Communications Director for Chairman Sharon Bulova, "county staff will present the board with terms for an extension of the service contact with Covanta during closed session. Then if Covanta does not agree to our terms, County staff will begin preparations for purchasing the facility."
The window for the County to make a decision closes in the first week of April. The plant is currently owned and operated by New Jersey-based Covanta Energy.
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With a suggested price tag of $417.5 million the proposal has elicited strong opinions on both sides. County Executive Anthony Griffin has recommended the purchase. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland also supports it. Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity has opposed it. According to Griffin, the plant would be paid for by bonds secured from tipping fees.
One of the 27 speakers at the Feb. 27 Board of Supervisors meeting called the decision “idiotic.” A strong majority of the 27 voiced their opposition on mostly financial grounds, citing the uncertainty of projections that go 25 years into the future, as the county’s does.
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Although the plant will be located in Lorton, the county’s purchase affects all residents of Fairfax County.
The county’s presentation to the public can be viewed here.
Covanta’s statement on the issue can be viewed (see bottom of page).
A letter from an Annandale resident opposing of the county’s proposal can be viewed .
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