Use relief funds to reopen Hood’s Mill Landfill
As recently reported, the county commissioners need to decide how to best spend many millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds (“$57M in projects on the docket” July 11, Carroll County Times). As I read the story, the first thing to enter my mind was that one worthwhile use of just a fraction of the money would be to bring the Hood’s Mill Landfill up to state-required standards so that it could reopen for the thousands of south county residents that used to rely on it.
In April 2020, Hood’s Mill was closed due to concerns arising from the pandemic. Shortly after, an inspector from the Maryland Department of the Environment raised concerns over the way waste was being handled there, and the county began to consider options for reopening.
A solution to the disposal of yard waste was reached with an agreement with WeCare Denali, an organic compost, mulch and soil company that leases property adjacent to the landfill. Under this agreement, the company accepts yard waste from county residents free of charge. However, to properly dispose of residential waste as well as non-single-stream recyclables such as many plastics, metals and oils, residents in the southern part of the county still need to trek to Westminster. For many of us, what used to be a 20-minute round trip, including drop-off time, has turned into at least an hour journey.
Last year, Cliff Engle, bureau chief solid waste, presented two options that would allow the county to reopen the Hood’s Mill Landfill. The estimated cost was between $50,000 plus $15,000 annually for labor, to a one-time expense of $400,000. Back then, there wasn’t any money available in the budget. We were in the midst of the pandemic, and it looks, at least to me, that nothing happened.
I contacted the commissioners, urging that Hood’s Mill be reopened. Commissioner Bouchat replied that the entire board welcomes constituent input regarding the use of the Federal Relief Funds, but more people need to make their voices heard. To those of you that would like to see the landfill reopened, please make your opinion known. It takes less than five minutes to do so, using the convenient comment form on the Commissioner’s web page.
Claude Hoerner, Sykesville
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Epidemic of shootings must stop
A new Texas law bans abortion once there is a “detectable” fetal heartbeat. But it prohibits state government officials from enforcing the ban. Enforcement is to be done by antiabortion vigilantes.
All the while people are able to purchase guns, with the sole purpose to kill someone after they are born. In the same Washington Post, July 18, which stated the new Texas law, it was reported that Nyiah Courtney, age 6, while walking near her home with her parents and sister was shot and killed by a shooter in a passing car.
Nicholas Lee, age 24, was fatally shot Tuesday, July 13 at a Giant Food Store in Northwest Baltimore by an armed security guard who did not work for Giant. Reportedly, the reason he was shot was because he was not wearing a shirt.
We have an EPIDEMIC of daily shootings in the United States, but members of Congress, who also oppose abortion, do NOTHING about the daily shootings that kill people after they are born because they are beholden to the NRA. THIS MUST STOP.
Patricia Roop Hollinger, Westminster