It is unfortunate our leadership in St. Paul and in Washington, D.C., has not recognized the renewable-energy resource of residential and industrial garbage. I view these continually generated materials as things that are not going to decrease in volume anytime in the near future, so they are renewable resources for sure.
I see our cities routinely landfilling these materials with whatever is contained within them. It is sad to see barges of garbage floating around in our oceans with no one seeking to properly dispose of the materials; I can only imagine the trash eventually ends up in the water.
What an opportunity we have right now to create an industry that can greatly reduce the volume and hazardous content of these waste products while providing a source of energy.
There is a small fraction of garbage currently being used for this purpose, although it is a costly endeavor. The garbage must be sorted and reduced in size prior to firing in a boiler. It is also a more difficult energy resource to use because of plastic bags in the garbage that wrap around just about any moving part of a fuel-handling system.
Garbage has a lower BTU value; it is corrosive and fouls boilers sooner than the more-conventional, carbon-based fuels.
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So what I am saying is that this is a fantastic opportunity for financial support through government subsidies and modest rate increases. Isn't it time we all took responsibility for what really happens with the garbage we all generate?
Roy Maki Jr.
Cloquet
