To the Editor:

The article on March 13 regarding extending and expanding the construction debris landfill at Lorton raises yet again the question of why Fairfax County is even considering revising the current deal, which calls for the landfill to cease operations in 2018.

A coat of green glitter on top is not sufficient reason to expand this dump.

Construction debris at ESI landfill — concrete and reinforcing rods —are 100% recyclable, after being separated, into more concrete and more steel reinforcing rods. Burying such material in 2014 is ludicrous.

Twenty four miles from ESI’s dump is a business that recycles construction debris. It accepts an average of 500 tons of construction debris a day and recycles approximately 75 percent of it. That is 375 tons per day of wood, plastic, concrete, and metals that are being recycled, rather than buried. This is what Fairfax County should use as a model, not expanding a landfill that is supposed to close in five years.

ESI’s attempt to renegotiate its deal is an attempt to continue using stone-age technology (bury your trash), with a coating of green glitter on top. The green glitter is three windmills, a field of solar panels, and a small district heating project.

The proposal is a great deal for ESI. It is a terrible deal for Fairfax County. We can do better.

Jim Gearing

Alexandria