Editorial:
Proposition A. Recycling Collection Center and Landfill Ordinance: Shall this Initiative be adopted for the purpose of sitting a new recycling center and class III solid waste landfill in the East Otay Mesa area of unincorporated San Diego County?
Prop A is asking the voters if a Recycling Center and Landfill shall be located in South East San Diego along the border. The proposed site is East of Brown Field and Donovan State Prison, South of George Bailey Detention Facility and the Calpine Power Plant.
The first question we ask ourselves is: do we need a new Landfill? The answer is, yes. Miramar, Otay, and Sycamore Landfills are operating at near capacity and within the next ten years or so will be closed. So it makes sense to start planning now and the site selected makes sense in that there are no communities in close proximity and no foreseeable communities planned for the area which is dominated by the prisons.
A modern, state of the art, recycling center fits with the Go Green initiative, it brings industrial growth to the area, and it provides jobs.
The main arguments to the landfill are air quality, the number of trash trucks on the freeways, and the lack of County overview of the process.
Air quality is of course a viable concern, at the same time the landfills in Miramar and Chula Vista, which are in very close proximity of local neighborhoods, seem to have little negative affect on the residents. The lack of County overview is only one small step in the permit process which is lengthy and exhaustive from all the boards and agencies that must sign-off on this before the first shovel is turned. And yes truck traffic will only add to the traffic congestion we already face.
This election year and in years past all we have talked about is jobs, jobs, jobs. This landfill presents an opportunity to provide sustainable jobs, even through an economic downturn.
We Recommend a Yes Vote on Prop. A