Entry #10
3-23-12
The trip to the Lee County Waste to Energy
facility was really an eye-opener. I’ve lived in Lee County most of my life and
I had no idea such a cutting-edge facility was built in 1994. It made me feel
proud to see the many progressive things our county was doing to lesson our collective
footprint on the planet. For example, Lee
County has had the highest amount of
recycling (35- 42%) then any other County in Florida for over 12 years. Also, the
integrated resource recovery system used at the facility is a wonder of modern
technology. By burning garbage the facility can generate fire, which in turn
creates steam. The steam is then harnessed to make electricity. In essence they
are turning trash into gold. For every ton of garbage burned they create the
same amount of energy as a $105 barrel of oil. Similarly, the facility
generates a profit by selling the excess electricity it generates to the
Seminole Indian Electric company for $1.5 million dollars a month. Also, the
facility collects and sells about $200,000 worth of steel a month. By utilizing
these methods the plant has paid for itself several times over. In addition to
making fiscal sense, this type of recovery uses 90% less space then the
average landfill. In my opinion this is the most valuable aspect of the
facility. Hopefully the success and practicality of the Lee County Waste to
Energy system will become the standard for solid waste collection.
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