The plan to not recycle glass on Lopez Island but to bury it in an inert landfill instead is problematic.
Every solid waste operation must be listed in San Juan County's Solid Waste Plan. Burying glass is not in the plan.
Another obstacle: Landfills are not allowed in any land use classification under the county code.
The budget for operating the Lopez Solid Waste facility includes figures for hauling glass to the inert landfill which they planned to locate at the gravel pit on Lopez Island. The cost to haul the glass off-island will increase the budget.
The group told the county Council the landfill plan would return the glass to silica.
In an interview, San Juan County Utilities Director Ed Hale said 100 years after being buried the glass still wouldn't be degraded.
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