The Oct. 5 Marana Town Council meeting began with a water demonstration reminiscent of a scene in the movie "Erin Brockovich."
But instead of seeing Julia Roberts play the title role of a woman offering electric company executives a drink of the water she alleges they have polluted, the Marana council received a similar offer from Picture Rocks resident Albert Lannon.
Lannon, who is opposed to hotly contested plans for a regional landfill in Marana, approached the lectern during the call to the audience, carrying a cardboard box containing several bottles of water.
At the lectern, he donned a protective glove and opened a container of "garbage juice" - his term for leachate he generated from his own trash at home.
Using a dropper, he took a small amount of the liquid, opened a water bottle, and injected the liquid into the water. He closed the water bottle, shook it up, placed it back in the box with the other bottles and then quickly moved several bottles around, mixing them up.
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Then he asked the mayor and council if any of them would like a bottle of water to drink.
When nobody made a move to accept, Lannon said all landfills eventually leak, and allowing the landfill to be built over an aquifer, as suggested, would eventually force people to drink polluted water, similar to what he offered the council.
Lannon was one of five people who spoke to the council in opposition to the landfill. Two people spoke in support of the plan.
Contact reporter Shelley Shelton at sshelton@azstarnet.com or 807-8464.
