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Jonathan Campbell

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Incineration - A Poisonous Technology and a Hoax

Incinerators represent a special environmental threat, because the combustion process releases and combines toxic materials in household and medical waste into super-toxic air emissions and tons of super-toxic ash. It is also a wasteful technology, as it destroys a huge source of reusable and recyclable materials. Overall, the typical volume reduction accomplished by incinerators is 60-70%, which could be accomplished easily and cleanly by comprehensive recycling.

The EPA estimates that more than 80% of the dioxin produced in the U.S. is from municipal and medical waste incinerator air emissions. Tons of mercury, lead, and other heavy metals are emitted in vapor form as well from incinerator stacks. "Modern" pollution controls on these poison factories just move some of the toxic emissions from the air to the ash.

Incineration is really a hoax: it does not even eliminate landfills. Ash landfills (called monofills) are far more dangerous and toxic than raw trash landfills. Incinerator ash is extremely hazardous, containing dioxin and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Ash landfills are a legacy of poison that must be monitored for eternity. They never can become non-toxic, because most of the toxic materials in them - the heavy metals - do not bio-degrade.

The incinerator industry has known all these facts for years. Analyses of dioxin and other emissions from municipal waste incineration, overall efficiency of incineration as compared with comprehensive recycling, and the toxicity of ash were published early in the development of "modern" incinerators. The incinerator industry, however, chose to continue promoting its technology as an alternative to landfills, and often negotiated expensive, one-sided Guaranteed Annual Tonnage contracts, ensuring that communities that used incinerators were given a dis-incentive to recycle their trash.

Because of community opposition to incineration and the pollution and economic disaster that it brings with it, most of the incinerator proposals developed in the last five years have been abandoned, and many incinerators have been shut down due to violations of the Clean Air Act. The industry and their bond sellers are continuing, however, to find ways to re-invigorate the industry. The latest public relations campaign promotes incineration as a "renewable" energy source.

The idea that incinerators are "renewable" energy sources - promoted by the media - is ludicrous. The energy consumed in the creation of the materials - most of which is conserved if comprehensive recycling is pursued - is of course lost if they are incinerated, and this loss is far greater than the energy in the combustible materials.

It is the position of Toxic Alert that all incinerators - municipal solid waste, medical waste, hazardous waste, and Superfund mediation, should be closed and that incineration should be banned worldwide.

For a sample news article about an incinerator, see the NESWC article.

The list below was derived from Waste Not, a publication of Work On Waste USA, Inc., 82 Judson, Canton, NY 13617 315-379-9200, and anecdotes from other sources.

Incinerators in the U.S.

Alabama

• Huntsville - Ogden Martin
• Tuscaloosa - Consumat (Authority)

Arkansas

• Deadhorse - Basic Environmental (Piqniq Management )
• Sitka - Sigoure Freres (Sheldon Jackson College)
• Batesville - Consumat (Batesville)
• North Little Rock - Consumat (J.D. Helms)
• Osceola - Consumat (Osceola)

California

• Commerce - Foster Wheeler (L.A. Sanitation District )
• Long Beach - Montenay
• Susanville
• Stanislaus Co.- Ogden Martin

Connecticut

• Bridgeport - Wheelabrator
• Bristol - Ogden Martin
• Hartford - Ogden Martin (Metropolitan district )
• Preston - American Ref-Fuel
• Wallingford - Ogden Martin
• Windham - Consumat (Town)

Delaware

• Pigeon Point - United Power Services

Florida

• So. Broward - Wheelabrator
• No. Broward - Wheelabrator
• Hillsborough - Ogden Martin
• Key West - Montenay
• Lakeland - (City)
• Lake Co. - Ogden Martin
• Mayport Naval - Advanced Combustion (Global Associates)
• Miami - Montenay
• Miami - Airport Synergy Airport
• West Palm Beach - Babcock & Wilcox/Bechtel (Babcock & Wilcox )
• Panama City - Westinghouse
• Pasco Co. - Ogden Martin
• Pinellas Co. - Wheelabrator
• Tampa - Wheelabrator

Georgia

• Savannah - Katy-Seghers

Hawaii

• Honolulu - Ogden Martin

Idaho

• Cassia County - Consumat

Illinois

• Chicago (City)

Indiana

• Indianapolis - Ogden Martin

Kentucky

• Franklin Cadoux. (Monarch)

Maine

• Auburn - Consumat. (City)
• Auburn - American Energy Corp.
• Biddeford -KTI (Maine Energy Recovery Co)
• Orrington - KTI (ESOCO)
• Portland - American Energy Corp. (Regional Waste Systems )

Maryland

• Baltimore - Wheelabrator
• Harford Co. - Consumat (ENSCO )

Massachusetts

• Agawam - Fluor Daniel/Vicon (Fluor)
• Fall River: (City)
• Haverhill - Ogden Martin
• Lawrence - Ogden Martin
• Millbury - Wheelabrator
• No. Andover (NESWC) - Wheelabrator
• Pittsfield - Vicon Recovery Assoc.
• Rochester (SEMASS) - Energy Answers (Bechtel)
• Saugus - Wheelabrator

Massachusetts Ash Landfills - The generating facility is in parentheses.

• Bondis Island Ash Landfill, Agawam (Agawam)
• Ogden Martin Ash Landfill, Haverhill (Haverhill and Lawrence)
• Shrewsbury Ash Landfill, Shrewsbury (Millbury)
• Peabody Monofill Associates Ash Landfill, Peabody (North Andover)
• Pittsfield Ash Landfill, Pittsfield (Pittsfield)
• Carver-Marion-Wareham Ash Landfill (Rochester)
• Saugus Ash Landfill (Saugus)

Michigan

• Detroit GM, Fisher Div. - Consumat (General Motors)
• Detroit - Ogden Martin (ABB)
• Grand Rapids - Ogden Martin
• Jackson Riley Stoker/Takuma (Metcalf & Eddy Services )

Minnesota

• Alexandria Cadoux/Am.Res.Rec. (Pope-Douglas Counties )
• Duluth (Sanitary District)
• Fergus Falls - John Zink
• Minneapolis - Ogden Martin
• Perham - Synergy/Quadrant
• Polk County - John Zink: (County )
• Red Wing - Consumat. (City )
• Rochester - Riley Stoker/Takuma (Olmstead County )
• Savage - Morse Bougler/Brule (Richards Asphalt Co. )

Missouri

• Fort Leonard - Environmental Control (Harbert International)

Mississippi

• Pascagoula - Sigoure Freres. (CFB)

Montana

• Livingston - Consumat (County )

New Hampshire

• Claremont - Wheelabrator/Clark-Kenith
• Concord - Wheelabrator
• Durham - Consumat (Region) (closed)
• Groveton - Environmental Control (James River Corp.)

New Jersey

• Camden - Foster Wheeler
• Fort Dix - Clear Air/Am.Bridge (North American Res.Rec. )
• Gloucester Co. - Wheelabrator
• Newark - American Ref-Fuel
• Rahway - Ogden Martin
• Warren Co.- Ogden Martin

New York

• Albany (NY State)
• Babylon, L.I. - Ogden Martin
• Bronx - BFI (closed by citizen action, July, 1997)
• Cuba/Cattaraugus Co. - Synergy/Clear Air (Kinetics Technology)
• Glen Cove, L.I. (Island Recycling)
• Hempstead , L.I. - American Ref-Fuel
• Hudson Falls/Washington Co. - Foster Wheeler (Adirondack R.R.Assoc)
• Huntington L.I. - - Ogden Martin
• Islip, L.I. - Montenay/Westinghouse/Penn. Energy (Montenay)
• Long Beach, L.I. - Montenay/Catalyst (Long Beach Recycling & Recovery)
• Niagara Falls - American Ref-Fuel
• Rome/Oneida Co. - Clear Air/R.W. Taylor Steel Co. (Authority)
• Oswego Co. - Consumat. (County)
• Peekskill - Wheelabrator
• Poughkeepsie - Westinghouse
• Queens, L.I. (NY City)

North Carolina

• Charlotte - M.K. Ferguson (M.K. Env.)
• New Hanover (County)

Ohio

• Akron (wTe Corp./City)
• Columbus (City) (Closed by citizen action in 1996)
• Dayton V (County)

Oklahoma

• Miami - Consumat (City)
• Tulsa - Ogden Martin

Oregon

• Marion Co. - Ogden Martin

Pennsylvania

• Chester - Westinghouse
• Harrisburg (City)
• Lancaster Co. - Ogden Martin
• Montgomery Co. - Montenay
• Westmoreland - John Zink (County)
• York Co. - Westinghouse

South Carolina

• Charleston - Foster Wheeler
• Hampton - Consumat. (Chambers)

Tennesee

• Dyersburg - Consumat (City)
• Gallatin/Sumner Co. - Westinghouse/O'Connor (County)
• Lewisburg - CICO R.R. (City)
• Nashville (Nashville Thermal Transfer)

Texas

• Carthage - Consumat (City)
• Center - Consumat (City)
• Cleburne - Cadoux. (City)
• Gatesville Prison - Consumat
• Palestine Prison - Consumat
• Waxahachie - Synergy/Clear Air (City)

Utah

• Layton - Katy-Seghers (County)

Vermont

• Rutland - Vicon  (closed)

Virginia

• Alexandria - Ogden Martin
• Fairfax Co. - Ogden Martin
• Fort Eustis - Consumat (U.S.Army)
• Galax - C&H Combustors (City)
• Hampton (City)
• Harrisonburg - Morse Boulger (City)
• Portsmouth - Heil/Weyher-Livsey/CRS / Dravo (Authority)
• Salem - Consumat (City)

Washington

• Bellingham - Consumat (Recomp)
• Ferndale - Consumat (Recomp)
• Mount Vernon - Wright-Schuchart-Harbor/Energy Res. Rec. (County)
• Spokane - Wheelabrator
• Tacoma (Utility)

Wisconsin

• Almena - Consumat
• La Crosse - Northern States Power
• St. Croix Co. - Cadoux. (Am.Res.Rec.)
• Waukesha (City)

References:

1993-1994 Resource Recovery Yearbook, Directory & Guide, by Eileen Berenyi, Ph.D. and Robert N. Gould, 718 pages, published by Governmental Advisory Associates, Inc. (a private consulting/research group), 177 East 87th Street, NY, NY 10128. Tel: 212-410-4165. Fax: 212-410-6607.