Before I continue writing about the individuals and organizations I’m making connections with in India to further my understanding of SWM practices, I had mentioned earlier my visit to the Lancaster Co. Waste-to-Energy plant (W2E) and I’d like to write down my experience and impressions from that visit.

Lancaster’s W2E plant is owned by LCSWMA  but was built and continues to be managed by Covanta Energy – a company that specializes in W2E solutions. They are currently operating facilities all over the world. The plant in Lancaster County takes mixed waste, runs it through an incinerator and uses the resulting steam to power a generator which provided electricity to over 20,000 Lancaster home in 2014. Ferrous and precious metals are separated from the resulting ash and transported to a recycling facility in York, PA. Ash is then taken from the facility to the Frey Farm Landfill where it is used as cover at the end of each day as required by law.

Our tour began with an explanation of the incineration process from initial dumping at the site through to the exhaust stack. They had a scale model that we could look at which was very useful for a visual person like me.

There were two things I was most interested in – How they dealt with toxic byproducts from burning, and how they kept ash from becoming airborne and polluting the surrounding the community; these being two factors that have shut down all but one mixed waste incinerator in India.

An engineer from Covanta explained that the resulting furans and dioxins (toxic substances) from the burning are treated with other elements and substances like ammonia, which result in a chemical reaction that neutralizes them. After this, they are still run through a series of filters before being expelled through the smoke stack. According to the chief engineer this particular site functions well below the recommended limit for toxins set by the EPA.

After this introduction we were taken through the site to see what there was to see. Which, due to the nature of the facility, wasn’t much. Most of the machinery is enclosed. We did get to see the enormous claw and crane that moves the raw trash from the dumping station to the three operating chutes that run to the incinerators. We were taken to the control room, which looked like a scene from some old B-SciFi movie. (Walls covered in blinking lights and computer screens measuring things I didn’t understand but sure looked important 😉 )

We then went to the tail end of the process in a large warehouse and watched as ash fell from a mechanical belt to piles on the ground where they would be picked up by trucks at the end of the day and transported to the landfill. It was a rainy day outside but I was still struck by the fact that we needed no face masks to walk around the sight or in any of the buildings (Although ear plugs were necessary for noise levels).  I expected more particulate in the air. I asked our engineer about this. He explained that the ash was kept at 20% moisture at all times — treated throughout the process with steam and water. I then asked if the ash ever got into the air in large quantities. He said absolutely, but very rarely and they take great pains to make sure it doesn’t happen. If it does they make sure the communities that would be most affected are informed.

This was, in a way, an answer to a question I had had about the incinerators in India. Their chief problem was that they expelled so much ash into the air that it created a thin layer that covered everything within a certain radius of the plants. So either they didn’t treat their ash with moisture, didn’t have appropriate filtering practices or both.

He then discussed the issue of cost of running the facility. W2E plants are very popular but there are relatively few in the US to serve the number of communities in need. The reason being is that the cost of initially building such a facility is quite high and it can take a long time to recoup the costs. Certainly if cost is an issue with the US, it would be even more so in India. However, there is definitely a need in India for such facilities and certainly enough waste to see a profitable market for a company willing to take the initial risk.

I can see how the W2E plant could be an important piece of an integrated waste management system, though much like the Frey Farm Landfill, a dedicated management staff, as well as meticulous attention to regulations (that can often be costly to follow) is absolutely necessary. A poorly managed incinerator is going to create more pollution problems than it solves. Run correctly, the benefits are enormous.

My intention now is to do more reading on Covanta and then contact them to ask if they have any operations in India or any plans to, and if not, ask why.

 

 

-Ashley