<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Re: [Greenbuilding] Another Green Myth: Garbage Incinerators Are Green Sources of Energy</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Here in Montgomery County, Maryland, a power plant was converted from coal to (domestic) waste incineration. I can’t see any argument that this is not an improvement in all considerations. I formerly served on a local air quality advisory board and we were briefed on the plant’s performance, including emissions and output. The level of pollution reduction was impressive—capturing mercury, particulate matter, the usual NOx and SOx, but also various chemicals that would otherwise come from burning those various products.<BR>
<BR>
It’s also worth noting that the county (with a population of 1 million) has high recycling goals and rates (at least for the US)--they are a few points away from the goal of achieving 50% residential recycling rates of plastics, metals and paper. So, it’s not like they are burning in lieu of recycling; the active goal is both, and landfill rates are very low.<BR>
<BR>
Now, arguing that incineration should be classified as a renewable—especially on par with wind, solar, etc.--is laughable. But it’s a political reality.<BR>
<BR>
In the end, this is a case of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. And in no way should it be deemed unfeasible for much of NA.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On 11/29/11 10:12 PM, "John Salmen" <<a href="terrain@shaw.ca">terrain@shaw.ca</a>> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><FONT COLOR="#1F497D">I may be coming in to this late as I have been offline. Europe does burn waste for fuel to a greater degree than N.A. The waste that is burned is generally classed as ‘nonrecyclable’ or probably more realistically as ‘uneconomical’ and conversion of that waste to fuel is considered better and more controllable than what we currently do with ‘nonrecyclable’ which is landfill. Landfill is a north American real estate thing so essentially is fought over by small communities who want the cash and are willing to devote some chunk of real estate to it. As to whether preserving it as landfill or utilizing it as energy is better or worse is I think the basic question. We don’t consider landfill as preservation at this point but environmental standards do require isolation from any potential for contamination so it works as a form of preservation (as to how well it is done is another question).<BR>
<BR>
I am a bit mixed on the issue as I really don’t think we are capable of making good decisions about waste resources – and they are resources. If burning for energy was a net zero equation it would make sense but it can’t be as we lose too much energy in the production of waste to recoup it. The scarcity of resources represented by our waste may however in the future represent some gain and how we preserve that waste is I think probably more important to me than how we ‘dispose’ of it.<BR>
<BR>
I am confused as to why you mention burning in the USA as ‘unfeasible’. Is it because recycling has not yet claimed the bulk of the waste and burning would divert too much of a recyclable stream?<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><B>From:</B> <a href="greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a> [<a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Erin Rasmussen<BR>
<B>Sent:</B> November-29-11 3:12 PM<BR>
<B>To:</B> 'Green Building'; 'Reuben Demling'; 'Gennaro Brooks-Church'<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: [Greenbuilding] Another Green Myth: Garbage Incinerators Are Green Sources of Energy<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">With respect to burning waste to generate power, it's a lot smarter to say that it depends a lot on the waste being incinerated, and the way that it is being done. In general burning municipal waste is in the USA unfeasible, but there are fuels like waste wood and non-recyclable waste paper that can be burned cleanly to generate electricity. And like people using wood to heat their homes in efficient wood stoves, there are ways to burn clean wastes (wood, some types of crop residues, waste paper) on a municipal scale and there are places in Europe where they have several years experience doing just that under much tougher environmental rules than we have here. <BR>
<BR>
For some examples check out the Gasification Discussion List, and its web site: <BR>
<a href="http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/">http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/</a><BR>
<BR>
Cheers,<BR>
Erin Rasmussen<BR>
BioEnergy Discussion List<BR>
<a href="erin@trmiles.com">erin@trmiles.com</a><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><B>From:</B> <a href="greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a> [<a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Carmine Vasile<BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Monday, November 21, 2011 4:27 PM<BR>
<B>To:</B> Reuben Demling; Gennaro Brooks-Church<BR>
<B>Cc:</B> GB Forum<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: [Greenbuilding] Another Green Myth: Garbage Incinerators Are Green Sources of Energy<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Reuben & Gennaro: Here's another Green Myth: In</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT COLOR="#061826"><FONT FACE="Arial">cinerators that generate power by burning trash should be eligible for state renewable energy subsidies. See Comment #1 below Re: "</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><B><I>State PSC delays vote on incinerators</I></B>", By JENNIFER SMITH (Newsday, 11/18/11):<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT><UL><LI><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Arial">Had Jennifer Smith and <FONT COLOR="#061826">commission members wanting to know more before deciding </FONT>Googled "T<B><I>itle V air permit covanta northport</I></B>" they would have found plenty of reasons to support the <FONT COLOR="#061826">staff recommendations to reject Covanta's petition -- like the GreenAction Fact Sheet @ </FONT><a href="http://greenaction.org/stanislaus/covantafactsheet.shtml">http://greenaction.org/stanislaus/covantafactsheet.shtml</a> <<a href="http://greenaction.org/stanislaus/covantafactsheet.shtml">http://greenaction.org/stanislaus/covantafactsheet.shtml</a>> , which states:<FONT COLOR="#061826"> </FONT><B>The Covanta Waste-to-Energy Garbage Incinerator in Crow's Landing Pollutes Our Air! Stop Toxic Pollution from the Covanta Garbage Incinerator in Crow's Landing!<BR>
</B></FONT></SPAN></FONT></UL><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">Carmine<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>gfxtechnology.com<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'> <BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"></SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Consolas, Courier New, Courier"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>_______________________________________________<BR>
Greenbuilding mailing list<BR>
to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<BR>
<a href="Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><BR>
<BR>
to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<BR>
<a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org</a><BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
</BODY>
</HTML>