Massachusetts DEP has drafted their new solid waste plan. Thanks to the efforts of many environmental groups, they have chosen to pursue Zero Waste! Dont_Waste_Massachusetts.html
Environmental Groups working with us for ZERo WASTE and AGAINST INCINERATORS  Don’t Waste Massachusetts  Toxics Action  Conservation Law Foundation  Clean Water Action  MassPirg  Sierra Club  Alternatives for Community and Environment Dont_Waste_Massachusetts.htmlDont_Waste_Massachusetts.htmlhttp://www.toxicsaction.org/http://www.clf.org/http://www.clf.org/http://www.cleanwateraction.org/http://www.masspirg.org/http://www.sierraclub.org/http://www.ace-ej.org/http://www.ace-ej.org/http://www.ace-ej.org/shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4shapeimage_3_link_5shapeimage_3_link_6shapeimage_3_link_7shapeimage_3_link_8shapeimage_3_link_9shapeimage_3_link_10
 
Learn more about incinerators www.no-burn.org http://www.no-burn.orgshapeimage_4_link_0
questions and answers 1. Aren’t the new incineration technologies supposed to be smokeless and safe? Incinerators emit nano particles (ultra fines),that are not effectively captured by pollution control devices, travel long distances, penetrate deep into the lungs, and carry neurotoxic metals into the brain. Incinerators are also the major source of dioxins, for which there is no safe level of exposure. In addition, incinerators emit more CO2 per megawatt hour than coal-fired, natural-gas- fired, or oil-fired power plants. There is no independent data to support industry claims about the new technologies. In fact data from the very few of these facilities actually in operation indicates that dioxins, furans and other pollutants may be found in higher quantities in pyrolysis and gasification systems than in traditional mass-burn incinerators. Since matter cannot be destroyed, in all incineration technologies air emission control devices capture and concentrate pollutants, leaving ash, slag, or wastewater that is often more toxic than the original material. Toxic byproducts of incineration are not well regulated and find their way into the environment by a number of routes. For example researcher Jorge Emanuel, PhD, in a video on the Sierra Club web site, explains that at one facility he studied, toxic air emissions were actually coming out with the waste water through the sewer system. 2. If they could be made safe, wouldn’t waste-to-energy be a good idea? No. They are a waste of energy. They don’t recover nearly the amount of energy that goes into production of products. In that sense, there is a net energy loss. Recycling recovers far more energy and saves raw materials as well. This was the conclusion of a study by the Tellus Institute commissioned by the DEP this spring. But if we build these facilities, garbage will come. Right now the first of many boat loads of garbage from Naples is being unloaded in New York to go to a waste-to-energy facility. There’s a lot of money involved in this deal. 3. If waste-to-energy is such a bad idea and Zero Waste such a good idea—why is the DEP even considering allowing more waste-to-energy incinerators? Notwithstanding all the above, the Governor and Mass. Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles, are waste-to-energy fans. In 2006, Bowles joined the board of a gasification company, Ze-Gen, Inc., a pilot project in New Bedford that burns municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris. (See this link: http://www.ze-gen.com/press/press_110106.htm) “Ze-Gen” refers to “zero emissions generation,” but their promotional video acknowledges that zero emissions is “our goal.” The EPA has shown that 87 separate hazardous air toxins are emitted when construction and demolition debris is burned. Ze-Gen also burns municipal solid waste, another toxic cornucopia. Bowles has been on the board of several energy companies. (Note: Bowles is no longer a Director of Ze-Gen, according to their web site.) David Cash, EOEEA Assistant Secreatary for Policy, went on the record praising Ze-Gen's trash-burning as clean energy:http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=49470 “Energy” was added to the Office of Environmental Affairs by the Patrick Administration, and now Bowles is not only Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, but also chair of the Energy Facilities Siting Board. Massachusetts was the first—and may be the only--state in the country that combines energy and environmental agencies under one Cabinet Secretary. It is my understanding that the state laws governing clean energy, the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard, explicitly exclude municipal solid waste and does not qualify the burning of construction and demolition debris as clean energy. But MassTECH, a private company charged by our state government with distributing electricity ratepayers' funds intended for clean energy projects, gave a half million to Ze-Gen for trash burning, as this link verifies: http://masstech.org/project_detail.cfm?ProjSeq=117. Other trash-burning companies are burned by this and they want to be paid extra for their "clean energy" too! Of course the DEP, presently charged with developing a new Solid Waste Master Plan, is under Secretary Bowles. I urge you to give the DEP and the Governor some feedback on this. More recently, stakeholders have been waiting four months for a $30,000 report on waste management commissioned by DEP to be released. What's the holdup? Waste industry was at the preliminary report release and stated unequivocally that the recommendations for the state to reduce, reuse, recycle, commit to Zero Waste and promote producer responsibility would be devastating to their bottom line. Somebody or something has since been holding up the report's release.http://www.ze-gen.com/press/press_110106.htmhttp://www.ze-gen.com/press/press_110106.htmhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=49470http://masstech.org/project_detail.cfm?ProjSeq=117shapeimage_8_link_0shapeimage_8_link_1shapeimage_8_link_2shapeimage_8_link_3

  1. Bullet Incinerators emit nano particles (ultra fines) that are smaller than what is regulated by the EPA, are not effectively captured by air pollution control devices, travel long distances, penetrate deep into the lungs, and carry neurotoxic metals into the brain.


  1. Bullet When metal emissions from the stack cool down they form dioxins and furans--among the most dangerous compounds for human health.


  1. Bullet Waste-to-energy is actually a waste OF energy. Only a small portion of the energy that goes into the manufacture of products can be recovered at disposal sites. Recycling recovers far more energy.


  1. Bullet These facilities compete against recycling programs for high volumes of garbage.


  1. Bullet Incinerators emit more climate-changing CO2 per megawatt hour than coal-fired, natural-gas- fired, or oil-fired power plants.


  1. Bullet A study commissioned by the DEP determined that a waste reduction policy will lead to many more jobs in the Commonwealth than the new incinerator technologies.

WATCH CHANNEL 5 NEWS CLIP ABOUT INCINERATOR FIGHT IN MASSACHUSETTS