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garbage inceneration

jim baird

jim baird

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
490
Location
Comer, GA
I don't think there are building codes about how to dispose of waste materials, but around here there are lots of people thinking that the old burn pile is the answer to overflowing landfills.

In the neighboring county a $400million incenerator is proposed that will consume household, construction and demolition, wood product waste, whatever, and generate ash quantities that will be landfilled en situ. 1000 to 1700 tons a day are to be burned. An incidental amount of electricity will be generated, but mainly this is about waste disposal.

Is being "sold" as "turning waste into "useful energy."

Anyone here hear of these operations?

Seems in my state lots of people want to march backwards.

Another group wants to build a big coal-fired electric plant. State already has the biggest coal plant on the planet, with a constant train hauling coal from Wyoming all day every day.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

If they can meet the air quality requirements, I'd rather see that than continuing to dump it in landfills as a complete waste product. JMHO
 
Re: garbage inceneration

Here's a snippet of the opposition's view.

Incineration destroys resources and perpetuates pollution of the environment.

Older incinerators have been joined by new burners claiming zero emissions and socalled

“green” energy from garbage, tires, sewage sludge and biomass from farms and

forests. While some new incinerator technologies—gasification, plasma-arc, and

pyrolysis—may have lower emissions than their predecessors of the 1980’s, all of them

have smoke stacks that emit pollution to the environment. This report presents our

assessment of the potential air pollution emissions and local impacts on residents and

plant employees in Chester County, South Carolina.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

Incidentally a local C&D (construction and demolition) landfill has put so much drywall scrap in the ground that it stinks up half the county, and a judge has ordered them to present a plan to remedy.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

jim baird said:
I don't think there are building codes about how to dispose of waste materials, but around here there are lots of people thinking that the old burn pile is the answer to overflowing landfills.In the neighboring county a $400million incenerator is proposed that will consume household, construction and demolition, wood product waste, whatever, and generate ash quantities that will be landfilled en situ. 1000 to 1700 tons a day are to be burned. An incidental amount of electricity will be generated, but mainly this is about waste disposal.

Is being "sold" as "turning waste into "useful energy."

Anyone here hear of these operations?

Seems in my state lots of people want to march backwards.

Another group wants to build a big coal-fired electric plant. State already has the biggest coal plant on the planet, with a constant train hauling coal from Wyoming all day every day.
Click to expand...
Pinellas County Utilities in Florida has had a waste to energy facility for many years.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/wte.htm
 
Re: garbage inceneration

Jim,

I can certainly understand the flip side argument and realize that until a true means to create a balance between waste disposal v. environmentally safe alternatives we are always going to be in that Catch 22 dilemma.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

Hot button issue in many places...

In my home county (Sullivan, NY) we are about to run out of landfill space ('Trash for Cash' gone wrong, but that's another rant...), exportation will be costly but we have no other immediate option - only immediate need.

In my jobs' county (Orange, NY) there is a proposal to build a new type of 'gasification' facility. Taylor Recycling has spent millions on testing, research and development. IF (and that's a big 'if') the system works as well in the real world as it did in the lab, this process could potentially obviate the need to ever build another landfill anywhere. This would actually be in my current jurisdiction (shown at left).

The science, BTW, indicates not only virtually no emissions with this process, but far less pollution would be generated than by letting it all rot in a landfill - air, soil and water are all polluted by landfills. Many existing 'gasification' type plants need to remove specific types of waste from the waste stream in order to function properly. This proposal modifies the known technology to allow all waste to be 'burned', without the toxic residue that clogs the existing systems.

Between sucking the life out of our dear planet (oil, gas, etc.) AND stuffing our refuse down her throat, I fear we are killing our home-sweet-home planet. I don't have all the answers, but I'm sure there are better choices than the ones we've been making for the last century and a half.

Happy Holidays?
 
Re: garbage inceneration

That's me, 'Mr. Anti-Technology'...

Spouting off on an internet blog with my plastic covered PC before getting into my SUV for my 50 mile commute home alone...

At least I'm not using any paper...

(now to remove my tongue from my cheek...)

Thanks for the kind words FM, I do try.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

thnx, brudgers, I will process this info and share with the more strident of my neighbors.
 
Re: garbage inceneration

hey JD,

What I tell my wife repeatedly, and to which she sneers in response, is that we don't have to worry about the planet. The planet is just fine. Who's in trouble is the tool-using monkey who has attained some minimal level of consciousness.
 
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