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Wallingford, Conn. Waste-to-Energy Facility Makes Positive Environmental Commitments

Release Date: 03/09/2007
Contact Information: Dave Deegan (617) 918-1017

(Boston - March 9, 2007) - A waste-to-energy facility in Wallingford, Connecticut is continuing to make significant commitments to a cleaner environment by reducing energy use and hazardous waste generation in its energy production.

Covanta Projects of Wallingford has joined has joined EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track--a partnership program recognizing facilities that set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements. Performance Track members must have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, and publicly report results.

Covanta Wallingford is a waste-to-energy facility that generates renewable electricity from the combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW). The facility processes about 420 tons per day of MSW, most of it from local Connecticut communities, and generates about 11 MW of electricity for sale to the local utility. The plant reduces the volume of MSW delivered to a landfill by 90 percent, thus preserving landfill capacity and extracting useful energy. The company has committed to reducing fuel oil use by approximately 10 percent, and installing emissions controls on 3 vehicles in a local school bus fleet, which will reduce fine particle emissions by an estimated 90 percent, all between 2006 and 2009. Fine particles pose a significant health risk because they can pass through the nose and throat and lodge themselves in the lungs, which have been known to cause lung damage and premature death. They have also demonstrated past commitment to emission reduction by reducing particulate matter releases between 2003 and 2005 by 70 percent.

Covanta Projects of Wallingford joins four other new Performance Track members making positive commitments in New England. Overall, there are 46 companies that have made Performance Track part of how they do business in New England.

“EPA applauds the significant commitments made by these New England businesses to a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Because these facilities have strong environmental records and are willing to publicly commit to continuously improve their environmental performance, they are making a real difference.”

Since the 2000 inception of this facility-based rather than company-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 470 members in 46 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have made 1,500 commitments to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. To date, Performance Track members have collectively reduced their water use by 3.5 billion gallons, reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 88,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and conserved more than 14,000 acres of land while helping to protect their local and national environment.

Forty-seven of the new members have committed to reduce their waste generation over the next three years; 37 facilities plan to reduce energy use; 25 facilities pledge to reduce their water use; and 17 facilities have committed to reduce their air emissions. Sixteen have committed to focus on EPA-defined regional and national environmental priorities.

More Information:

EPA’s Environmental Performance Track program in New England:
(epa.gov/ne/ems/performtrack.html)

New Performance Track members:
(epa.gov/performancetrack/round13PTFacilities.htm)