Covanta Energy

Covanta

Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: CVA
Industry	Renewable Energy/Waste Management
Headquarters	Morristown, New Jersey
Number of employees	3,500
Website	www.covanta.com

Covanta (formerly the Ogden Corporation) is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and energy solutions. Annually, Covanta’s modern Energy-from-Waste facilities, also known as waste-to-energy, safely convert approximately 20 million tons of waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle approximately 500,000 tons of metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material management services to companies seeking solutions to some of today’s most complex environmental challenges.

The Energy-from-Waste Process

Post-recycled municipal solid waste is picked up from homes or businesses then delivered and temporarily stored in a bunker at an Energy-from-Waste facility. Covanta maintains the building around the tipping and bunker area under negative pressure and use this air in the combustion process to control odor. The waste is fed into a combustion chamber and burned at extremely high temperatures in a self-sustaining process. Heat from combustion boils water to create steam which in turn powers a turbine-driven generator to produce electricity, or may sometimes be used directly for heating or industrial processes. Electricity is distributed to the grid and used to power homes and businesses. State-of-the-art air pollution control equipment is used to cool, collect, and clean combustion gases. This equipment operates under stringent state and federal standards. Covanta controls emissions of particulate matter primarily through a baghouse (fabric filter). EPA-approved state-of-the-art air emissions control systems are continuously monitored to ensure compliance with state and federal standards. Residual material from the combustion process is collected for processing and metals extraction. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals are extracted for recycling. Remaining residual materials are beneficially reused as aggregate or used for daily landfill cover.

Permitting Issues for Mass Burn Facilities

Some of the major issues associated with mass burn facilities include:^[1]

• Ability to meet air quality requirements
• Possible classification of the ash as a hazardous material
• Disposal of ash and other by-products
• Possible conflict with adjacent land uses
• Disturbances to biological resources
• Use of large amounts of water for smoke stack scrubbers and cooling purposes (if wet cooling towers are used)
• Changes to visual quality due to power plant structures and traffic patterns
• Transportation impacts from numerous truck trips from the refuse source to the mass burn facility (note that collection and transportation would already be occurring, so the mass burn facility would only cause a change in traffic patterns)
• Likely public opposition because of uncertainties over health, safety, odor, and traffic impacts (since it is most economical for the facility to be located near urban centers where the waste is generated)
• Possible conflicts between using MSW for electricity generation and programs/goals for waste reduction techniques and recycling
• Possible hazardous materials leakage that may necessitate site cleanup after facility closure

Controversy

Several of the company's facilities have been cited for air emissions violations and have experienced some labor relations disputes all of which have been settled appropriately. In 2001, Florida Department of Environmental Protection fined $104,100 (originally proposed $230,700) or $156,000 worth of "in-kind penalty projects" the Covanta Energy, formerly Ogden Corporation, for two mercury-pollution violations at the Okahumpka plant in 1998 and 1999.^[2][3]

In 2006, the Hawaii Department of Health fined the company $6,200 for exceeded emissions limits for dioxin/furan and lead in 2005,^[4] while the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined $45,600 in 2008 for the excessive toxic nickel and related compounds emission in 2006 at Chester.^[5] In 2007, United States Department of Labor cited Covanta for the lack of employees safety in West Wareham,^[6] while Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection cited them for excessive emissions at the facility in Wallingford.^[7] In 2008, Florida DEP fined the company $11,100 for excessive emissions at Okahumpka,^[8] New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection fined $14,025 for emissions at Newark between 2006 and 2008,^[9] Pennsylvania DEP fined a total of $131,800 in 2009 for excessive emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride and nitrogen oxide from 2004 to 2008 at Lancaster,^[10] while Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection cited Covanta for exceeding the allowable emissions rate by nearly 350%, and fined them $7,653 for other violations.^[11]

In 2009, United States DOL fined them $6,375 and $13,500 for safety violations,^[12][13] New Jersey DEP issued fines of $20,000 and $26,900 for excessive emissions at a facility in Warren County from 2003 to 2007, and in Union County from 2007 to 2009.^[14] For the dioxin emissions in Wallingford and Hartford they were fined $350,000.^[15]

According to a press release issued on July 15, 2011 by The Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the company paid $400,000 in fines for a 2010 air emission violation (250% beyond safety limits^[15]) at its Wallingford, CT facility. The press release also stated that the DEEP consulted with the Connecticut Department of Public Health and verified that despite the violation, the amount of emissions in the air in the vicinity of the facility was still within applicable health-based standards and did not pose a threat to public health.^[16]

In 2015 were fined $80,100 for workplace dangers, including fire, falls and electrocution in their Bristol facility.^[17]

References

External links

• Covanta