14th North American Waste to Energy Conference
May 1-3, 2006, Tampa, Florida USA
NAWTEC14-3187
Comparison of Air Emissions from Waste-to-Energy Facilities to Fossil Fuel Power Plants (click here)
By Jeremy K. O'Brien, P.E.
SWANA
1100 Wayne Avenue - Suite 700
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(704) 906-7269
jobrien@swana.org
The SWANA Applied Research Foundation's FY2005 Waste-to-Energy Group identified the
need for a public information document that compares the air emissions from waste-to-energy
facilities to those of conventional fossil fuel power plants. This paper is based on a research
report that was prepared by SW ANA in the course of developing the public information
document....
CONCLUSIONS
Based on a review of recent literature as well
as data from ongoing projects, the following conclusions
are offered with respect to the comparison of
air emissions from WTE facilities compared to fossilfuel
power plants.
• Air emissions from WTE facilities have been
dramatically reduced over the last ten years, due to
the requirements for "Maximum Achievable Control
Technology" contained in a 1995 EPA rule issued
pursuant to the Clean Air Act.
• With respect to criteria air pollutants, WTE
facilities emit significantly less carbon dioxide than
any of the fossilfuel power plants. They emit
significantly less sulfur dioxide than coal-fired or oilfired
power plants but more than power plants using
natural gas. Finally, they are comparable to coal- and
oil-fired power plants with respect to nitrogen oxide
emissions, but somewhat higher than natural gas-fired
power plants. Based on this data, the EPA has
concluded that WTE power plants produce electricity with less environmental impact than almost any
other source of electricity."
• When compared to the total amount of mercury
emitted from coal-fired power plants, WTE facilities
represent a minor source of anthropogenic mercury
emissions to the environment.
• Dioxin emissions from WTE facilities have
been reduced by over 99 percent since 1990. WTE
facilities are now considered minor sources of
dioxins.
