| Q. |
If I live near a hazardous waste incinerator, how
can I be sure that air emissions are being controlled effectively? |
| A. |
Governed by federal, state and local regulations,
hazardous waste incinerators are equipped with state-of-the-art
technology to clean emissions before they are released into the air.
For example, scrubbers, centrifugal collectors and/or electrostatic
precipitators are commonly used to minimize particulates and acidic gas
emissions. As a result, any emissions from a high temperature
incineration process are present at very low levels and are well below
government limits established to protect human health and the
environment. |
|
However, strict regulations and effective emission
control technology are not enough. Gaining public confidence in the
incineration operation is paramount. Members of the Coalition for
Responsible Waste Incineration (CRWI) have established formal channels
of communication with the communities in which they operate, including
release of performance and emissions monitoring data. |
| Q. |
How do government regulators monitor hazardous waste
incinerators for compliance with established emission limits? |
| A. |
Before a hazardous waste incinerator can even be built
-- much less operated -- a variety of local, state and federal
regulations must be met to ensure the safety of workers and the
surrounding community. The process is so extensive that it usually
takes two to five years just to get the necessary approvals to obtain a
permit. And before a plant can operate, it must successfully pass a
trial burn with a variety of carefully selected worst-case conditions
to ensure the emissions will meet all federal and state regulations. |
|
After the plant is operating, detailed records must be
kept and periodic inspections conducted to prove that the incinerator
is operating within the specified limits. Performance and emissions
monitoring data are not only given to regulatory agency officials, but
are available to local communities as well. |
|
Industry and government agencies have been encouraging
the development of advanced continuous emission monitoring (CEM)
systems, which further confirm that a hazardous waste incinerator
complies with all permitted emission limits on a minute-by-minute basis. |
|
Incineration systems are carefully maintained and
periodically upgraded to incorporate the latest technological advances
to ensure that the system is operating at maximum efficiency and that
emissions are kept to a minimum. In addition, the continually and
closely monitored systems are designed with safeguards to protect
public health and the environment even in upset conditions. |
| Q. |
Has industry made all the progress it can in
reducing emissions? |
| A. |
No, emission reduction is an ongoing process. However,
during the past two decades, advancements in emissions control and
monitoring technology have resulted in dramatic emissions reductions
from many industrial processes including incineration systems. By
continually analyzing the incineration process, industry is striving to
reduce emissions even further. |
Coalition for
Responsible Waste Incineration