A public hearing was held in December 2022 on a potential $60 million expansion of the Covanta Camden Energy Recovery Center, which the Sierra Club strongly opposes. Covanta intends to install additional pollution controls, but at the same time it wants to set up operations to accept liquid waste, which would include paint and adhesive residues.
Covanta Camden is a “waste to energy” (WTE) incinerator that produces nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, all of which are highly harmful to human health. Another byproduct of WTE is ammonia gas, which also is harmful to humans.
The resource recovery facility is located in one of the poorest areas of New Jersey, making this an environmental justice issue. The Sierra Club’s official position on incinerators is that they should not be used to manage hazardous waste unless it can be demonstrated there are no other technically feasible methods for management of waste.
Covanta is seeking modification and renewal of its Title V operating permit to allow the changes and extend operations. According to Covanta’s proposed plan, liquids processing would begin in the first quarter of 2025. These requests are under review by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.
WTE facilities recapture valuable materials from the waste stream, and incineration of the remainder produces electricity that goes into the grid. It is argued that if this waste went to landfills, much more CO2 would be generated. These are the positives, but WTEs represent a failure to address the waste stream at its source, where more harm could be prevented through reduced waste generation and proper recycling and separation activities.
Covanta argues that its facility produces toxins in amounts that are well below federal maximum allowances, but some emissions is still a far cry from no emissions at all.
“Covanta has made some strides in community outreach and beautification but it cannot escape the fact that it is still a waste incinerator processing facility,” said Renée Pollard, chair of the Environmental Justice Committee of the Sierra Club’s NJ Chapter. “Why does it always have to be about money at the cost of public health? The residents don’t want it there and why should they be the recipients of poor decisions.”
The DEP’s public comment period for this project ended in early January, but regardless of the outcome, residents of New Jersey can help by reducing the amount of waste they produce, recycling more carefully and thoroughly, and consuming fewer single-use plastic items.