To the Editor:
Proponents of waste-to-energy technology across New England would have you believe that the laws of physics don’t apply to them.
Jefferson Renewables, the vendor proposing a waste-to-energy facility at the Central Landfill in Johnston (“Firm looks to use trash for energy,” 12/10/07), asserts that its technology will divert 3,200 tons of garbage every day, reducing the volume of trash that gets buried.
But rather than evaporating into thin air, burning garbage, construction and demolition debris, or “biomass” simply converts a solid material into other forms: toxic ash that still needs to be land-filled, liquid wastes that need to be managed, carbon dioxide which is the main cause of global warming, and other gas and particulate emissions like dioxin and mercury that surrounding communities have to breathe in.
We want a silver bullet, but true solutions to our waste crisis mean getting beyond the current “bury or burn” model of waste management that still only extend the life of the Central Landfill to the year 2020.
Industry, the public and policymakers all have a role in the solutions: aggressive recycling and composting, materials recovery and reuse by the public and manufacturers, product redesign, reducing packaging waste, and reducing consumption, among other innovations.
If you are concerned about the waste-to-energy proposal, contact the Toxics Action Center at (401) 421-0007 or amelia@toxicsaction.org.
