News and archives

Matthews’ residents at risk for exposure to high levels of toxic air pollutants
Residents will speak at press conference prior to public hearing about impacts from incinerator

A press conference will take place on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. before a public hearing that has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. the same evening concerning the Title V permit renewal for the BMWNC medical waste incinerator, located in Matthews, NC. Both the press conference and hearing will take place at the Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Levine Campus, 2800 Campus Ridge Rd., in the Auditorium, Rm. 2120. BREDL Press Advisory

BREDL will hold community informational meeting on BMWNC medical waste incinerator

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) will hold a community informational meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 8, at the Matthews Public Library located at 230 Matthews Station St. in Matthews, NC. Read Press Advisory

Dec. 3, 2009: Today at a press conference in Chester, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a new report on toxic air pollution impacts from the Covanta incinerator proposed for Chester County. The study shows that poisonous air emissions would be deposited more than six miles away from the facility. Read BREDL Press Release | BREDL Technical Report: Toxic Air Pollution Impacts from the proposed Covanta Energy Chester County WTE Project

Groups to hold Press Conference on Covanta Pollution
Chester Residents form League Chapter
Dec. 1, 2009: On Thursday, December 3rd the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and the Serious Chester County Residents Against Pollution will hold a press conference to release new information about air poisons and health impacts from the proposed Covanta incinerator in Chester County. The press conference will take place at the Chester County Library on 100 Center Street in Chester and will begin at 1:00 PM. The Serious Chester County Residents Against Pollution is the newest chapter in the multi-state Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. Read BREDL Press Advisory

BREDL comments to TDEC-DRH on the proposed license amendment to the IMPACT Services incinerator
July 7, 2009: BREDL comments to Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation - Division of Radiological Health on the proposed license amendment to the IMPACT Services incinerator. Amendment is to their Tennessee Radioactive Material License to "authorize a pyrolytic volume reduction process for wastes contaminated with radioactive materials at the licensee's facility at the U.S. Department of Energy ETTP Complex on the Oak Ridge Reservation." BREDL comments

New Report Released: An Industry Blowing Smoke - 10 reasons why gasification, Pyrolysis & Plasma Incineration are not "green solutions"

June 15, 2009: BREDL co-releases a new report by Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. The Report - An Industry Blowing Smoke - outlines 10 reasons why gasification, Pyrolysis & Plasma Incineration are not "green solutions".
BREDL Press Release | Download: An Industry Blowing Smoke

BREDL comments on the EPA’s newly proposed rules concerning emissions from medical waste incinerators. BREDL Jan. 15, 2009 comments by Sue Dayton | BREDL Jan. 15, 2009 comments by David Mickey | BREDL Feb. 17, 2009 comments

February 2009: BREDL revises our April 2002 report: Waste Gasification - impacts on the environment and public health (.pdf)

Aug. 2008: BREDL Factsheet - Incinerator Pollution - Landfills in the sky
Montenay Charleston Resource Recovery, Inc. operates a mass burn incinerator in Charleston, SC.

May 2008: BREDL Factsheet: Stop Incinerators and Waste-to-Energy Burners

July 12, 2006: BREDL Report on proposed Fibrowatt facility - Executive Director Janet Marsh Zeller's comments on the report: Fibrowatt's Thetford plant, in 2004, put out 234,430 kilograms (516,824 pounds) of carbon monoxide. I call these incinerators rather than power plants, because 50 megawatts is a tiny amount of power for what is lost. The amount of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide -- if this plant is similar to their Minnesota plant -- would be roughly similar to a coal plant. One disadvantage of burning poultry litter is the creation of air poisons not in the original materials. They are created in the smokestack itself. Fibrowatt's Thetford plant put out 30 milligrams of dioxins in 2004. We are going to see larger amounts if they build what they plan for North Carolina. If you dissect what they say -- hold on, here are details.
BREDL Report | Emissions Table | More Details on Fibrowatt

March 21, 2006: Fibrowatt LLC is considering locations in North Carolina for a 50 MW plant that burns poultry litter. Burning poultry litter creates unnecessary pollution and is inconsistent with NC GreenPower’s mission to promote renewable energy while protecting the environment. Please sign on to our letter urging NC GreenPower to remove the incineration of poultry litter and other types of litter from the green energy program. BREDL Sign-on Letter | Fibrowatt Factsheet

Feb. 11, 2006: Stericycle Dental Waste Management Plan - Reducing Mercury Emissions with Title V Operating Permits.

Oct. 19, 2005: BREDL comments on Green-e's proposal to certify municipal solid waste gasification as an eligible renewable energy resource. Green-e is the nation's leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy products. The Green-e Standard establishes the technical criteria that electricity products must meet to be eligible for Green-e certification. Read all comments submitted nationally | Find out more about Green-e

Sept. 02, 2002: Claude Ward's letter to Duplin County, NC Board of Commissioners regarding proposed gasification project. (.pdf) The Board voted against the proposal in Sept.

April 12, 2002: Lou Zeller's letter to Citizens for a Safe Environment regarding Global Waste International response to questions about gasification.

April 1, 2002: BREDL releases report: Waste Gasification - impacts on the environment and public health (.pdf)|

BREDL report: Incineration and Gasification: A Toxic Comparison (posted 4/12/02)(.pdf)

Pyrolysis and Thermal Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste fact sheet
(posted 10/10/01)