May 20, 2022
Tishman Environment and Design Center’s Work Reveals Most Incinerators Pollute Low-Income and Communities of Color and Worsen Climate Change
Cities all over the United States are now recognizing the numerous drawbacks of waste-incinerators that pollute the air, soil, water, and land. Many cities are moving away form incineration. However, 72 municipal solid refuse (MSW) incinerators continue to operate in the United States. Unfortunately, little is known about their impacts. A new interactive mapThe Tishman Environment and Design Center pinpoints their location for the first time. It reveals that most of them are in vulnerable communities already affected heavily by pollution.
Adrienne Perovich (assistant director of the Tishman Centre), stated that many of the incinerators in operation are at the end of their lives. Cities will need to consider whether to continue investing in this dying industry. We created this map to provide accurate and concise information to local municipalities about the harmful effects this industry has had on their residents, especially now that they have the opportunity of moving away from these old, polluting facilities.
The new map gives a snapshot of each incinerator’s effect on the community. This includes the amount and type of waste that is burned per day, the levels of toxic pollutants released into our air, the population living within three miles of the facility, as well as the location. 85 percent are located in EJ communities (lower income communities and/or communities or color). Many communities incinerators are already affected by pollution from other industrial sources. These cumulative effects are not taken into account by regulators when setting emissions regulations.
The Tishman Centers research into human and ecological impacts of municipal trash incineration has been incorporated into the new map. It is detailed in the report. U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators are in declineAnd Reports specific to each stateThe five states with the most incinerators are Florida, New York, Minnesota and Massachusetts. The huge number of incinerators found in EJ communities was first revealed in the earlier report.
Incinerators can have significant climate impacts by releasing greenhouse gasses and producing almost as much carbon dioxide.2They are also used for coal burning. They also pose a serious public health hazard due to the large amounts of mercury, lead and carbon dioxide that they emit. These toxic materials are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and miscarriage, stillbirths, kidney disease and high blood pressure as well as increased rates of asthma and other diseases such as heart disease, heart disease and lung disease. Long-term COVID-19 exposure has been shown to increase death rates due to particulate matter.
Many cities have moved away trash incineration to embrace zero-waste solutions. These solutions encourage responsible consumption, reuse and recovery of waste without burning it. Both cities and states can invest to recycle infrastructure and composting programs. State legislatures hold producers responsible by setting minimum recycled content standards in manufacturing processes.
Perovich said in a press statement that the current COVID-19 disaster requires us to examine the pollution coming from this dirty industry. State and local officials should reconsider future incineration investments, looking at COVID-19 deaths as well as the disproportionate effects on communities of environmental justice.
