UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, REGION WASTE-TO-ENERGY CONFERENCE Waste-to-Energy: An Integrated Waste Management Option

Transcription

1 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, REGION WASTE-TO-ENERGY CONFERENCE Waste-to-Energy: An Integrated Waste Management Option San Juan, Puerto Rico March 14, 2007 Location: Inter American University, Metropolitan Campus Main Auditorium Carretera 1, Calle Esq. Francisco Seín, Río Piedras, PR :30AM Check-In/Breakfast for general attendees in lobby of IAU, Main Auditorium Check-In/Breakfast for Conference Speakers in Dean s Conference Room 8:30AM 8:40AM 8:50AM Welcome and Introduction: Prof. Marilina Lucca Wayland, Dean, Metropolitan Campus, Inter American University Welcome Address: Manuel Fernós, President, Inter American University Opening Remarks: Alan Steinberg, Regional Administrator, USEPA R2 and (MC) Carl Soderberg, Director, USEPA R2, CEPA The management of solid waste in Puerto Rico presents tremendous challenges and requires creative approaches. The use of waste as energy, coupled with increased recycling, and source reduction has enormous potential to significantly reduce the amount of solid waste currently going into island landfills. This mix will translate into greater protection of the Commonwealth s precious water supply and people s health. It is with 1

2 this in mind that we have put together today s conference titled, Waste-to-Energy: An Integrated Waste Management Option. This conference will provide invaluable information about the waste-to-energy process, the environmental controls used by these types of facilities, and the environmental and economic benefits of this approach to the Commonwealth and local communities. The agenda includes a series of presentations by experts in the fields of waste management and energy production from academic institutions, government offices, and the business and non-profit communities. 9:10AM First presentation: WTE Waste-to-Energy Technologies Rick Brandes, Office of Solid Waste, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, USEPA Historically, EPA has encouraged the use of an integrated waste management approach for handling municipal and industrial waste materials. Source reduction and recycling have been, and continue to be, the highest priorities for waste management, followed by incineration with energy recovery. Incineration without energy recovery and landfilling are less desirable methods of waste management due to their potential impacts to the environment. However, consideration relating to the world s energy supply and concerns about climate change have highlighted the need to seek new opportunities for the conversion of wastes into energy as a waste management option. Currently, EPA is encouraging the use of waste-to-energy technologies as a desirable option for managing waste materials, particularly where source reduction is not a practical option and full recycling is not achievable. Utilizing municipal waste as a source of energy allows us to convert a waste management problem into an energy solution, thus achieving the dual goals of handling waste materials in an environmentally effective manner while reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil and gas. Ultimately, we see source reduction, recycling, and waste-to-energy as complementary parts of an integrated waste management system. There are a number of technologies in operation around the world that can convert wastes to energy. The principal technologies currently include incineration and anaerobic digestion. Another technology that is being explored is gasification. Each of these technologies has advantages and disadvantages which will be presented. Overall, waste-to-energy technologies have several desirable attributes: 1. they can create a revenue source from the energy produced 2. with reduced landfill use, land use pressures are lowered and long term maintenance, such as contaminant migration, are reduced or eliminated 3. long term cost stability can be provided for waste management, fuels markets, and power 4. recycling markets can be created and supported 5. the energy produced is mostly carbon neutral. Any technology that takes municipal waste and converts it into some form of energy should include recycling as an integral step. Without this diversion of recyclable materials, a significant energy loss from parasite energy consumption can be created. However, even in places with aggressive recycling/diversion programs, (e.g. California), a significant amount of combustible material still ends up in the landfill streams. 2

3 9:40AM Second presentation: WTE Emission Standards and Human Health Robert J. Wayland, Office of Air and Radiation, USEPA Municipal waste combustors (MWCs) are the primary waste-to-energy combustion technology used for solid waste disposal in the United States. MWCs are regulated by Clean Air Act section 129, and the waste-to-energy sources generally are classified as either large MWCs or small MWCs. Large MWCs are those units that burn greater than 250 tons per day of municipal solid waste (MSW), and small MWCs burn between 35 and 250 tons per day of MSW. These sources typically generate steam that is used for electricity generation. In the U.S., the average generation rate of MSW is 4.5 lb/person/day. About 95,000 tons per day of MSW, or about 17 percent of all MSW, is combusted in MWCs. These MWCs generate about 2,500 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to meet the power needs of 2.3 million homes. For comparison purposes, the countries that combust the highest percentages of MSW for waste-to-energy include Denmark, which combusts about 80 percent, and Japan, which combusts about 60 percent. Smaller combustion units, such as medical waste incinerators and other categories of incinerators are usually much smaller than MWCs and are not waste-toenergy units. Commercial and industrial incinerators also are not waste-to-energy units; commercial and industrial units that recover energy from burning non-traditional fuels are regulated under EPA's standards for industrial boilers rather than the incinerator standards. MWCs have many advantages when compared with other solid waste disposal methods (e.g., landfilling, open burning, or combustion in smaller incinerators), including: 1. The emission standards require state-of-the-art emission controls that significantly reduce emissions of acid gases, particulate, metals, and dioxin; 2. For each MW of energy generated, less fossil fuel is needed to provide electricity; 3. The volume of solid waste is reduced by 90+ percent; 4. Because most of the waste is "bio-based" material (paper, cardboard, yard waste, etc), the energy production is largely carbon neutral; 5. Studies show that for each ton of waste burned in waste-to-energy units, more than 1 ton of CO 2 equivalent emissions are avoided (for example, from landfills and combustion of fossil fuels); 6. Waste-to-energy systems provide reliable base load electricity at a known cost. A typical large MWC unit is equipped with a spray dryer for acid gas control, followed by a fabric filter or electrostatic precipitator for particulate and metals control, activated carbon injection for mercury and dioxin control, and selective non-catalytic reduction for NO X control. With regard to smaller incinerators, EPA's section 129 standards historically have resulted in shutdown of smaller units, because economically and environmentally superior alternatives are usually available to operators of small incinerators. These standards have helped to increase recycling of materials and have resulted in shutdown of poorly-controlled units in favor of waste disposal at well-controlled MWC units or other alternatives. We also are examining the potential for new technologies such as gasification, plasma arc, and other technologies to become part of the mix of waste-to-energy 3

4 technologies, and are considering how these types of sources will fit within the established regulatory framework. 10:10AM Third presentation: WTE Commonwealth s Perspective Dr. Javier A. Quintana Méndez, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Solid Waste Management Authority The Puerto Rico Solid Waste Management Authority has developed an integrated, multi-faceted program to provide environmentally sound and cost effective solid waste management services for the island. This is called the Dynamic Itinerary for Infrastructure Projects. The main objective of the Itinerary is to define the infrastructure strategies necessary for the effective management of solid residues in Puerto Rico in a safe and efficient manner for the next 25 years in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations. 10:40AM Fourth presentation: WTE Commonwealth s Permitting and Siting Process Carlos W. Lopez Freytes, Chairman, Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board The Chairman of the Environmental Quality Board (EQB), Carlos W. López Freytes, will present on the Permit Process for the establishment of a Waste to Energy Facility. The EQB is a regulatory agency that s main objective is to insure compliance with environmental regulations. As such, it has a duty to educate about the permit process for the construction and operation of a waste to energy facility to be in compliance with all requirements. 11:10AM 11:40PM 11:40AM 1:00PM 1:20PM Question and answer panel with speakers from the morning session (Brief media availability for select Principals in the Dean s Conference Room) Lunch Break The buffet and seating is located in the downstairs atrium Opening Remarks: Kathy Callahan, Deputy Regional Administrator, USEPA R2 and (MC) Carl Soderberg, Director, USEPA R2, CEPA Fifth presentation: WTE Sustainable Waste Management for Puerto Rico Prof. Nickolas J. Themelis, Director, Earth Engineering Center, Columbia University Economic development has been accompanied by massive generation of wastes. Globally, nearly two billion tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) are discarded. Most are disposed in landfills that emit methane and other air contaminants and may also affect water resources, either during the life of the landfill or in the future, depending on the care provided in constructing and operating a landfill. 4

5 The amount of MSW generated per capita depends on lifestyles and ranges from 0.3 tons per person annually in developing nations, to 0.7 in the E.U. and Japan, and over one ton in the U.S. Every possible effort should be made to reduce wastes and sourceseparate materials that can be recycled or composted. However, even in the most environmentally-conscious nations (Denmark, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, etc.), a large fraction of the MSW is simply not recyclable. There are only two alternatives for non-recycled MSW: landfilling or energy and metals recovery by means of a thermal treatment process. In addition to the environmental risks mentioned above, landfilling uses up land to bury a potential fuel. This is not sustainable management, especially for island nations that already have high population densities, very limited land, and no indigenous fuel reserves. In the short term, a modern waste-to-energy facility costs more than a modern landfill. However, over a 20-year horizon, it has proven to be the more economic choice. This will continue to be the case, as oil prices increase and the global warming cost of greenhouse gases is recognized by means of carbon credits. This presentation will document the above statements as they apply to potential implementation of waste-to-energy in the island of Puerto Rico. 1:50PM Sixth presentation: WTE The Potential for Beneficially Using Municipal Solid Waste Combustor Ash in Coastal Environments Prof. Frank J. Roethel, Ph.D., Waste Reduction and Management Institute, Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University The combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) results in the production of ash that needs to be managed. In Europe the majority of the MSW combustor ash is beneficially used while in the U.S. the majority of this combustion residual is placed into landfills. Researchers are finding new ways to process this ash and beneficially use it in a diverse array of applications and coastal communities can greatly benefit from what is being developed. MSW combustor ash can be processed to form an engineered aggregate and treated to minimize the leaching of heavy metals. The beneficial use of MSW combustor ash results in no longer requiring landfilling and more importantly closes the loop, truly making the 3R s (reduce, recycle and reuse) a reality. Artificial reef and shore protection applications have been undertaken in both the U.S. and Bermuda while numerous construction applications have used processed ash/aggregate throughout the world. Road construction and concrete products are very suitable venues for this material. For more than a decade MSW combustor ash utilization has been a reality in Bermuda and both Singapore and Long Island in New York are moving in the direction of ash utilization. This paper will present data gathered as a result of long-term investigations on the characteristics of MSW combustor ash and the environmental and engineering assessments associated with ash utilization. 2:20PM 2:40PM Coffee Break Seventh presentation: WTE Community Support John Waffenschmidt, Vice President, Business Development, Environmental Scientist and Certified Ecologist, Covanta Energy Corporation 5

6 Waste-to-Energy plants offer significant environmental benefits over landfills, but residents are often concerned about localized impacts associated with noise, odor, and traffic. Facility designers and operators have significant opportunities to design and operate these facilities so as to minimize localized impacts. As a general rule, modern waste-to-energy facilities are designed and operated to go virtually unnoticed in the communities in which they operate. This presentation will review the basics of how these plants can be a good neighbor from a siting, design, and operational perspective. Specific examples at existing plants and their operational practices will be presented. This will be coupled with a discussion of the underlying policies and philosophies which enable these design and operational practices. Additional information will be provided about initiatives which provided improvements in the performance of existing acquired facilities. Finally, integration opportunities related to district heating/cooling and differential waste management will be presented. 3:10PM 3:25PM 3:40PM 4:00PM Brief remarks: Association of Professional Engineers and Surveyors Brief remarks: Association of Chemists Question and answer panel with speakers from the afternoon session Closing remarks: Alan Steinberg, Regional Administrator, USEPA R2 6