Covanta Releases Emissions Data For Newark Trash Incinerator

NEWARK, NJ — An international “waste-to-energy” company has begun releasing emissions data for its three major facilities in New Jersey to the public, including a controversial trash incinerator in Newark.

Last week, Covanta announced that emissions data for all of its New Jersey waste-to-energy facilities is now accessible to the public on the company’s website. In addition to the Newark incinerator, Covanta has facilities in Camden and Rahway.

The data is the same that its operators in Newark, Camden and Rahway use to monitor performance, spokespeople for the Morristown-based company said.

Facility information and emissions data for Covanta’s New Jersey plants can be found at the following links:

• Covanta Camden, Camden
• Covanta Essex, Newark
• Covanta Union, Rahway

The Newark incinerator combusts 2,800 tons per day of municipal garbage and generates about 65 megawatts of electricity, making it New Jersey's largest "energy-from-waste" facility. It burns garbage from New York City and all 22 municipalities in Essex County, converting it into enough electricity to power about 45,000 homes, Covanta states on its website.

Some Newark environmental activists have been vocal critics of the incinerator, however, alleging that it’s endangering the health of residents in the Ironbound section of the city.

• See related article: The Color Purple: Newark Residents Fed Up With Incinerator Smoke
• See related article: Essex County Trash Incinerator Unfairly Burdens Poor, Critics Say

One of their biggest concerns has been the emission levels of gasses at the facility, which is partly why the company is voluntarily releasing the data, spokespeople said.

“Making this information available to our community members is not a regulatory requirement,” said Michael Van Brunt, senior director of sustainability.

“We are doing so in order to provide greater transparency and understanding of the work we do every day on behalf of our neighbors and communities,” Van Brunt said.

According to Covanta:

“Continuous emissions monitoring is an important tool in determining a waste-to-energy facility’s compliance with the strict emission limits set forth in its operating permit established in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act and New Jersey’s strict regulatory requirements. In 2020, Covanta’s facilities in New Jersey operated in compliance with their permits over 99% of the time.”

The company adds:

“Collectively, Covanta’s New Jersey facilities serve the solid waste disposal needs of more than 1.8 million people in the New Jersey counties of Camden, Essex and Union powering approximately 90,000 homes and avoiding 1.8 million tons of greenhouse gases annually by keeping waste out of landfills.”

Covanta has been headquartered in New Jersey since 1983. It has more than 600 employees in the state and approximately 4,000 in the U.S., Canada, Ireland and the U.K.

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