Shutdown of World’s Largest Waste Incinerator Signals a Change in the Climate

Langelle/GJEP

File Photo: Community organizations and environmental justice advocates march for Clean Air and push for the closure of the world's biggest incinerator. Photo by: Langelle/GJEP

Detroiters rally to urge Detroit Mayor to permanently replace the burner with recycling jobs

Sandra Turner-Handy of Zero Waste Detroit and the Michigan Environmental Council said, “Communities in Detroit have taken a stand against the violence of pollution and poverty that burning waste brings to their families – so this is a rally for environmental justice.”  She concluded, “We urge Mayor Bing to seize the moment and demonstrate a long-term vision by permanently replacing waste incineration with recycling jobs for our communities.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters have also joined Zero Waste Detroit in demanding good, local recycling jobs that reduce toxins and help reclaim a struggling economy.

Celia Petty, Deputy Director of the Teamster’s Waste & Recycling Division pointed out that “Recycling creates six to ten times the number of jobs than incinerators or land-fills. Detroit has wasted more than a billion dollars in the last 20 years to subsidize burning garbage. We need to change that!” She added, “We look forward to working with Mayor Bing, the City Council and Zero Waste Detroit for a solution that creates good, local, union jobs in resource recovery.”

On a June 26 protest, the closing day of the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit, thousands of labor and environmental justice advocates marched and rallied at the incinerator - demanding a closure of the facility, and justice for communities living next to polluting smokestacks across the U.S. Today, local activists relived the moment - with a clear reminder that the issue is not over.

“Detroit can show true leadership by transitioning our city towards clean air, good jobs and justice for all, including incinerator workers and local residents alike,” said Ahmina Maxey of the East Michigan Environmental Action Council and Zero Waste Detroit. “Today, we rallied in solidarity with the dozens of other communities like Ironbound, NJ and Harrisburg, PA that have also shouldered the toxic and financial burdens of incinerators for years.”

The closure of the facility is part of an economic downturn facing the incineration industry due to increased risk, cost and growing public opposition. Like most waste-to-energy facilities, the Detroit incinerator was a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and a toxic burden on community health. For over twenty years this incinerator, co-owned by Covanta Energy and the Energy Investors Funds, has undermined local efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.

In addition to growing public opposition, a series of economic pitfalls have plagued Covanta in recent months, including: being shut down and sued for excessive pollution by the State of Connecticut; litigation with Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the State Capitol’s incinerator construction debt; settling a lawsuit over community health impacts in Ironbound, New Jersey; and, having their NYSE stocks downgraded by Bank of America. Yesterday, the Dow Jones newswire reported that the world’s largest waste incinerator company’s quarterly earnings had dropped over 50% due to high operating expenses and weak sales.

Without taxpayer support and state subsidies, incineration cannot compete in the marketplace with real energy and waste solutions. “The reputational risk associated with burning waste has made the incineration industry obsolete,” said Ananda Tan, of the Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA), “With the largest waste burner finally down, we look forward to phasing-out the 86 that remain across the country. Detroit should not waste time and resources to revive this dinosaur.”

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Related Resources:

Websites

Zero Waste Detroit Action Website: http://www.cleanairgoodjobsjustice.org/
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives: http://www.no-burn.org
International Brotherhood of Teamsters: http://www.teamster.org/content/solid-waste

Video

1. Brandy Baker: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQikwtW9Js&feature=related
2. Alter Echoes: http://alter-echos.org/sur-le-vif/clean-air-good-jobs-justice-for-all/

Photos

1. Ruckus Society: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruckus_society/sets/72157624305029086/
2. Michigan Teamsters: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sockrebel/sets/72157624263501983/
3. Global Justice Ecology Project: http://globaljusticeecology.org/photo_gallery.php?catID=43&ID=356

News Stories

1. Detroit Metro Times: Detroit Incinerator Snuffed: http://www.metrotimes.com/news/snuffed-1.1047706

\2. Climate Connections: Detroit Incinerator Action:
http://climatevoices.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/photo-essay-detroit-incinerator-action/

3. Wall Street Journal: Harrisburg Council Steps Toward Bankruptcy As Option:
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100929-710824.html

4. New Jersey News: Covanta Shut Down and Sued for Pollution by Connecticut Attorney General: http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/fairfield-based_covanta_sued_f.html