EPA Hosting 2/7 Public Hearing on Incinerator Regulation – Sign Up & Talking Points

Here’s what happened: 

• The EPA is proposing NEW stronger pollution standards for “large municipal waste combustors” aka incinerators like Covanta!!!
  
• We asked the EPA to host a hearing on this to hear directly from people affected by these polluting industries, and they listened!! On Wednesday, February 7th will be a virtual public hearing.
  
• We need you to attend and SPEAK OUT against the pollution that is emitted from waste incinerators daily. 

What: EPA Public Hearing on Proposed Pollution Standards for Incinerators
When: Wednesday, February 7 from 11am to 7pm
Where: Virtually!!! Register to speak HERE. –  you must register by Sunday, February 4 to be able to speak. 

If you register:

– You’ll have 4 minutes to speak.
– You can register for one of three sessions on 2/7: 11am, 2pm, or 5pm ET
– Here’s an FAQ regarding public hearings
– Let us know if you need support or help preparing!! 

We need folks to SPEAK UP and tell the EPA we need the strongest possible standards for these dangerous, polluting industries. 

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS:

• Keep the proposed pollution limits at least as strong as proposed, and strengthen them where possible. Chester is the largest incinerator in the county, consisting of 6 emission units while most incinerators have 2-3 emissions units. The EPA must set limits on a tons per year basis rather than a concentration basis to further protect Chester residents.
  
• Require mandatory continuous monitoring rather than making it an option;
  • The proposed rule requires continuous monitoring for sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). The Chester incinerator also has a continuous monitor for hydrochloric acid (HCl). For the other pollutants, which include toxic pollutants like lead and mercury, EPA is proposing to allow continuous monitoring as an option for showing compliance with the limit but not to require continuous monitoring.
    
  • EPA recently objected to the air pollution permit for the Chester incinerator on the basis of insufficiently frequent monitoring for a 1-hour particulate matter (PM) limit. You could note that and emphasize the importance of EPA requiring continuous monitoring for PM in particular.
    
• Don’t weaken the proposed limits by allowing industry to measure compliance with them over a period of 30 days.
  
• Set requirements for new pollutants that aren’t already regulated, like PFAS, a relatively newly discovered set of toxic chemicals that are in everyday household products. EPA should set pollution limits but, at the very least, should require monitoring for PFAS.
  
• Set siting requirements to protect communities from new incinerator proposals. The Clean Air Act gives EPA the authority to do this in regulations for incinerators, which is unique and not something that is expressly allowed for other kinds of industries;
  
• EPA is required to revisit the adequacy of these pollution standards every 5 years and it last did this in 2006. This regulatory update is over a decade overdue.