Trash-To-Energy Proposal Draws Skepticism

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Topics: Politics, Other
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A technology called gasification is generating enthusiasm among Cleveland officials as a next step in making the city a center for green energy and sustainability. But some environmental groups say the technology isn't as environmentally friendly as its proponents claim, and are calling for more scrutiny. Ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Last week, in his state of the city address, Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson touted a future facility, yet to be designed, that he believes will put the city’s trash to good use. 

Jackson:  The city of Cleveland recently signed an agreement with the Princeton Environmental Group to design a 200 million dollar municipal waste to energy facility that will create over 100 jobs. 

Waste to energy means using trash to produce electric power.  In the 80s and 90s it meant INCINERATING trash, and using the heat to power turbines that generate electricity.  Trash incineration has fallen out of favor because of toxic pollutants it pours into the air.  Mayor Jackson says THIS trash-to-energy facility is different, and cutting edge.

Jackson:  “This project uses the environmentally friendly gasification technology to convert solid waste into electricity, and also to help Cleveland Public Power achieve its goal of 25 percent alternative energy source by 2025.”

Princeton Environmental Group of New jersey has agreed to move to Cleveland and set up its headquarters and manufacturing operations here.  Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone is all for that, and is sold on the gasification concept.  Zone was a member of the Cleveland delegation that traveled to Japan last year to see gasification in action. 

Zone:  I believe it’s a foolproof system.  The emissions standards that come out of this facility exceed the EU regulations, which are more stringent than the U.S. regulations.  It’s pretty amazing technology.

As Peter Tien, who heads Princeton Environmental Group, describes it, the gasification unit treats garbage by subjecting it to high heat - about 15 hundred degrees - while starving it of oxygen, to produce a benign but highly flammable gas called syngas (that’s short for synthetic gas) which is then burned to produce steam to power electricity-generating turbines.  According to Tien, the kinds of trash that it can dispose of are almost limitless.

Tien:  “…scrap paper, wood palettes, chemicals, medical waste, pharmaceutical waste, chemical liquids, flammable liquids, tires, rubber, plastics - anything you can think of.”

While Cleveland officials appear convinced of the virtues of gasification, at least one environmental advocacy group is not. 

Angel:  “These are what we call incinerators in disguise.”

That’s Bradley Angel, head of the California-based group Green Action. 

Angel:  “They’re disguised as power plants, they’re disguised as recycling and renewable energy, when in fact they are at best unproven technologies that often make claims that really need scrutiny, to put it in a polite term.”

Angel says Princeton Environmental Group is one of numerous trash-to-energy start-ups trying to gain a foothold in the US with a variety of technologies - so far with little success - He ticks off number of US cities - many in California, but some in other parts of the country - that he says have rejected such proposals because the environmental claims didn’t hold up.  Councilman Matt Zone says he’s heard these criticisms, but is so far unfazed in his support of the city’s plans. 

Zone:  “The Mayor, the city, does not want to go down a path that is going to do something that’s going to be detrimental to the residents here.  We’re going to do our due diligence and move cautiously, but this looks very promising.”

Local environmentalists - like Susan Buchanon of Ohio Citizen Action - say they are uncertain about the gasification technology being proposed.  She points out that the city’s agreement with Princeton Environmental group was negotiated out of the public eye.  But Buchanon says Citizen Action will be gathering more information and following developments closely. 

Bill Rice, 90.3.