Incinerator will be one of the largest mercury emitters in the state; Draft permit does not comply with the Clean Air Act
June 10, 2010
EIP, Environment Maryland, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and Clean Water Action are urging the State of Maryland to deny the construction permit for a new waste incinerator in Curtis Bay, Baltimore City or issue a permit that complies with the Clean Air Act. Energy Answers is proposing to build an incinerator that will burn shredded automobiles, discarded tires, commercial and municipal waste, wood waste, and construction debris, in a neighborhood that is already overburdened with toxic pollution. The proposed incinerator will be located within one mile of Curtis Bay Elementary School and Benjamin Franklin Middle School, and several additional public and parochial schools are located in the nearby Brooklyn and Curtis Bay neighborhoods.
The new incinerator will burn approximately 4,000 tons of waste per day and will be one of the largest sources of mercury in Maryland after implementation of the Maryland Healthy Air Act. The draft permit issued by the Public Service Commission does not comply with the Clean Air Act because it is not enforceable by EPA or citizens, and fails to limit the amount and type of waste that Energy Answers is authorized to burn. EIP and other environmental groups have asked MDE to strengthen limits for mercury, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and other toxins. The draft permit does not include continuous monitoring for PM, cadmium, lead and other pollutants that pose a health risk for nearby communities.
For Comments on the Clean Air Act permit, click here.
For the Motion to Intervene, click here.
For the Initial Brief, click here.
