Press Release  MassDEP Settlement Results in Reduced Emissions from Covanta Waste-to-Energy Facilities in Haverhill, Rochester

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has reached a settlement with the waste-to-energy company Covanta to resolve issues raised by the company at their Haverhill and Rochester facilities in response to Emission Control Plan (ECP) permits issued by MassDEP. The settlement will result in the installation of significant additional emissions controls that will reduce emissions from the plants and improve air quality.

Under the settlement and revised permits, Covanta has committed to reducing NOx emissions by more that 20 percent below the MassDEP regulatory limit and has agreed to reduce emissions of metals and dioxin to almost half of MassDEP’s emission limits for these pollutants. In addition, Covanta has agreed to install monitors to measure ammonia emissions on each waste combustor at the Haverhill and Rochester facilities. Ammonia emissions can contribute to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Ammonia monitors will ensure that Covanta will achieve and maintain the lowest ammonia emissions possible from the Haverhill and Rochester facilities and reduce PM2.5 emissions. 

“The Commonwealth’s stringent Emission Control Plan Approvals were implemented to ensure that waste-to-energy facilities are properly addressing their emissions and reducing toxic pollutants that can impact the health of our communities,” said Eric Worrall, Director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. “I am pleased that, under this settlement, Covanta has voluntarily agreed to make significant emissions reductions that will have a real impact on protecting public health in Haverhill and Rochester, and in communities across the state.”

In March of 2018, MassDEP issued new regulations and subsequently issued permits to reflect these new regulatory limits for waste-to-energy facilities, also known as municipal waste combustors (MWC), in the Commonwealth. These regulations established more stringent emission limits of several air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), metals and dioxin, and provided more options for monitoring pollutant emissions. NOx emissions are lung irritants and may pose severe risks to public health, including their contribution to the formation of harmful ground level ozone, or smog, which can increase susceptibility to and exacerbate respiratory ailments and illnesses such as asthma.

Additionally, these facilities are in Environmental Justice (EJ) communities. EJ communities have historically experienced disparate impact from air pollution and these commitments from Covanta are an important step toward assuring clean air for area residents.

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth, provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives and ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities served by the agency.
 

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