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Despite the Spin, Covanta Is a Polluter

By Frank Parlato

Pigs get fat, as garbage burns in Niagara Falls while the people here are stupefying and silent

Covanta Niagara, while trying to spin garbage burning as the business of operating "clean," municipal solid waste incinerators and converting this to energy, is nevertheless a major polluter, generating harmful air emissions and large quantities of toxic ash for you to inhale.

Mercury, lead, cadmium, dioxin, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and acid gases are part of the toxic stew you folks will now inhale in ever increasing doses, as Covanta expands.

Dioxins are carcinogens that are formed during the incineration process. Your kids are going to breathe it in.

And this because you are devoid of both brains and heart, and without parental feelings - you make no noise- even though it is your own children who will pay the price years from now.

I am convinced that the people of Niagara Falls would start crawling on all fours if their arms were just a little stronger.

Covanta burns garbage and your mayor and the Niagara County IDA made them a tax free deal to welcome their expansion.

Here's what some of the experts are saying:

"Covanta is trying to pull the wool over our eyes by claiming trash-burning is clean," said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate, NYPIRG.

"Burning garbage to create energy is not a clean energy choice," said Ross Gould, air & energy program director, Environmental Advocates of New York. "Waste-to-energy facilities create more air pollution and climate-altering greenhouse gases than coal plants."

Barbara Warren, executive director, Citizens' Environmental Coalition, called Covanta a producer of "dirty energy facilities."

Chuck Bell, program director for Consumers Union said, "The potential inclusion of energy generated by burning waste in garbage incinerators would mislead consumers and would be a form of publicly-sanctioned corporate green-washing."

Michael Seilback, of the American Lung Association, said, "Garbage incineration (leads) to greater air pollution and (has) a detrimental effect on lung health."

But don't tell the people in Niagara Falls.

Frankly, they just don't give a damn.

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter - Publisher Frank Parlato Jr. www.niagarafallsreporter.com

Jan 28, 2014