Dive Brief:
- Paterson, NJ’s city council OK’d a plan to get proposals from firms for a proposed waste-to-energy plant, despite the idea being panned by environmentalists.
- New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel said Paterson has enough air pollution and enough toxic sites. "To open up a bidding process to build incinerators in Paterson makes absolutely no sense. Whether you have a bidding process or not, this will be bad for Paterson and bad for the environment," he said, according to the Paterson Press.
- Paterson Councilman Andre Sayegh countered Tittel’s argument, and said Tittel was referring to the process used in an incinerator, rather than the type of WTE the city is considering. He added that the plant would have contracts with neighboring municipalities and could generate revenue for the city, while lowering Paterson’s costs for garbage disposal.
Dive Insight:
Trevose, PA-based Delta Thermo Energy has proposed that Paterson use a hydrothermal decomposition system, which the company says converts waste into energy by processing the waste at high temperatures under high pressure. The process is employed in Japan, South Korea and Germany, according to the company.
Another firm, Waste Elutriation Technology, also has inquired with Paterson leaders about using its own technology to benefit the city. WET’s process uses steam to convert waste into fuel.
