Large Municipal Waste Combustors Would Lock in Low Emissions Under New EPA Proposal

Washington - As required by the Clean Air Act, the EPA has reviewed its existing performance standards for large municipal waste combustors (MWCs) and is proposing to revise the emission limits to reflect the performance levels currently demonstrated by these facilities. Large MWCs burn more than 250 tons of municipal solid waste per day, or about 25 garbage truck loads. In 1995, EPA adopted emissions control requirements for large MWC units.

These requirements were highly effective and reduced MWC emissions beyond what was required, including the reduction of:

- organic emissions (dioxin/furans) by more than 99 percent, - metal emissions (mercury, cadmium, and lead) by more than 93 percent, and - acid gas emissions (sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride) by more than 91 percent.

The proposed emission limits would ensure that high performance levels at MWCs are maintained. The EPA is also proposing several changes to the rules to simplify implementation. The EPA said it will accept comment on these proposed amendments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.