Covanta provides greenhouse gas emissions data at Florida facility

Morristown, New Jersey-based Covanta, a leader in sustainable materials management and a provider of environmental solutions benefitting businesses and communities, has announced that emissions data is available to the public online for the Hillsborough Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facility in Tampa, Florida, which every year processes 523,000 tons of waste that otherwise would have gone to methane-producing landfills.

With this information on the Covanta-operated facility’s website, the Hillsborough County community can access the same data that operators use to monitor operational performance at the facility.

WTE facilities convert the waste that remains after recycling into electricity for homes and businesses. This technology diverts waste from landfills, a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

“By making this data readily available, we hope to provide the communities of Hillsborough County a feeling of confidence and pride knowing that the waste being processed at the waste-to-energy facility is being done so both sustainably and safely,” says Tequila Smith of Covanta, which operates the county-owned facility. “Furthermore, we hope the public comes to appreciate the positive contributions of waste-to-energy technology in terms of mitigating global warming, increasing recycling and moving us toward our climate goals.”

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Continuous emissions monitoring is an important tool in determining a WTE facility’s compliance with the emission limits set forth in its operating permit, which is established in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act and Florida’s regulatory requirements. The Hillsborough facility has been consistently recognized for exceptional operations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program Star certification.

“The Covanta Hillsborough facility provides a vital service to our community and to our environment. Each year waste from county households and businesses is converted into enough continuous electricity to power 23,000 homes for one year,” Smith says. “At the same time, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 462,000 tons—the equivalent of taking 90,000 passenger vehicles off the road. The release of continuous data from Covanta demonstrates transparency and accountability for this sustainable solution.”

With eight Covanta facilities across the state, Florida relies on WTE more than any other state in the nation for the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of municipal solid waste. Combined, the facilities reduce GHG emissions by more than 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. The facilities also recycle 172,000 tons of metal a year, enough to build 130,000 cars.