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DEP, EPA, CITY REACH AGREEMENT ON HARRISBURG INCINERATOR

Release Date: 1/10/2001
Contact Information: PADEP: Sandra Roderick, (717) 705-4703, EPA: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

PADEP: Sandra Roderick, (717) 705-4703, EPA: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and City of Harrisburg have agreed to a proposal that, on a trial basis, will allow the city to restart and operate its municipal waste incinerator at a reduced burning capacity, according to DEP Regional Director Michael R. Steiner.

“We believe we have a plan in place that will meet the needs of the community while allowing the city to operate it at lower levels,” Steiner said. “There are specific milestones the city must meet while bringing the plant into full compliance, or face stiff penalties. The city now must begin the process of getting new plan approvals and permits to operate the incinerator as a smaller facility.”

“This agreement will allow the incinerator to begin operations at a significantly reduced design capacity,” EPA Regional Administrator Bradley Campbell said. “We believe this agreement includes the necessary safeguards to protect public health and provides for full public participation in the process.”

The earliest the plant could open would be midnight Friday.

The city has 10 days to submit complete plan approval and operating permit applications to derate the facility into a small municipal waste combustor. Once the applications have been submitted, DEP will hold a public hearing to accept comments on the applications as part of its normal permitting process.

Smaller fans and electronic controls, which reduce the plant’s combustion capacity, have been installed. On Saturday, the city will begin a 60-day “shakedown” phase to fine-tune the equipment and collect data. After this initial period of operation, DEP and EPA will review the performance data. This data also will be available for public review as part of the normal permitting process.

The city will be allowed to accept and burn waste during the shakedown, observing strict safeguards. Once this testing is completed, the facility may operate while the plan approval and operating permit applications are being reviewed. The city must permanently close the derated incinerator no later than June 18, 2003.

The city’s proposal and the agreements are available for review at DEP’s Southcentral Regional Office by calling (717) 705-4732 for an appointment.

DEP began participating in the discussions after EPA rejected the city’s proposal to reduce the volume of waste accepted at the plant because it did not go far enough to physically reduce the incinerator’s waste capacity.

For more information on municipal waste, visit DEP through the Pennsylvania website at www.state.pa.us, or directly at www.dep.state.pa.us (directLINK “waste”).