Incineration Conference Held

Incineration

Conference Held

Public involvement in monitoring waste incinerators and the latest in 
devices for tracking emissions were some of the issues discussed at a 
recent conference here sponsored by the Hazardous Substances Management 
Program.

The siting and safe operation of incinerators have become significant 
public issues as incineration becomes an alternative for the disposal of 
hazardous wastes. "Incinerator Monitoring: Techniques for Assuring 
Performance and Building Public Trust" focused on these issues.

For example, panelists at the conference agreed that public involvement 
in incinerator siting and monitoring needs to be more inclusive. Steps 
toward that end include public tours and inviting a representative of 
the public to evaluate incinerator performance at any time.

Panelists also discussed the usefulness of continuous emission monitors, 
or CEMs, which provide emissions data that can be evaluated at any time. 
Though these devices help meet the need for better information, they 
said, efforts must still be made to ensure that these data are reliable 
and that there is a consensus regarding the parameters to be measured 
and the frequency and location of measurements.

Panelists at the conference included representatives from the New York 
State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Environmental 
Defense Fund, Arthur D. Little, Inc., and Dow Chemical Co.

Conference proceedings are available from the Hazardous Substances 
Management Program, Rm E40-245.