WASTE-TO-ENERGY A WASTE OF ENERGY

There is talk of building a waste-to-energy incinerator on Maui. This a hot topic.

So hot, even the EPA is reluctant to release findings regarding dioxin from incinerators. Representatives from the incinerator industry assure us this method of dealing with trash is safe. Meanwhile, environmental groups and communities all over the world have found that their incinerators produce toxins.

Incinerators transform reusable materials into dioxin, metals, toxic ash and toxic gas. Dioxin, the ingredient that made Agent Orange famous, is a huge threat to our health.  It has been linked to neurological disorders and cancer.  Dioxin ultimately ends up in our food supply including human breast milk.

Incinerators are expensive. While the electricity generated helps offset its costs, Oahu residents must pay $81 per ton to dispose of trash in their H-Power plant. This tipping fee covers the cost of plant construction, management and $6,400 per day to secure the toxic ash in a special landfill.

On Maui, we pay $43 per ton to use our landfill. This is likely to increase if we decide to build an incinerator here. We’ll be obligated to feed it garbage daily so that it can pay for itself, resulting in pressure to burn materials that could have been composted or recycled. It's a step in the wrong direction.

Because of community opposition to incineration, most of the incinerator proposals developed in the last five years have been abandoned. Many existing incinerators have been shut down.  Maybe these communities know something we don’t. Let’s learn from their mistakes.

Camille Armantrout