Bristol Township Incinerator (Dormant)
Editor’s note: This issue is currently dormant. We will continue monitoring the situation and may take up the issue in the future.
Proposed Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Riverfront Community a Regional Threat
Update — Victory — Feb 19, 2014
The attorney for the Route 13 Business Partners, LLC requested their application for a hazardous waste incinerator in Bristol township, less than a mile from the Delaware River, be withdrawn without prejudice. This is a huge victory for the River and residents of both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
It’s only a temporary victory though. The applicant is now gathering additional information as to what specific trash will be burned so they can more directly answer questions about impacts on public health. Additional time may also give them time to gather more support from elected officials and the general public. Incineration is not a safe process. There are too many loop holes in the permitting and monitoring to make it the right process, especially in a densely populated area like Bristol.
We will need to remain vigilant and informed as to when the proposal gets re-submitted and be ready to challenge it despite the “new and improved” label the applicant will likely have.
The Issue:
Bristol Township, PA was being asked to issue two variances that would pave the way for an industrial hazardous waste incinerator to be built adjacent to the DOW Chemical facility on Route 13 in Bristol Township nearby the Delaware River. If built, every day, the incinerator will burn 60 tons of waste like acetone, pharmaceuticals, aerosols, pesticides, herbicides, adhesives, antifreeze, plastics and more.
Incinerators emit dioxin/furans, benzene, formaldehyde, mercury, and other heavy metals, acid gases, and ammonia. Stack emissions include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone (smog) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Bucks County in PA and Burlington and Camden counties in NJ are part of the 5-county Philadelphia area which is classified by the US EPA as “nonattainment for both ozone and PM 2.5,” — the installation of a hazardous waste incinerator will only exacerbate these air pollution problems (Clean Air Council). And of course, what goes up must come down – transforming air pollution to land and water pollution.