Maine communities using waste-to-energy as keystone of disposal operations

Journal Article · · Solid Waste and Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6717009

Coco, T J

In 1974, waste disposal capacity was a critical problem for the municipalities of Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, and Scarborough, Maine. These four communities formed a public, non-profit corporation called Regional Waste Systems (RWS) to manage municipal soild waste (MSW) for its member communities. They were among the first in the nation to forge an intermunicipal structure to cooperatively manage a region's solid waste. Today RWS membership stands at 31 communities. Initially, RWS bought a baler to reduce volume and began landfilling the bales in the first synthetically-lined landfill in the state. In the mid-80's decided to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility and went through lenghthy and expensive hearing process. The proposed facility was one of the first in the nation subjects to a health risk assessment. The WTE facility entered start-up operations in September 1988 and by 1991 the facility had a average boiler availability of almost 94 percent, maintaining a 92 percent availability for the previous three years. In 1991 RWS produced more than 99 million gorss kWh. It sold more than 85 million kWh to Central Maine Power - almost one-fifth of the residential electricity needed in member communities. Additionally, RWS supports recycling and composting programs, is beginning operation of a leachate pre-treatment facility and is planning an expansion of the WTE plant and to process wastewater sludge.

• OSTI ID: 6717009
• Journal Information: Solid Waste and Power; (United States), Vol. 7:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COMMUNITIES
POWER GENERATION
REFUSE-FUELED POWER PLANTS
EXPANSION
OPERATION
PLANNING
WASTE DISPOSAL
REGIONAL COOPERATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION
CAPACITY
COMPOSTING
ELECTRICITY
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MAINE
RECYCLING
RISK ASSESSMENT
COOPERATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
POWER PLANTS
PROCESSING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USA
WASTE PROCESSING
320604* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)