| Covanta Essex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |
|
| Location | Newark, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°44′18″N74°07′35″W / 40.73833°N 74.12639°W /40.73833; -74.12639 |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1990 |
| Owner | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
| Operator | Reworld |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Municipal waste |
| Turbine technology | Incineration |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | [1] |
TheEssex County Resource Recovery Facility, also known asCovanta Essex, is awaste-to-energyincinerationpower station inEssex County, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 1990, it is owned by thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and operated byReworld. It is located adjacent to theNew Jersey Turnpike betweenRaymond Boulevard and thePassaic River inNewark.[2][3][4]
As of 2012, the facility processed 2,800 tons ofmunicipal solid waste per day, its two generators producing approximately 65 megawatts of power. The facility burns garbage from the22 municipalities of Essex County and fromNew York City'sManhattan Community Board Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12.[5][6][7]
As of January 1, 2013 the PANYNJ gave Covanta control of the facility through 2032, with optional extension to 2052. As part of the agreement theNew York City Department of Sanitation will continue to use about 50% of the plant's disposal capacity. Covanta agreed to invest $75 to $100 million for operational improvements, including a modern particulate emissions control system and a new recycling system for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.[8]
In June 2013, a refuelling station for trucks usingcompressed natural gas (CNG) opened at the facility.[9]
The facility has been a point of contention with residents of Newark, notably theIronbound.[10][11] A localcommunity organizing and advocacy organization, the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC), was concerned aboutair pollution emitted by the nearbygarbage incinerator facility. Bright pink and purple fumes were often seen spewing from the facility but Covanta blamed a local hospital for improperly disposed medical waste. In summer 2019, ICC partnered withEarthjustice, a nonprofitpublic interest organization thatlitigates toprotect the environment, and the Environmental Advocacy Clinic atVermont Law School to take on Covanta by urging state officials to investigate. Covanta has been found many hundreds of times to exceed air pollution limits or to fail to abide by required safety regulations. Covanta eventually acknowledged that the fumes were produced by its burning ofpesticides improperly disposed and agreed to new waste management procedures.[12]
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