Did any one actually read the article
- "West Warwick Town Council to Decide Fate of Proposed Medical-Waste-to-Energy Facility
to decide, not decided, ( as one originally scheduled for March 17, but do to the virus like the rest of America now delayed)
- "was scheduled to appear before the Town Council on March 17 for a business license."
- "An online petition to halt the project has received more than 350 signatures."
out of over 26,000 residents
- One petition signer, local resident Alan G. Palazzo
The same resident who in a letter to the editor believes it is a done deal
- "The American Chemistry Council (ACC) touts pyrolysis and gasification as answers to the global plastic-waste crisis."
- “And that’s what these (pyrolysis and gasification) technologies can do is help bridge that gap to produce liquid fuels and chemicals and other raw materials that the energy-chemical resin company can then become the off-take and then we can have a real circular economy and keep those plastics in the economy,” Craig Cookson, senior director for the ACC, said at the recent commission meeting."
- "Sen. Frank Lombardo, D-Johnston, chairman of the special commission, said any concerns will be addressed before a gasification or pyrolysis facility is built in Rhode Island."
This is out and out FAKE NEWS, and no bearing to the story BECAUSE A PYROLYSIS FACILITY HAS BEEN BUILT IN WEST WARWICK.
As far as CFL Attorney Kevin Budris bias comments HIS JOB is Kevin's work focuses on advancing zero waste solutions such as responsible production, waste reduction, reuse, composting, and recycling, while opposing landfill expansions, waste incinerators, and other polluting practices that threaten our communities and our environment.
Take out the bias and the reporters opinion and read the facts of the article.
West Warwick Town Council to Decide Fate of Proposed Medical-Waste-to-Energy Facility
March 16, 2020
WEST WARWICK, R.I. — The medical-waste processing facility proposed for Division Road is beginning to undergo public scrutiny.
Before all municipal meetings were canceled by the town, MedRecycler-RI Inc., a subsidiary of New Jersey-based Sun Pacific Holdings, was scheduled to appear before the Town Council on March 17 for a business license.
Town Council member Jason E. Licciardi Sr. told ecoRI News that several matters need to be answered before a license is issued.
“Obviously, this isn’t like a convenience store opening,” Licciardi said. “It will affect the entire town.”
The proposed waste-to-energy project will increase traffic, emit air pollution, and operate around the clock. But the technology will likely be the focus of any discussion. The process of pyrolysis, which is similar to gasification, uses intense heat to transform waste into several byproducts, one of which is a synthesis gas (syngas), that can serve as a fuel to generate electricity.
Pyrolysis systems are primarily used to alter fossil fuels. The technology is less common in commercial waste facilities. It’s not known if any such systems are operating in the United States or elsewhere that exclusively process commercial and residential waste, much less medical waste, which, for the proposed facility, would include, among other materials, plastics, prescription drugs, blood products, and syringes.
Among the many issues, residents are worried about the screening of the waste, which is tested for radioactive content, but is otherwise unopened before it goes through the chemical reaction. Other issues of concern about the facility relate to waste storage and odors.
An online petition to halt the project has received more than 350 signatures.
the company that manufactures the equipment, Technotherm Inc. of South Africa, has three systems in operation and none that exclusively process medical waste. Two are in South Africa, and one is in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), there is no facility of its kind in this country. DEM’s process for reviewing an applicant for an air-pollution permit has been slowed by the fact that, without a system to study, there is no way to test the equipment for its emissions. DEM said, at some point, it will hold a public comment period and public hearing.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) touts pyrolysis and gasification as answers to the global plastic-waste crisis. Many plastics, ACC contends, require less water and energy to make than older products made from materials such as steel. Turning plastic waste into fuels and feedstock creates more plastic products and local jobs, according to the Washington, D.C.-based trade association for U.S. chemical companies.
“And that’s what these (pyrolysis and gasification) technologies can do is help bridge that gap to produce liquid fuels and chemicals and other raw materials that the energy-chemical resin company can then become the off-take and then we can have a real circular economy and keep those plastics in the economy,” Craig Cookson, senior director for the ACC, said at the recent commission meeting.
The recent special commission meeting was the first of three. Public comment is expected to be taken at the third meeting.
A new date for the Town Council meeting hasn’t been announced
