MORRISTOWN, N.J., Sept. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed landmark Environmental
Justice legislation into law. The law recognizes the burdens faced
by environmental justice communities and provides a foundation to
reduce cumulative environmental impacts in overburdened areas.
Covanta has long-been committed to environmental justice and
reducing environmental impacts from the company's operations.
"We applaud the Governor's leadership on this issue, and we
stand with New Jersey in support
of environmental justice for vulnerable communities overburdened
with emissions from an abundance of sources, large and small,"
commented Paul Gilman, Covanta's
chief sustainability officer. "For Covanta, environmental justice
is more than a buzzword. It is about taking meaningful and
measurable action to protect the communities we serve; after all,
they are our communities too and are where our employees and their
families live, work and play."
Covanta's commitment to environmental justice is rooted in its
history. In 2011, this conviction was turned into action with the
creation and implementation of its Community Outreach and
Environmental Justice Policy. Nine years later the policy continues
to guide the company's interaction and engagement with communities
around the world, including its investments in technology designed
to dramatically reduce emissions from its operations.
In Newark, for example, despite
already operating well within environmental standards, Covanta
invested $90 million in
state-of-the-art emissions control technology, or "baghouse"
technology as it is referenced in the industry, resulting in
further improvement in environmental performance and a reduction in
emissions in excess of 90 percent.
"Today, our Newark facility
consistently operates at environmental performance levels far
better than those required by its permit, not because we have to,
but because it is the right thing to do for our communities and our
planet," continued Gilman.
In Camden, home of another Covanta waste-to-energy
facility, the company is
developing plans to invest $40
million to $50 million on new
state-of-the-art emissions controls as part of its public
commitment to implement five improvement projects by 2023 focused
on reducing emissions, specifically in environmental justice
communities. Since acquiring the Camden facility in 2013, Covanta
has invested more than $55 million in
maintenance and capital expenditures to improve the facility's
operational and environmental performance.
While some have been focused on depicting critical
waste-to-energy infrastructure as part of the problem, in
reality, according data from U.S. EPA National Emissions
Inventory WTE is a very small contributor of emissions in
these communities.
"In order to achieve tangible improvement to the air quality in
overburdened communities, we believe that all emissions, from all
sources, must be considered and addressed, starting with the
largest sources first as they represent the greatest opportunity
for measurable improvement," Gilman continued. "For example, it is
well-known that Newark is home to
one of the world's busiest airports and some of the most congested
highways in the country, in addition to an international shipping
port and associated rail yards, all in close proximity and all
contributing meaningfully to the local air shed. We call on all
industry to take meaningful actions to address this imbalance.
Alleviating the unfair burden placed on environmental justice
communities is long overdue."
For more information on Covanta's commitment to Environmental
Justice and continuous improvement, please visit,
www.covanta.com/EJ.
About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and
energy solutions. Annually, Covanta's modern Waste-to-Energy
("WtE") facilities safely convert approximately 21 million tons of
waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable
electricity to power one million homes and recycle 500,000 tons of
metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling
facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material
management services to companies seeking solutions to some of
today's most complex environmental challenges. For more
information, visit www.covanta.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covanta-shares-new-jerseys-commitment-to-environmental-justice-301134004.html
SOURCE Covanta Holding Corporation