A lot has been reported regarding the EPA going after GHG emissions, specifically CO2. Initially the thought was the EPA would just focus on the largest facilities (ones that release more than 25,000 tons per year), but it appears that this mandate may be expanded to other industries. Further while it appears this threshold may be increased (between 75-100,000 tpy – the EPA still intends to regulate at the 25,000 ton number – it just may give more time to those facilities to around 2013 possibly.

One in particular is the refineries, where the EPA may propose a new NSPS this summer that is expected to include GHG emissions.

One way a refinery can offset these emissions is using a PTDR system for industrial waste treatment whereabouts it could potentially reducing the carbon footprint associated with the industrial waste stream disposal process.

Carbon footprint reductions could be realized in the following areas:

• Elimination of transportation as waste would no longer travel hundreds of miles for treatment and/or storage leading to reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (NOx) and methane (CH4) emissions

• Alternative waste-to-energy processing as waste would not longer be landfilled or incinerated leading to reductions in carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane emissions

Further, when the syngas is consumed in gas engines as a fuel source (i.e. waste to energy), the emissions of the resulting flue gases are significantly lower than those generated by other methods such as landfilling and/or incineration.

PTDR facilities offer distinct advantages over conventional incinerator systems used for the thermal destruction of waste:

• High operating and uniform temperatures preventing the formation of furans and dioxins (no “cold spots” in a PTDR)

• A controlled processing atmosphere

• No fly or bottom ash generated, requiring further treatment and disposal

• A PTDR system produces a gas volume that is significantly less than the total combustion gas produced by an incinerator processing the same amount of waste

• The minimization of outside air used in the sealed pyrolysis process reduces the potential for emission control problems, particularly those associated with nitrous oxides and other pollutants.

PEAT International designs advanced waste to energy & resources systems. PEAT’s waste treatment plants converts waste into energy and other useful end products. Industrial Waste Treatment Plants, Hazardous Waste Treatment Plants, Toxic Waste Treatment Plants with Plasma Thermal Destruction Recovery (PTDR) Technology.

The EPA first issued new performance standards for medical waste incineration in 1986 and then again in 1997 to curb pollutants, which prompted many hospitals to shut down their incinerators. Hospitals turned to autoclaving and steam sterilization, which can only treat limited aspects of medical waste and do not provide any volume reductions.

Over 2,300 medical waste incinerators have closed since 1997 and currently 57 (31 are operated by hospitals) are still online. EPA officials estimate that the new rules passed recently will cost roughly $15.5 million. If that was divided evenly over the 57 locations, that’s over $270,000 per location.

Reducing medical waste incineration is just one side; waste still needs to be thermally treated. At least 14 states have statues requiring incineration of trace-chemotherapy agents and pathological waste – both waste streams can be treated by Plasma Thermal Destruction and Recovery (PTDR).