ARECIBO RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY
Arecibo

Puerto Rico Resource Recovery and Renewable Energy Project (http://www.energyanswers.com/development/current_projects/arecibo_resource_recovery_facility/index.php)

The Puerto Rico Resource Recovery and Renewable Energy Project is a proposal by Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC for the design, development, financing, construction and operation of a 2100 ton/day, 80MW Renewable Energy Power Plant that will serve as the foundation of a world-class Renewable Energy initiative.

The Renewable Energy Power Plant is a private initiative that will not require a commitment of government financial resources to its construction, operation or long-term performance.

The Renewable Energy Power Plant

The Renewable Energy Power Plant will represent a private sector investment of approximately $500 million in renewable energy and solid waste management infrastructure and provide approximately 150 new, “green collar” permanent jobs.

The Project will bring a renewable energy facility into service in the next 3 years and establish an advanced materials recovery and recycling operation which will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico’s reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island’s recycling rate and reduce decrease the environmental impact on the water, land and air resource of Puerto Rico.

The Project Site

The Resource Recovery Project will be located at a site in Barrio Cambalache, Municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The Power Plant will be constructed on approximately 40 acres of the site and will include fully enclosed waste receiving, processing, energy recovery and ash processing operations.

Renders:

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Que pasa con los metales , explosivos y quimicos que alguna jente echa a la basura?

KBOOM! ira esa planta cuando alquien bote a la basura explosivos y lleguen alli.

Honestamente ahora que veo el render como que no estoi tan encontra a ella ahora.

Asumo que la basura la verificaran antes.

Si la menten en algo organico se puede acer pasar. Anda pal . Cuando tenga hijos y se les muera el conejo y lo eche a la basura tendre que decirles que literalmente fue al infierno. :nuts:

Creo que si es algo explosivo existen mecanismos que detectan los quimicos que forman parte del material. Si no fuera asi Numeratzi, este tipo de plantas no existiera en el mundo.

oh. Eso vota mucho humo? Mas que una maestra de ingles que tuve que cuando fumaba parecia una chimenea industrial? :lol: Pero enserio bota mucho humo?

La tecnologia que usaran en esa planta hace que no bote humo.

Esto ayudaria mucho a Arecibo

En que parte exactamente estaria localizada esta planta?

Es en la PR-2 en los terrenos de la antigua fabrica de papel/carton de Arecibo.

Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental (http://www.gobierno.pr/JCA/DocumentosAmbientales/2010/Preliminar/Energy_Answer_Arecibo_Pag._1.htm)

Adelanta proceso de permisos para planta que generaría energía reciclando desperdicios sólidos (http://www.elnuevodia.com/adelantaprocesodepermisosparaplantaquegenerariaenergiareciclandodesperdiciossolidos-1094372.html)
Se espera que la planta a construirse en Arecibo genere unos 80 megavatios de energía eléctrica quemando la basura generada en la región.



Por Inter News Service

La compañía Energy Answers Arecibo informó hoy que el pasado 11 de octubre la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA) emitió una nueva carta en la que le notifica que ha aceptado dos de los componentes críticos necesarios para completar la evaluación del permiso federal y da paso a la etapa final anticipada de evaluación sujeto a unas aclaraciones técnicas.

En un comunicado de prensa, Energy Answers indicó que, tras revisar dicha carta, encontró que los procesos de análisis que ha utilizado son en gran medida más conservadores de lo requerido.

Se espera que la planta a construirse en Arecibo genere unos 80 megavatios de energía eléctrica quemando la basura generada en la región. El material que no se pueda quemar será recuperado, según ha reportado la prensa del país.

La compañía señaló que en las próximas semanas estará sometiendo las aclaraciones adicionales a la EPA para de esa manera continuar con el proceso evaluativo.

“Como es de conocimiento público, en diciembre de 2010 la compañía obtuvo la aprobación de su Declaración de Impacto Ambiental y de la Consulta de Ubicación por parte de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental y la Junta de Planificación, respectivamente, lo que representa pasos significativos en este proceso. Estamos satisfechos con el progreso y adelanto alcanzado a lo largo de este proceso de permiso, el cual es uno bien riguroso”, expresó Rafael Toro, asesor legal ambiental de Energy Answers Arecibo.

El proceso del permiso ante la EPA ha incluido intercambios continuos de información técnica del cual es ejemplo la más reciente carta.

“Este proceso de permisos es uno dinámico y que está caracterizado por el continuo intercambio de información bien técnica, suplir especificaciones de maquinaria y equipo, así como proveer descripciones y detalles que suelen requerirse en este tipo de proyectos”, sostuvo Toro.

La planta que propone Energy Answers Arecibo tendrá la capacidad de procesar 2,100 toneladas de basura diarias y producirá 80 megavatios de energía renovable alterna para Puerto Rico.

Además, representará una inyección a la economía local de cerca de 350 millones de dólares en la construcción, y la creación de sobre 3,800 oportunidades de empleos diferentes durante el curso de la construcción en Arecibo.

Ya en operación, creará aproximadamente 150 nuevos empleos directos, dijo Toro, indicando que toda esta actividad económica genera oportunidades de otros empleos indirectos e inducidos, además de las ventas y servicios de la región.

Candente controversia por planta incineradora (http://www.elnuevodia.com/candentelacontroversiaporlaplantaincineradoraenarecibo-1102926.html)
EPA pide más información a Energy Answers para analizar el impacto de la planta incineradora

Por Inter News Service

La agencia estadounidense de Protección Ambiental (EPA) solicitó a la compañía Energy Answers (EA) extender el análisis de justicia ambiental para que incluya a todas las comunidades ubicadas en la zona de Cambalache, en Arecibo, donde se propone construir una planta incineradora.

Sin embargo, Energy Answers aseveró que la misiva da paso a la etapa final de evaluación sujeto a unas aclaraciones técnicas.

La petición fue hecha en una carta enviada por la EPA el 11 de este mes para analizar el impacto que tendrían esas comunidades con la operación de la planta, aseguró Hiram Ruiz, del Frente Amplio contra el Incinerador.

"Tal parece que a esta corporación (EA) no le importa estudiar a las comunidades de escasos recursos o a evaluar el impacto que puedan ocasionar a estas con sus tóxicas emisiones, ya que los consultores de EA, no incluyeron a dichas comunidades en su análisis sometido a la EPA", declaró Ruiz.

Dijo que además, la EPA le exigió a la EA que haga una evaluación cualitativa de las emisiones tóxicas en el aire de las áreas circundantes.

Ruiz recordó que en 2003 el Departamento de Salud dio a conocer datos que indicaban que Arecibo tiene una población de asmáticos que raya en el 16%, cuatro veces el promedio nacional y estimó que la planta no le mejorará el asma a nadie.

"Esto es particularmente necesario pues Arecibo ya tiene una gran cantidad de fuentes de emisiones contaminantes, entre ellas, están las farmacéuticas, una planta generatriz de AEE con señalamientos de violaciones a la calidad de aire; una planta de baterías que ha contaminado con plomo los alrededores, un incinerador biomédico aparentemente clandestino y el vertedero, todos viento arriba de la ciudad", destacó por su parte, Javier Biaggie, portavoz del Comité Amplio de Arecibo.

Mientras, el licenciado Fernando Betancourt Medina, destacó que alrededor del área propuesta por la incineradora en Arecibo, hay 11 centros Head Start, 12 escuelas públicas, 4 privadas, 3 técnicas, 1 universidad, 3 hospitales y 2 égidas de ancianos, el casco urbano y varias urbanizaciones y residenciales públicos.

Más de 6,000 niños, la mayoría preescolares y elemental, estarán a la sombra de las emanaciones de la operación, consideró Betancourt Medina.

EA afirma que es conservadora en sus análisis

Sin embargo, la compañía Energy Answers informó que en la carta enviada el 11 de octubre por la EPA le notifica que aceptó dos de los componentes críticos necesarios para completar la evaluación del permiso federal y da paso a la etapa final de evaluación sujeto a unas aclaraciones técnicas.

Dijo que luego de revisar la carta encontró que los procesos de análisis que ha utilizado son en gran medida más conservadores de lo requerido.

La compañía señaló que en las próximas semanas someterá las aclaraciones adicionales a la EPA para de esa manera continuar con el proceso de evaluación.

Rafael Toro, asesor legal ambiental de Energy Answers recordó que en diciembre de 2010 la compañía obtuvo la aprobación de su Declaración de Impacto Ambiental y de la Consulta de Ubicación por parte de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental y la Junta de Planificación, respectivamente, lo que representa pasos significativos en este proceso.

"Estamos satisfechos con el progreso y adelanto alcanzado a lo largo de este proceso de permiso, el cual es uno bien riguroso", expresó Toro.

Comentó que el proceso del permiso ante la EPA ha incluido intercambios continuos de información técnica del cual es ejemplo la más reciente carta.

"Este proceso de permisos es uno dinámico y que está caracterizado por el continuo intercambio de información bien técnica, suplir especificaciones de maquinaria y equipo, así como proveer descripciones y detalles que suelen requerirse en este tipo de proyectos", sostuvo Toro.

La planta que propone Energy Answers Arecibo tendrá la capacidad de procesar 2,100 toneladas de basura diarias y producirá 80 megavatios de energía renovable alterna para Puerto Rico.

Además, representará una inyección a la economía local de cerca de $350 millones en la construcción, y la creación de sobre 3,800 oportunidades de empleos diferentes durante el curso de la construcción en Arecibo y cuando esté en operación se agregarán otros 150 empleos directos.

Firm pushing ahead with WTE plant (http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=64723&ct_id=1)
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com


Energy Answers is continuing to work to build community support for its proposed waste-to-energy plant in the Cambalache sector of Arecibo.
The New York-based company has staged more than 100 presentations for residents of the north coast town through its “Dialoguing with Arecibo” community outreach program.

“We are very thankful to have the opportunity to address questions and clear up myths surrounding this important project,” said Rafael Toro, environmental consultant at Energy Answers.

“This plant represents an environmentally responsible solution to the management of solid waste in the northern region that meets all applicable environmental laws,” he said.

The proposed waste-to-energy plant remains in the permitting stage. It would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of alternative energy in the process.

Energy Answers says the plant would pump $350 million into the island economy and create 3,800 jobs during the construction phase.

The plant will represent a private sector investment of approximately $500 million in renewable energy and solid waste management infrastructure and provide approximately 150 new, “green collar” permanent jobs, according to Energy Answers.

The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery and recycling operation.

“This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico’s reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island’s recycling rate and reduce decrease the environmental impact on the water, land and air resource of Puerto Rico,” Energy Answers says on its website.

The project would be constructed on approximately 40 acres of the site and will include fully enclosed waste receiving, processing, energy recovery and ash processing operations.

Energy Answers asegura que su tecnología es segura y ambientalmente responsable (http://www.telemundopr.com/noticia-energyanswersaseguraquesutecnologiaessegurayambientalmenteresponsable-139292.html)
20 Diciembre 2011 10:21 a.m.
El proyecto tendría la capacidad de procesar 2,100 toneladas de basura diarias

Fuente: CyberNews
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CyberNews) – La compañía Energy Answers aseguró hoy que su propuesta Planta de Recuperación de Recursos y Generación de Energía (Waste to Energy) para Arecibo no tendrá un impacto significativo en la calidad del aire ni el ambiente.

La empresa destacó que así se evidencia en los estudios sometidos a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Junta de Calidad Ambiental (JCA), como parte del proceso de permisos en el que se encuentra.

El biólogo Javier Vélez Arocho, consultor ambiental de Energy Answers, señaló que la compañía ha considerado en sus estudios la existencia de una planta de reciclaje de baterías en Arecibo y emisiones asociadas con este tipo de instalaciones. Agregó que, tomando en consideración las preocupaciones ciudadanas existentes y para proveer una mayor seguridad a los arecibeños sobre su tecnología probada, se realizaron estudios adicionales de modelajes de aire.

“Es importante que la comunidad de Arecibo sepa que, como parte de su proceso de permisos, la compañía realizó y sometió ante la Junta de Calidad Ambiental y la Agencia de Protección Ambiental estudios adicionales de modelajes de aire sobre la posibilidad de emanaciones de plomo. Esto se hizo a pesar de que no era requerido por ley para confirmar ya que las concentraciones máximas de plomo en el aire que pudieran ser ocasionadas por su instalación están muy por debajo de los estándares establecidos por el gobierno federal para proteger la salud humana y el medio ambiente”, explicó Vélez Arocho.

El científico ambiental informó, además, que Energy Answers se ha comprometido con la EPA y la JCA en instalar un monitor ambiental en un lugar seguro y aceptable para ambas agencias reguladoras.

“El monitor será instalado y operado de acuerdo con los protocolos de monitoreo ambiental establecidos por la EPA y la JCA. Los datos serán recopilados y procesados en colaboración, igualmente, con ambas agencias”, sostuvo el también exsecretario del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales bajo el pasado gobierno.

La Planta de Recuperación de Recursos y Generación de Energía que propone Energy Answers se plantea como una alternativa para la quema de petróleo y el manejo seguro de desperdicios sólidos en el área norte, donde ya la EPA y la JCA ha ordenado el cierre de vertederos por violaciones a las leyes y reglamentos ambientales. Igualmente, como una alternativa para producir energía de una manera más limpia y barata reduciendo así el impacto ambiental que actualmente existe combinado con la quema de combustibles fósiles y la operación de vertederos.

El proyecto, que actualmente está en proceso de permisos, tendría la capacidad de procesar 2,100 toneladas de basura diarias y producirá 80 megavatios de energía renovable alterna para Puerto Rico. Se trata de una tecnología que opera de manera igualmente segura en el Estado de Massachussetts por más de 22 años, donde procesa 3,000 toneladas diarias y genera aproximadamente 120 megavatios. Además, representará una inyección a la economía local de cerca de $500 millones, en su etapa de construcción, y la creación de sobre 3,800 empleos de construcción. Ya en operación creará aproximadamente 150 nuevos empleos permanentes.

“Estamos seguros de que este proyecto, que será el primero de su clase que se desarrolle en Puerto Rico, aportará a mejorar la calidad de vida de los puertorriqueños y en especial la de los arecibeños, cuyas comunidades por años han sufrido el efecto negativo de la operación de un vertedero que no cumple con las leyes y reglamentos aplicables, y que representa un daño a la salud y el medio ambiente”, sostuvo Vélez Arocho.

Proposed $500M waste-to-energy plant in Arecibo would adopt U.S. methods (http://newsismybusiness.com/?p=1522)
Written by Michelle Kantrow // May 31, 2011 // Environment // 7 Comments

By Melissa Zayas-Moreno
Special contributor to News is my Business
mzmoreno23@gmail.com

Rochester, MA — Puerto Rico residents generate between 11,000 and 12,000 tons of waste, or about five pounds per person, every day that goes straight to the island’s landfills. However, through the proposed Puerto Rico Resource and Renewable Energy Project, that habit can change and what is considered waste today could be recycled as fuel in the near future.


Artist rendering of the the proposed Puerto Rico Resource and Renewable Energy Project in Arecibo.

In about six months, construction of the first plant capable of receiving up to 2,100 tons of waste per day to convert it into biofuel will begin in Arecibo. The proposed $500 million waste-to-energy plant owned by Albany, NY-based Energy Answers would generate 80 megawatts of energy and would create some 150 new ‘green collar’ permanent jobs.

This reporter recently got the opportunity to travel to the South Eastern Massachusetts waste-to-energy facility in Rochester, which for the past 20 years has been using the same technology that would be installed at the Arecibo plant to address the island’s mounting solid waste problem.

The SEMASS plant collects more than 3,000 tons of waste on a daily basis. Under strict U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, and the watchful eyes of neighbors and farmers, the plant recovers, recycles and composts the waste to draw non-polluting fuel.

“To face economic challenges, citizens have to learn how to deal with garbage and understand where it’s coming from,” said Energy Answers Vice President Mary Ann Mahoney, during the visit to SEMASS in Rochester, MA. “Recyclable material is separated.”

The Northeastern plant produces 12 million megawatt hours of electricity, industrial steam, has recovered more than 700,000 tons of ferrous metals and 60,000 tons of non-ferrous metals, and recycles thousands of gallons of waste sludge. This operation uses regulated solid waste to maintain a clean environment.

“The technology used in this resource recovery facility consists of recycling, composting and reusing. With garbage there are only two options, to deposit it in a landfill or use it as a fuel and recycle more material. But a landfill is a waste of space,” Mahoney added.

Reuse, recycle, compost
The first step in the waste-to-energy conversion process consists of reusing, recycling and composting solid wastes. Most of the materials used in homes have a second use, others have to be deposited in the trash. In the case of the resource recovery plant, materials that aren’t recyclable are processed.

The remaining material is then used to produce biofuel. Waste is shredded to facilitate the burning process. When it becomes ashes, it has to be stabilized using lime based mineral obtained from landfills.

The next step consists of generating clean energy as the fuel goes through three boilers, which generate water vapor to produce energy. It can also generate ash, which must be disposed as a sanitary filing.

“The burn is done in an efficient manner without making big smoke to maintain the highest level of control,” she said.


Energy Answers Vice President Mary Ann Mahoney (Credit: Melissa Zayas-Moreno)

Gas emissions produced during the process of creating fuel go through sophisticated filters, reducing contaminants to the environment, company officials said. After the combustion process, ferrous and non-ferrous metals are recovered, and aggregates can be used in other industries. The EPA requires continuous emissions monitoring that produce computerized daily reports.

Since its establishment in 1991, the SEMASS facility has processed more than 20 million tons of waste. Interestingly, coins found in the process of sifting the material are returned to the U.S. Treasury Department. To date, that amount tops out at about $1,000 a day.

Rochester claims benefits
During the trip to the facility, this reporter also spoke to cranberry farmers working next to the operation who said the SEMASS complex has not caused problems to fruit crops near the plant or upon the health of the neighbors, said farm owner Brad Morris.

That information is relevant to the island, as the proposed plant would be located in a town anchored by farming.

Meanwhile, information provided by the Plymouth County Directorate of Public Works shows that the annual average of solid waste generated by some 11,552 families at three transfer stations is 11,782 tons. The solid waste delivered to those transfer stations benefits both the town and the SEMASS plant, as residents have to pay an annual fee to dispose of their trash.

That money, or about $1.9 million, is used for education programs. The waste not processed at the transfer stations is sent to SEMASS for recycling, to generate fuel that is subsequently sold to the state’s power authority. At present, 64 percent of the recyclable material is obtained from Plymouth county.

In Puerto Rico, Energy Answers would sell 70 of the 80 megawatts of the energy it would produce to the Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority, at a reasonable cost. But because EPA’s regulations are strict, only 20 percent of solid waste generated on the island can be used in waste-to-energy projects.

Island waste facilities have short lifespan left
At present, there are about 30 landfills on the island, most with limited lifespans left. So, it would seem that the private initiative proposed for Arecibo, which requires no government financing for its construction or operation, would be a reasonable solution to the looming problem.

Javier Vélez-Arocho, former Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Secretary, said five landfills are expected to close during the next decade, so “it’s vital to find a way to manage waste because it will save space used in landfills and reduce contamination, while generating energy.”

Meanwhile, Alexis Molinares, ecologist and Energy Answers consultant said rather than burning fuel, “trash would be burned to create fuel since most of the material has a second use.”

The veteran environmentalist added that this recycling operation would lessen the island’s reliance on its limited landfill space and reduce the impact on water, land and air resources.

Cumple Energy Answers con un requisito de la EPA (http://www.elnuevodia.com/cumpleenergyanswersconunrequisitodelaepa-1243739.html)
La Agencia hará una “reunión pública” en Arecibo


La compañía proyecta una planta de conversión de desperdicios sólidos en Arecibo.
Por Gerardo E. Alvarado León / galvarado@elnuevodia.com

La compañía Energy Answers culminó la entrega de documentos relacionados a la planta de conversión de desperdicios sólidos a energía (“waste to energy”) que prevé erigir en Arecibo, información que actualmente es evaluada por la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA).

De paso, el director interino de la EPA en Puerto Rico y el Caribe, José Font, informó ayer que en verano convocará a una “reunión pública” en Arecibo, en la que se le presentará a la comunidad “el caso que estamos atendiendo en todos sus detalles”.

Luego, cuando la EPA haya tomado una “decisión preliminar” sobre el permiso de aire -conocido como “Prevención de Deterioro Significativo” (PSD)- que solicita Energy Answers, convocará una vista pública. La decisión de la EPA podría conocerse tan tarde como en octubre próximo.

“La diferencia entre una cosa y otra es que en la reunión pública contestaremos toda pregunta e inquietud, mientras que en la vista pública, como es un proceso formal, solo se aceptarán ponencias”, dijo Font, quien señaló que la EPA también está evaluando “unos permisos” que Energy Answers solicitó ante el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los Estados Unidos (USACE) sobre humedales.

“La semana pasada hubo una reunión en el USACE y se aclararon muchos asuntos, pero es un asunto que todavía está en curso”, aclaró Font.

Sobre este tema, el asesor ambiental de Energy Answers, Javier Vélez Arocho, indicó que son unos diques ubicados en el predio donde se construiría la planta que, como no se les dio mantenimiento, “se llenaron y se convirtieron en humedales”.

“Pero ya se llegó a un acuerdo a través de un proyecto de mitigación en el área, de tal manera que no hubiera pérdida neta de humedales. Estamos hablando de una cuerda de terreno”, expresó Vélez Arocho.

Comentó que Energy Answers también está en las “etapas finales de los permisos” con la Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA) y la Agencia Federal de Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA). La compañía necesita un permiso de la FAA porque la chimenea de la planta mide 300 pies de alto y estaría ubicada frente al aeropuerto regional de Arecibo. Asimismo, necesita un permiso de FEMA porque la planta estaría cercana a un área de inundación.
Vélez Arocho reconoció que la obtención de los permisos se ha demorado más de lo que la compañía contemplaba, pero que, al mismo tiempo, eso le ha permitido realizar “más de 100” charlas y orientaciones a diferentes sectores de Arecibo.

A nivel estatal, a Energy Anwers aún le falta obtener el permiso de aire de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental, así como el permiso de construcción de la Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos.

Entretanto, Javier Biaggi, portavoz del Comité Amplio de Arecibo en contra del Gasoducto y el Incinerador, afirmó que la oposición comunitaria a la planta “waste to energy” se ha fortalecido, incluso, se ha extendido a pueblos limítrofes como Quebradillas, Hatillo y Barceloneta.

“La compañía sigue inundando la radio con anuncios engañosos, prometiendo bonanzas económicas que no traerán. Me gustaría que nos probaran que lo que dicen es verdad. Este proyecto no es otra cosa que muerte y enfermedad”, dijo Biaggi, al insistir que la propuesta planta emitirá al aire metales tóxicos como plomo y mercurio.Recordó que todos los miércoles, de 12:00 p.m. a 1:00 p.m., en la plaza pública de Arecibo, el Comité da información a la comunidad y promueve otras alternativas, como el reciclaje.

Proposed Arecibo waste-to-energy plant gets EPA nod
Written by Michelle Kantrow // May 10, 2012 // Environment //


http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Arecibo-Revised-Rendering-with-Elevated-EPC-Buildings-Energy-answers.jpeg
Artist rendering of the the proposed Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Project in Arecibo.

The proposed $500 million waste-to-energy plant that Albany, NY-based Energy Answers is seeking to build in Arecibo got an important endorsement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency earlier this week, when it approved a key permit needed to move the project forward.

In a letter sent to the proponent, the EPA determined the project meets stringent air standards in place to protect human health and the environment.

Energy Answers’ proposed project, known as the Arecibo Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Project, will consist of two identical municipal waste combustors units a steam turbine-electrical generator, ash handling system, a carbon storage silo, a lime storage silo, an emergency diesel generator, an emergency diesel fire pump, one ammonia and three distillate fuel oil No.2 storage tanks, and a mechanical draft wet cooling tower.

Once operational, the facility will be capable of receiving up to 2,100 tons of waste per day to convert it into biofuel. At present, there are about 30 landfills on the island, most with limited lifespans left.

So, it would seem that the private initiative proposed for Arecibo, which requires no government financing for its construction or operation, would be a reasonable solution to the looming problem.

While the project has gotten the go-ahead from several local regulatory agencies, it has raised concerns among neighbors who fear for the harmful effects the plant’s processes could have on their health.

“This preliminary approval is further validation of the approvals received from local agencies, that Energy Answers proposal is safe and capable of operating within all applicable standards,” said Mark Green, director of the Arecibo project.

“We consider it a breakthrough for solid waste management in Puerto Rico and the production of alternative renewable energy,” he said. “We’re one step closer to having the opportunity to have a proven technology to convert waste into energy, new in the history of Puerto Rico, which will ensure environmentally responsible waste management with far less environmental impact than our current practices.”

In its letter, the EPA said the preliminary permit is subject to public comment, after which a final determination will be made.

“We’re confident this project is part of the real solution for waste management in the northern area and in turn have a positive effect on the economy of Arecibo and its neighboring towns by creating new economic development and jobs, which are badly needed in that region,” Green concluded.

http://newsismybusiness.com/proposed-arecibo-waste-to-energy-plant-gets-epa-nod/

Yo sólo pido que se comienze un proceso de reciclaje. :((((

Y que se respete la reserva natural aledaña a este lugar, que no le drenen su agua como pretendieron hacer hace poco.

Se debe crear una corporación pública de reciclaje, que funcione parecido a la AEE o la AAA (fiscalmente autónoma, así que debe encargarse de garantizar su propia solvencia). Sino sería crear una APP de reciclaje. Debería funcionar de esta forma:

- La misma debe proveer el servicio de recogido de materiales. Los materiales comunes siendo recogidos de las casas, comercios, industrias o edificios de instituciones, pero éstos deben estar preclasificados, sino se multa al encargado de la residencia, comercio, industria o institución que no cumpla.

- Para los desperdicios menos cotidianos (ej. electrónicos, materiales tóxicos) debe proveer centros de acopio y servicio de recogido si se trata de un caso excepcional (mucha cantidad o muy peligroso)

- La misma debe reprocesar el material y añadirle valor creando productos útiles en la medida de lo posible (el no hacer esta parte impediría que desarrolle cualquier viso de rentabilidad).

- Los desperdicios orgánicos en general que no tienen utilidad en su forma de desecho (alimentos, aceites de maquinaria y escombros vegetativos) han de ser convertidos en biocombustibles.

- Los desperdicios orgánicos fácilmente reprocesables (particularmente papel y cartón) deben se reciclados para reconstituir nuevo material de su tipo.

- Los desperdicios de madera, de ser posible, pueden ser convertidos en productos de madera que no requieran la integridad de las piezas como una sola unidad grande.

- Los metales comunes (hierro, aceros, cobre, aluminio) pueden servir para crear cosas que necesite el Gobierno (ej. vallas de seguridad de carreteras, tuberías de agua potable).

- Los plásticos fáciles de reciclar (códigos 1 y 2) pueden ser procesados para muchas cosas

- Los plásticos difíciles de reciclar (códigos 3 al 6) deben ser incinerados (waste to energy) hasta tanto se desarrolle alguna forma de reciclaros con facilidad.

Si hay otra cosa que se pueda hacer que alguien abunde o corrija, según sea el caso.

-

EPA to hold public meeting, hearing on permit for Arecibo waste-to-energy plant

Written by Michelle Kantrow (http://newsismybusiness.com/author/mkantrow/) // May 15, 2012 // Environment (http://newsismybusiness.com/category/environment/) // No comments (http://newsismybusiness.com/epa-to-hold-public-meeting-hearing-on-permit-for-arecibo-waste-to-energy-plant/#respond)

http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Arecibo-Site-Energy-Answers-300x217.jpg (http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Arecibo-Site-Energy-Answers.jpg)
The proposed waste-to-energy plant's location in Arecibo.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it will hold a public hearing June 25 to give the public a chance to express their concerns about the proposed waste-to-energy plant project slated for Arecibo, where Energy Answers International Inc. is looking to build a 77-megawatt incinerator.
As News is my Business reported (http://newsismybusiness.com/proposed-arecibo-waste-to-energy-plant-gets-epa-nod/), last week, the EPA approved a key permit the Albany, NY-based company needed to move the $500 million project forward. The EPA determined the project meets stringent air standards in place to protect human health and the environment.
Leading up to the public meeting, the EPA also said it is accepting public comments on its proposed action to grant final approval of the air permit needed to break ground on the project that would go up at the former site of the Global Fibers Paper Mill in Barrio Cambalache.
“The EPA encourages public participation and input in this decision. The EPA will host a public availability session to allow an informal opportunity for the public to learn about the proposed permit,” said the agency, referring to the session slated for May 23, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo campus theater.
As the EPA seeks public comments, Energy Answers officials will meet with members of the media today to discuss the advancements it has made in the permits process and answer questions related to the preliminary go-ahead from the agency.
The EPA is proposing an air permit for the facility after evaluating the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it to EPA air quality standards, which are established to protect public health. The EPA’s evaluation also included assessing the impact of the facility on nearby low-income communities. Based on information available to date, EPA has concluded that operation of the Arecibo facility will not cause any health standards to be exceeded or any communities to be disproportionately impacted.
However, prior to issuing its final decision, the agency will hold a formal public hearing next month, starting at 6 p.m. “until the last speaker has been heard,” at the same venue. The public comment period will end on that day.
“Comments given at this hearing will be part of the official public record and will be considered as comments on the air permit,” the agency noted. “EPA encourages all interested parties to participate of the public availability session and to submit comments on the proposed action either in writing or by participating of the public hearing.”
Energy Answers’ proposed project, known as the Arecibo Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Project, will be capable of receiving up to 2,100 tons of waste per day to convert it into biofuel. At present, there are about 30 landfills on the island, most with limited lifespans left.
To obtain the EPA permit, Energy Answers was required, among other things, to demonstrate that the pollution controls on the plant are “as strict or stricter than any other plant being built in the United States today.”
The EPA has included these pollution controls, which are considered the best pollution control technology available, as requirements in the proposed permit, that also requires Energy Answers to test the pollution it emits to the atmosphere, once operational.
Public comments may be mailed or emailed to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Permitting Section, Air Programs Branch, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007, Attention: Steven C. Riva, or to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, City View Plaza III-Suite 7000, #48 Rd. 165 km 1.2, Guaynabo, PR 00968-8069, Attention: José Font.


http://newsismybusiness.com/epa-to-hold-public-meeting-hearing-on-permit-for-arecibo-waste-to-energy-plant/

Arecibo WTE project said key to solid waste management (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/news02.php?nw_id=7095&ct_id=0)
By : JOHN MARINO
marino@caribbeanbusinesspr.com
Edition: May 24, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 20

Puerto Rico government banking on WTE, recycling and waste reduction as a new wave of landfill closings looms
Environmental Quality Board President Pedro Nieves Miranda hailed the preliminary endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a proposed waste-to-energy plant in Arecibo, saying the plant is a necessary part of government plans to handle its solid waste problem in the future.

"Puerto Rico is still 35 miles by 100 miles. It isn't growing," Nieves Miranda said. "This waste-to-energy [WTE] plant is part of the solution to handling our solid waste problem, along with increased waste reduction and recycling."

The EQB chief declined to call the move a "big step forward," saying he would wait until the EPA gives final approval to the project before using that terminology.

The EPA told developer Energy Answers earlier this month that it has made a preliminary determination to approve the company's Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit subject to public review. A final decision must be made by next October, which will be one year after the developer submitted all its paperwork to the federal regulator and addressed all its initial requests for additional information.

EPA officials are planning to have a community meeting in Arecibo next month to receive public commentary, and then submit a final draft for a public comment period, which will last 45 days.

There are about 29 landfills in Puerto Rico and not one meets federal standards. Except for a handful, most are expected to be shut down within two years.

Nieves Miranda said the government is banking on at least one of four proposed WTE projects being in operation before the next wave of landfill closings takes place, so that Puerto Rico can continue handling its solid waste.

Energy Answers officials also hailed the move and said it showed its project is "safe and complies with the strictest U.S. air standards."

"This is a big step for the handling of solid waste in Puerto Rico and for the island to leave behind antiquated practices that have done so much harm to our natural resources and communities," said Rafael Toro, an environmental consultant with Energy Answers.

Alexis Molinares, another project environmental consultant, said the EPA's analysis shows that the Energy Answers proposal will use the "most modern and technologically advanced" system available.

Former Natural & Environmental Resources Secretary Javier Vélez Arocho, another company consultant, said the project would provide a solution for handling solid waste along the north coast while boosting the Arecibo area's economy.

Energy Answers says the plant would pump nearly $500 million into the island economy, and create 3,800 jobs during the construction phase and 150 permanent jobs once in operation.

"[The EPA analysis] shows that the Energy Answers proposal meets the strict standards established to protect human health and the environment," the company said in a statement. "This preliminary approval represents additional validation to the approval granted by local agencies that the Energy Answers proposal is safe and able to operate within applicable standards."

Energy Answers has worked hard to build community support for its proposed WTE plant in the Cambalache sector of Arecibo. The New York-based company has staged more than 100 presentations for residents of the north-coast town through its "Dialoguing with Arecibo" community outreach program.

The proposed WTE plant would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of alternative energy in the process.

The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery & recycling operation.

"This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico's reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island's recycling rate and reduce the environmental impact on the water, land and air resources of Puerto Rico," the company added.

The project would be constructed on about 40 acres of the site and will include fully enclosed waste receiving, processing, energy recovery and ash processing operations.

Arecibo residents express mixed feelings about waste-to-energy plant project

Written by Michelle Kantrow (http://newsismybusiness.com/author/mkantrow/) // May 25, 2012 // Environment (http://newsismybusiness.com/category/environment/) // No comments (http://newsismybusiness.com/arecibo-residents-express-mixed-feelings-about-waste-to-energy-plant-project/#respond)

http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/VISTA-EN-LA-UPR-23-DE-MAYO-7-300x200.jpg (http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/VISTA-EN-LA-UPR-23-DE-MAYO-7.jpg)
Dozens of Arecibo-area residents attended this week's informative meeting.

Arecibo-area residents got their chance to express their concerns about the waste-to-energy incinerator project that New York-based Energy Answers is proposing to build in their neighborhood during an informative meeting that drew heavy participation this week.
A handful of them took the opportunity to present their opposition to the $500 million waste processing plant, pointing out the potential contamination risks to the air that could lead to deadly consequences.
“Arecibo can not take any more contamination. We have a landfill that pollutes and fails, a battery plant that also failed and pollutes our town, and now they also want to build an incinerator. Who’s to say that it will comply?” said Jessica Seigle, an Arecibo resident and head of the Zero Trash Committee that heads a grassroots recycling effort.
She was one of several neighbors who showed up at the hearing clad in black T-shirts and wearing face masks with hand-written messages on them, including “cancer,” “asthma,” and “dioxins,” referring to the potential problems that could be associated with the plant’s operation down the road.
Energy Answers’ proposed project, known as the Arecibo Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Project, will be capable of receiving up to 2,100 tons of waste per day to convert it into biofuel. At present, there are about 30 landfills on the island, most with limited lifespans left.
During the session, environmental chemist Osvaldo Rosario questioned “the math,” saying it “made no sense when they say they’re going to burn 2,100 tons of waste per day and will only generate 400 tons of ash.”
“Does that mean the remaining 1,700 tons will come out of the chimney? Matter is neither destroyed nor created. Garbage is full of material that when burned, becomes toxins. Something doesn’t add up here,” he said.

http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/VISTA-EN-LA-UPR-23-DE-MAYO-3-300x200.jpg (http://newsismybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/VISTA-EN-LA-UPR-23-DE-MAYO-3.jpg)
A group of residents expressed their support of the incinerator.

Positive feedback

Meanwhile, Energy Answers’ environmental advisors said to be pleased with the broad citizen participation during Wednesday night’s meeting hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency — which already gave the plant a preliminary go-ahead — saying the support is there.
“We’re pleased with the public meeting and the support we got from Arecibo residents who publicly expressed their support of the plant proposed by Energy Answers,” said ecologist Alexis Molinares, environmental advisor to the company.
He said the four-hour meeting “was a great opportunity to clear up doubts and questions regarding the EPA’s preliminary air permit had by the Arecibo community.”
“Last night [Wednesday] it was made clear by the EPA to the community that the technology proposed by Energy Answers is safe for the residents of Arecibo and Puerto Rico and that it will comply with stricter U.S. air standards,” said Rafael Toro, chemical engineer and environmental lawyer for Energy Answers.
Earlier this month, the EPA determined the project meets stringent air standards in place to protect human health and the environment, granting it a preliminary air permit. Toro said that approval was a “great step” toward achieving appropriate solid waste management on the island.
This week’s session is the latest in a string of more than 100 meetings Energy Answers has had with Arecibo community residents. So far, the company has obtained more than 5,000 signatures from residents who endorse the project, Energy Answers officials said.


http://newsismybusiness.com/arecibo-residents-express-mixed-feelings-about-waste-to-energy-plant-project/

En compás de espera Energy Answers
 (http://www.vocero.com/en-compas-de-espera-energy-answers%E2%80%A8/)
25 de mayo de 2012 - Actualidad, Ambiente - Yennifer Álvarez-Jaimes
Los proponentes del proyecto esperan únicamente por los permisos de la EPA y el Cuerpo de Ingenieros para establecer la planta en Arecibo.



Los residentes de Arecibo conocerán en o antes del 11 de octubre el futuro de la planta de producción de energía y recuperación de materiales (waste-to-energy), según José Font, director interino de la Agencia federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés).

En entrevista con EL VOCERO, el funcionario federal informó que la comunidad tiene hasta el 29 de junio para someter sus comentarios sobre el proyecto por escrito, ante la EPA. Además, el 25 de junio podrán emitir sus comentarios en una audiencia pública a las 6:00 pm, en el Anfiteatro del Recinto de Arecibo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.
“No se emitirá una decisión hasta tanto todos los comentarios públicos sean evaluados”, aseguró el funcionario.
La agencia federal emitió un permiso preliminar de aire para la planta propuesta por Energy Answers.

Font añadió que el permiso preliminar fue otorgado porque, al momento, la propuesta de la compañía cumple con los requisitos establecidos.

“La propuesta de la compañía Energy Answers, si operara conforme a los requisitos establecidos no debe contribuir a un deterioro de las condiciones de aire permanecientes en la cuenca de Arecibo”, explicó.
Agregó que de ser otorgado el permiso y la planta comenzar las operaciones en Arecibo, la EPA fiscaliza el cumplimiento. Señaló que Energy Answers tendría que monitorear el aire y someter a la EPA la información que demuestre cuáles son sus emisiones. La secuencia y los parámetros de monitoreo y fiscalización se determinarán en el permiso, si finalmente es otorgado.

La planta –que ya cuenta con los permisos locales– tendría una capacidad para procesar 2,100 toneladas de basura por día y una generación de 80 MW. 
Además de esperar por el permiso de aire que otorga la EPA, espera por la aprobación del Cuerpo de Ingenieros de Estados Unidos (USACE, por sus siglas en inglés) para mitigar dos cuerdas de humedales en la parte posterior de donde se proyecta construir la planta, en el barrio Cambalache de Arecibo.

En cuanto a cómo se distribuirían los desperdicios recibidos allí habría que ver cuántos acaban siendo reciclados como materiales no combustibles, cuáles acaban siendo quemados, cuántos serán cenizas y cuántos serán reciclados como biocombustibles a usarse en otro sitio.

Si entran 2,100 toneladas diarias y 400 serán cenizas hay que ver cómo se distribuyen las otras 1,700. Lo ideal es que se maximize la porción reciclable y se minimize la porción de emisiones gaseosas.

Si las 2,100 toneladas es lo que se va a quemar para convertir a energía, la diferencia entre lo que entra y las cenizas que salen son las emisiones de gases. Lo que entra tiene que salir por algún lado y lo que no sale como cenizas forzosamente tiene que salir como gases.

Contention over proposed Arecibo waste-to-energy plant

June 22, 2012

By John McPhaul

Of the Daily Sun staff

The wording of a Solid Waste Authority administrative order has become a point of contention between opponents of the proposed waste-to-energy plant in Arecibo and its developers.
The 2011 administrative order requires that, for the approval of any waste-to-energy plant, the proponent of the plant must have experience in processing a minimum of 250 tons a day of solid waste in two installations over an uninterrupted period of three years.
“Said installations must be in operation at the moment of presenting the proposal and have to be located within the United States,” says the administrative order.
The Puerto Rico Sierra Club held a press conference Thursday in tandem with other opponents to the Arecibo plant to report that Energy Answers, the proponent of the plant, sold its model SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility in Massachusetts in 1996.
“This plant has been held out as a model by the company for the Arecibo plant, though they haven’t owned it since 1996,” said Puerto Rico Sierra Club President Orlando Negrón.
According to the company’s web site, in 2007, Energy Answers sold all its U.S, operating assets, including the Pioneer Valley Resources Recovery Facility, the Pittsfield Resources Recovery Facility, the Cape Resources Company, all in Massachusetts, the B-3 Transfer Station, eco/Waste Services and eco/Transportation Services.
According to Negrón, because the company is not currently operating any plants in the United States, it does not qualify to build the Arecibo plant under the terms of the Solid Waste Authority administrative order.
“The non-compliance with current regulations is clear, which represents a true risk for the health of the population of Arecibo and the neighboring municipalities,” said Negrón.

Energy Answers was quick to respond with a press release, stating that the company is in full compliance with the administrative order.
The company’s attorney, Rafael Toro, pointed to the many plants it has operated for an uninterrupted period of more than three years as stipulated by the administrative order.
“It is important to highlight that all these installations were operating at the moment that Energy Answers submitted its proposal for Arecibo in the year 2010 and they are presently operating, as the administrative order requires,” said Toro.
Negrón responded that Toro was stretching the language of the order.
“Why are they gong to attribute to themselves the operation of plants that are not theirs,” said Negrón. “If they left the business, then they left the business.”
He said that the company wants to reestablish its credentials with the Arecibo plant in order to obtain permission for more plants in other jurisdictions, even though no waste-to-energy plants have been built in more than a decade.
“Since 1995 there has hasn’t been a new incinerator,” said Negrón. “If we put a new incinerator we go against the current.”
Toro said that the Arecibo waste-to-energy plant was evaluated and endorsed by the Solid Waste Authority and the other state agencies with jurisdiction over the plant, as part of the permit process at the state level and that the proposed facility recently obtained a preliminary air quality permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA will hold a public hearing on the permit at the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo campus at 6:00 p.m. at the campus’ theater.
Also at the press conference in the Sierra Club’s Río Piedras office was Dr. Angel A. González of the Medical-Surgeons Association, who said that the company doesn’t have the experience or expertise it claims.
“They have two years to obtain the air quality permit and the EPA has had to return, on various occasions, the permit application for information deficiencies,” said González.
Arecibo Dr. Eduardo Ibarra said that the island should follow the lead of other jurisdictions around the world and shoot for recycling, reusing and reducing garbage, noting that in other parts of the world, jurisdictions have met their recycling goals in matters of months not years.
“There is only one problem (in Puerto Rico) and it’s summed up in two words: political will,” said Ibarra.

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Contention-over-proposed-Arecibo-waste-to-energy-plant

EPA sets public hearing on WTE plant

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is still accepting public comments on its proposed action to approve an air permit to construct a garbage incinerator in Arecibo and will hold a public hearing on the issue next week in the north coast town. Energy Answers International, Inc. has proposed to construct a new 77-megawatt waste-to-energy (WTE) facility at the former site of the Global Fibers Paper Mill in Barrio Cambalache.
The EPA will hold a formal public hearing on June 25 at 6 p.m.in the theater of the University of Puerto Rico’s Arecibo campus, which is located in the Business Administration building.
Comments given at this hearing will be part of the official public record and will be considered as comments on the air permit. EPA encourages all interested parties to participate in the public hearing and to submit comments on the proposed action either in writing or by participating at the public hearing.
The EPA is proposing an air permit for the facility after evaluating the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it to EPA air quality standards which are established to protect public health. The EPA’s evaluation also included assessing the impact of the facility on nearby low-income communities. Based on information available to date, EPA has concluded that operation of the facility will not cause any health standards to be exceeded or any communities to be disproportionately and adversely impacted.
To obtain an the EPA permit, Energy Answers was also required to demonstrate that the pollution controls on the plant are as strict or stricter than any other plant being built in the United States today. The EPA has included these pollution controls, which are considered the best pollution control technology available, as requirements in the proposed permit.

The proposed permit also requires Energy Answers to test the pollution it emits to the atmosphere. Before the facility can begin full operation it must demonstrate it meets the pollution limits the EPA is proposing to establish. The permit requires pollution levels to be measured and reported to the EPA during operation. Failure to meet any of these standards would subject the facility to EPA enforcement actions.
Written comments may be submitted at any time during the comment period, which remains open until June 29. EPA’s final permit decision will be made only after full consideration of all public comments received.
New York-based Energy Answers has worked to build community support for its proposed waste-to-energy plant through dozens of presentations for residents through its “Dialoguing with Arecibo” community outreach program.
The proposed waste-to-energy plant would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of alternative energy in the process.
Energy Answers says the plant would pump $350 million into the island economy and create 3,800 jobs during the construction phase.
The plant will represent a private sector investment of approximately $500 million in renewable energy and solid waste management infrastructure and provide approximately 150 new, “green collar” permanent jobs, according to Energy Answers.
The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery and recycling operation.
“This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico’s reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island’s recycling rate and reduce decrease the environmental impact on the water, land and air resource of Puerto Rico,” Energy Answers says on its website.
The project would be constructed on approximately 40 acres of the site and will include fully enclosed waste receiving, processing, energy recovery and ash processing operations.


http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=73197&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

EPA waste-to-energy hearing ends with shouting

June 26, 2012

By Noticell

After the opponents of the Energy Answers incinerator in Arecibo rejected with shouts the time limit to give testimony, the Environmental Protection Agency shut off the microphones and abruptly ended the public hearing on the project which took place in the theater of the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo campus Monday evening.
The hearing started in a heated manner and remained that way, as was evidenced in the Internet transmission, in which could be heard the chants of “EPA cheaters” by a group of opponents.
The hearing, directed by Teresa Rodríguez, interem director of the EPA Puerto Rico and Caribbean office, was held to give the community the opportunity to publicly express itself on the permit of the Energy Answers garbage incineration plant, which has the preliminary approval of the EPA.
“We’re sorry for what took place, it was the opportunity for people to express themselves, comment on the process and the permit. But we think that the opportunity was lost. We took weeks inviting the community to participate, but there were some who didn’t come to participate, they came to disrupt the process and that is not the way to express yourself about this project,” Energy Answers attorney Rafael told Mi Puerto Rico Verde in a telephone interview.”It was a little group and we’re sorry that not all the interested parties could express themselves.”

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/EPA-waste-to-energy-hearing-ends-with-shouting

:ohno:

despues que presenten un plan comprensivo y eficiente para sacar los desechos que sobran sin que esto contaminen el ambiente...tienen mi apoyo

tienen que sacarlos del pais.

Para manejar desechos existen varias formas de hacerlo, cada una con sus ventajas y desventajas:

* incineración: los reduces a cenizas y gases de combustión. Reduce dramáticamente el espacio que ocupan y se les extrae energía, pero sigue siendo una opción contaminante. Las cenizas pueden tener ciertos usos como agregados de materiales, pero su utilidad y seguridad para este propósito es frecuentemente cuestionada porque concentran sólidos tóxicos en forma de particulado fino.

* reciclaje: los desechos se reprocesan para volverse a usar como materia prima. Reduce gastos de importación, impide que lleguen al medio ambiente como contaminantes pero tiende a ser una opción cara y dependiente de una estructura gubernamental (políticas que penalicen fuertemente la disposición de desperdicios de otras formas, políticas que faciliten el acopio y reprocesamiento de materiales), económica (presupuesto e industrias que tengan interés en usar los materiales reciclados) y social (cultura de reciclaje que toma tiempo en desarrollar).

* exportación de desperdicios: se envían los desperdicios fuera del País. Es beneficioso para el importador si éste tiene un sistema de reciclaje muy desarrollado y seguro (ej. Dinamarca importa desperdicios para reciclaje), pero es malo si el sistema no es desarrollado o si simplemente no se reciclan (situación de cuando se exportan a países pobres, en donde causarán más contaminación por manejo negligente).

* más vertederos locales: significa perder tierras que deberían tener otros usos (urbano, agrícola, natural); las formas más seguras de vertederos tienden a ser de alto costo y los desperdicios comoquiera no pasan a tener usos posteriores en un mundo con recursos finitos.

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/8625/image27a.jpg

tienen que sacarlos del pais.

Para enviárselos a quién?

Waste-to-energy project in Arecibo will give big boost to Puerto Rico economy (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/news02.php?nw_id=7237&ct_id=0)
By : JOHN MARINO
marino@caribbeanbusinesspr.com
Edition: June 28, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 25

Waste-to-energy, recycling of garbage to jolt Puerto Rico’s economy

The time for garbage talk in Puerto Rico is over.

After decades of discussion and little action about an impending solid waste crisis, Puerto Rico is finally cleaning up its own garbage. That's not only great news for the environment but for the economy as well.

A proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Arecibo promises to create 3,800 jobs over the next two to three years, and increased recycling will create an additional 1,300 jobs in that sector, according to official estimates. Meanwhile, a functioning WTE plant in the northwest will allow authorities to shutter landfills in the ecologically sensitive karst region, which will help protect the island's largest supply of underground water.

By October 2014, most of the island's landfills could be shuttered, with only the few able to meet federal operating standards expected to remain open, according to an order issued last fall by the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (EQB).

The order followed years of threats by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to close down Puerto Rico's municipal trash sites because of shoddy management, substandard design and disappearing storage capability that has made them among the island's greatest environmental threats, blamed for polluting underground water supplies and the air, and for devouring acres of precious land on this 100-by-35-mile island, acreage that remains unfit for most activity even decades after closure.

The local Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA) says that unless something is done, Puerto Rico will run out of space to dispose of its trash by 2018. There are currently 28 landfills on the island, with four in the process of being closed. Most of the remaining landfills are expected to be shuttered over the next three years.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's recycling rate remains a miserably low 11.31%, despite a law calling for a 35% recycling rate by 2006, six years long past. Over the years, there have been numerous private-sector proposals for new, state-of-the-art landfills and waste-to-energy plants, but few new solid waste management infrastructure projects have been built over the years, a result of a lack of political will and the "not in my backyard," or Nimby, opposition that such projects generate.

Moreover, the federal and commonwealth governments have clashing views as to the best way to resolve the situation, which is increasing tensions between U.S. and Puerto Rico officials as a number of important infrastructure projects are being reviewed by stateside regulatory agencies.

Such a bleak landscape prompted Guaynabo Mayor Héctor O'Neill, one of the few mayors to begin a mandatory recycling program, to warn recently that the solid waste management situation in Puerto Rico could become the island's next major crisis.

"Puerto Rico's worst problem won't be its economic downturn in the next 10 years," he recently told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS. "It won't be its water and sewer system or its roads, either. The worst problem will be waste management and disposal."

The good news, however, is that cleaning up its garbage problem will be a boon to Puerto Rico's economy. It will spark a $2.5 billion investment in solid waste infrastructure over the next 20 years, according to the SWMA, and should double the size of the island's recycling market, which accounts for $500 million annually and 1,300 jobs.

Economic Development & Commerce Secretary José Ramón Pérez- Riera said that waste management and recycling are priorities within his agency's plan for achieving sustainable long-term economic growth for Puerto Rico.

"These businesses will certainly help support economic growth and complement the re-ignition of manufacturing in Puerto Rico by creating value-added products that can be either used locally or exported," he said.

Moreover, there is a plan to manage the island's trash problem in the future, after the next wave of landfill closings, and it appears to have strong support. It was written by the previous Popular Democratic Party (PDP) administration of former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, and has been left largely intact by its successor, the current New Progressive Party (NPP) administration of Gov. Luis Fortuño. Such bipartisan support for the plan will be necessary for its implementation.

Most importantly, big steps to implement the plan are finally being taken, with the biggest being the move to establish a waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Arecibo.

On the drawing board for some three decades, the $500 million Energy Answers Arecibo LLC WTE project has won the approval of local government agencies and received a preliminary endorsement from the EPA, which is overseeing a public hearing process on its draft permit this month. The project is expected to create 3,800 jobs in Arecibo during the construction phase and 150 permanent jobs once in operation (see related story on page 20).

DUELING PUBLIC POLICIES

Under the current administration of President Barack Obama, the EPA now officially opposes WTE for Puerto Rico after embracing it as a panacea for the island's trash problem for years under the previous administration of former President George W. Bush.

EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS that while WTE projects are legal, they may not be the most cost-efficient or environmentally beneficial approach to solid waste management for the island.

"The question is: Is it a sensible move for Puerto Rico? There have been proposals for upward of 30 years for WTE facilities, and none of them have been built," Enck said. "We are putting huge time and resources into promoting alternatives to both burying and burning. We would like to see a much more serious commitment to waste reduction, recycling and composting. We think the majority of Puerto Rico's waste stream can be handled that way. Then, for the things you absolutely can't reduce, recycle or compost, we would envision some limited landfilling."

"That strategy is not only environmentally sustainable, but it is cheaper for taxpayers and businesses," she added.

That view is in direct contrast to that of Enck's predecessor, former EPA Administrator Alan Steinberg, and the solid waste management plan of the Puerto Rico government through both NPP and PDP administrations.

EQB President Pedro Nieves Miranda said WTE has been part of Puerto Rico's official long-term solid waste management plan under the previous two administrations.

Nieves Miranda said the government is banking on at least one of as many as four proposed WTE projects being in operation before the next wave of landfill closings takes place, so Puerto Rico can continue handling its solid waste.

"Puerto Rico is still 35 miles by 100 miles. It isn't growing," Nieves Miranda said. "This waste-to-energy plant is part of the solution to handling our solid waste problem, along with increased waste reduction and recycling."

There are 87 waste-to-energy plants operating in the U.S., but more than 400 such plants in densely populated Europe, and proponents say Puerto Rico's limited size makes it a great candidate for the technology.

SWMA Executive Director Antonio Ríos said the Dynamic Itinerary, the island's long-term solid waste management plan, calls for two WTE plants in the northwest karst region, a unique geologic formation forged from underground rivers cutting through soluble limestone bedrock. Typical features include the "haystack- shaped" hills, known locally as mogotes, extensive caves and underground rivers and aquifers.

The region contains the island's most extensive freshwater aquifer and the largest remaining expanse of mature forest. It covers 27.5% of the island, accounts for the production of 105 million gallons of water daily and is home to more than 75 bird species, many of which are endangered.

In fact, Energy Answers explored 36 environmentally impacted sites on the island to locate its project and decided on the Arecibo location because seepage from its landfill was contaminating Tortuguero Lake and the vast underground water supplies of the karst zone, said Energy Answers Project Manager Mark Green.

"This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico's reliance on its severely limited landfill space, make a significant positive impact on the island's recycling rate and reduce the environmental impact on the water, land and air resources of Puerto Rico," he added.

INCREASING TENSIONS

The EPA, under Enck, has also clashed with the Fortuño administration over the proposed Vía Verde natural gas-pipeline project, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) operations and other issues.

During a visit in April, the regional administrator criticized the local government for the amount of public review granted to Vía Verde, and the governor shot back, publicly accusing Enck of being detached from the reality in Puerto Rico and of foot-dragging on several energy project permits. The EPA reviewed the Energy Answers project for seven months before granting the draft permit in May, after it won endorsements from local agencies.

There was also dissent within the EPA over these issues, and concerns that the agency's approach could make it more difficult for Puerto Rico to comply with a host of federal environmental regulations, sources said. This led to the exit of longtime EPA Puerto Rico Office Director Carl Soderberg, who took a leave from the EPA to head up an environmental compliance initiative with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority.

Several industry sources, speaking privately, also criticized the EPA for being too focused on Puerto Rico's air quality, while overlooking many of the violations at island landfills.

"I have seen things in Puerto Rico that they would throw you in jail for in New Jersey," said one industry source, pointing to unfenced and uncovered landfills, and others that allow contaminated liquids to leech from landfills through concrete conduits that drain into adjacent land or surface water.

Others critics say the EPA is establishing a false choice between WTE and recycling. They note that recycling just provides the raw material for an industrial process that must take place somewhere for the material to be reused, and that the process would produce the same emissions as a WTE project.

"What's wrong with incremental change? Why do you have to go from zero recycling to 35% in one fell swoop?" another source asked.

Ríos said the WTE plant should complement, rather than hinder, efforts to boost the level of recycling done here on the island.

"There are concerns about the impact WTE can have on recycling programs, but experience has shown the opposite to be true," states the SWMA Dynamic Itinerary. "Many communities using these technologies have achieved recycling and reuse rates that are higher than in areas that don't use these technologies."

The Arecibo plant will separate bulky waste, such as car batteries and tires as well as objects made of glass and ferrous and nonferrous metals, from the waste stream, and deliver it directly to recycling companies.

LANDFILL CLOSURES ADD URGENCY

Commonwealth and EPA officials say recycling will finally get off the ground in Puerto Rico because it has to, given the impending closure of most of the island's remaining landfills.

EQB President Nieves Miranda said he wouldn't just be ensuring landfill operators are complying with federal regulations, but also that they have the financial resources to continue operating the landfill and then to close it properly, in compliance with those regulations.

In the past, private operators would simply leave the landfill to the cash-strapped municipal government that owns it, which in turn would look to the commonwealth government to close it properly.

In fact, among the few productive uses for former landfills are to generate methane gas from the existing garbage or install solar power projects. Nieves Miranda said four deals between solar developers and municipalities should be signed before the year is over.

SWMA's Ríos wouldn't offer an estimate on the number of landfills to be closed, saying several could comply with federal regulations, but federal and industry officials expect all but a handful to be shuttered.

"All of Puerto Rico's noncompliant landfills are going to close. Recycling is inevitable," EPA's Enck told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS. "These companies will have a steady stream of glass and other materials."

"The majority of Puerto Rico's landfills are scheduled to be closed within the next couple of years," added Pérez-Riera. "As part of an interagency, integrated strategy, the effective management of existing and future waste streams—and the significant reduction of these streams either through reuse, recycling and/or conversion of waste to energy—from the perspectives of environmental protection and economic development, is clearly an important objective for DDEC [Economic Development & Commerce Department]."

Ríos said Puerto Rico's official recycling rate remains at the 11.31% it registered in 2008, but added he expects to see an improvement when a new recycling analysis is completed in the coming months. The target to reaching a 35% recycling rate by 2006 has since been pushed back to 2016.

The SWMA has been pushing municipalities to embrace recycling through training and a $7 million incentives program. Ríos said the agency is encouraging and supplementing the development of a "single-stream curbside recycling system," which has been proven the most effective in increasing recycling rates in many U.S. jurisdictions, as well as in the municipality of Guaynabo.

The commonwealth agency also has an $8 million annual fund to help landfills take measures to ensure compliance with EPA standards. The SWMA also recently implemented a scale program that is helping identify the volume of both waste generated and recyclable materials recovered on a monthly basis.

Meanwhile, with the help of American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, the SWMA was also able to buy 26 new trucks for municipal governments to use in recycling programs. Towns that have received, or are about to receive, the trucks are Aguada, Cabo Rojo, Las Marías, Ponce, Yauco, Aguas Buenas, Aguadilla, Barceloneta, Ciales, Cidra, Comerío, Guayama, Juana Díaz, Orocovis, Salinas, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto, Dorado, Guayanilla, Manatí, Canóvanas, Toa Baja, Arroyo, Aibonito, Yauco, Hormigueros, Florida, Vieques, Santa Isabel, Culebra, Adjuntas, Barranquitas, Naguabo, Villalba, Jayuya and Guayama.

The EPA's Enck, however, said Puerto Rico must get more serious about recycling. As part of the effort, the federal agency has established a Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership, which has held seven meetings. The group brings together business, the environmental community and municipal, local and federal government officials.

"We want every municipality in Puerto Rico to have a mandatory, convenient, easy recycling program for residents, and we are going to get there," Enck said.

RECYCLING GETS REAL

Convinced the lack of markets for recycled material is one of the primary reasons recycling hasn't taken off in Puerto Rico, the commonwealth government and the EPA are reaching out to attract recycling businesses here, with some success.

Recycling giant Hugo Neu Americas is establishing an operation in Guaynabo, which the company expects will create hundreds of jobs. Additionally, once fully rolled out, its recycling program may lead to the creation of ancillary service jobs, and its establishment will place Puerto Rico in a leadership position in the region, officials say.

"These types of companies not only support the creation of new jobs, but also support the development of local and regional markets, advancing our efforts to increase the level of products and services exported from Puerto Rico," Pérez-Riera said.

Recyclers may provide raw material to manufacturing entities that would otherwise have to import that material, Pérez-Riera explained. In this way, recycling supports and fortifies the local manufacturing supply chain and, therefore, manufacturing's job creation capabilities. Providing a robust supply chain to the local manufacturing sector and economy in general is another priority for DDEC.

Scrap metal firms on the island include American Micro Steel and Schintzer Steel, while other prominent firms in the field are Battery Recycling Co. (TBRC), a secondary lead smelter that recycles batteries, and Sofscape, which makes rubberized products from shredded tires.

Other companies such as Plastic Home Products, Jael Plastics, Agroambiente, Caribbean Composting, Caribe Recycling, Héctor Caro, Wooden Pallets, J. Torres Wooden Pallets, Demolition Pallets, Puerto Rico Pallets, Soil & Mulch, Edelcar, and Borinquen Scrap Metal and Comercial La Pino operate under a complete-cycle recycling framework, according to DDEC.

Local and federal government officials are also in conversations with a "major glass recycler" to open up on the island. The island has been without a glass operation since Owens-Illinois of Puerto Rico shut down its Vega Alta plant in 2008, with management attributing the move to the high cost of energy and the inability to find an affordable supply of silica, a principal raw material needed in the glass recycling process.

The plant also confronted operational issues such as an oven explosion in 2007, DDEC officials said. The plant was purchased by an investor from the Dominican Republic, who eventually transferred the Puerto Rico operations to that country, where a significant local supply of silica is available.

"Glass is also a priority for DDEC and the administration. As Prepa transitions to natural gas, this procurement-and-promotion effort should come into fruition and would continue to be a top priority for the next four years," Pérez-Riera said. "Puerto Rico has enough raw material in the form of nonrecycled glass to meet local demand. However, some silicate may need to be imported to produce higher-quality material as may be required by bottlers and the life sciences industry."

A NEW SYSTEM FOR OLD TIRES

Last year, the administration also revamped the system to oversee and incentivize the recycling and reuse of used tires.

The big change was the introduction of the TeleGoma telephone touch system (1-855-444-GOMA), which replaces a former paper manifest system, used by industry players and the government to both input data regarding used tires and track the trail of used tires through their purchase, pickup and ultimate disposal or reuse.

Paper receipts were used by tire stores, truckers and the businesses that process, recycle or export used tires whenever they received or delivered the tires. That paper trail was delivered in duplicate to both the commonwealth Treasury Department and the EQB, which would use the receipts to issue payments to the different players from a tax imposed on new tires, with the revenue going toward a used-tire fund held by Treasury.

The paper-intensive process delayed payments, was impossible to enforce and made it easy to cheat the system. The new system has improved the speed of payments and brought greater transparency to the system, officials said.

Moreover, the incentives were restructured to encourage the recycling and reuse, rather than just the disposal, of used tires. Up until now, most used tires have been exported to China, which burns them for energy or converts them into diesel fuel.

"This law now prioritizes the creation of employment and businesses related to the recycling and processing of used tires," Nieves Miranda said.

One of the more controversial aspects of the law is that it takes an incentive away from truckers and grants it entirely to processors, recyclers, exporters and related firms that undertake the "final disposal" of the used tire, ideally through productive reuse.

Truckers will then be paid by these firms for delivery via rates set by the free market.

The used tires can be used by island asphalt manufacturers to pave roads. Meanwhile, Sofscape Caribe, which makes rubber pavers from used tires for playgrounds, horse farms and other businesses, is investing several hundred thousand dollars to be able to process local used tires for its products. It has been importing more than 2.4 million pounds of crumb rubber a year.

"The waste management field has big business opportunities in the recycling of used tires, glass and a host of other materials, and the recent revamp of the tire recycling incentives should only add to the opportunity for those businesses," Pérez-Riera said.

EPA must respond to waste-to-energy firm by October

Proponents say Arecibo project will be a ‘big step forward’ for Puerto Rico

The proposed Energy Answers waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Arecibo would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts (MW) of energy in the process. The project would be constructed on about 40 acres of the site and will include fully enclosed waste receiving and processing, energy recovery and ash processing operations.

The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery & recycling operation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its tentative endorsement after months of rigorous review, against a backdrop of increasing tensions between commonwealth and federal officials during the review process of a number of projects of major importance.

The EPA told developer Energy Answers in May that it had made a preliminary determination to approve the company's Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit subject to public review. A final decision must be made by October 2012, which will be one year after the developer submitted all its paperwork to the federal regulator and addressed all its initial requests for additional information.

EPA officials held a 45-day public comment period, which concluded with a formal public hearing June 25, on the agency's draft permit.

The EPA has already spent months evaluating the Energy Answers application. In granting the preliminary approval, the agency evaluated the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it with EPA air-quality standards established to protect public health.

The EPA's evaluation also included assessing the impact of the facility on nearby low-income communities. Based on information available to date, the EPA has concluded that operation of the facility won't cause any health standards to be exceeded or any communities to be disproportionately or adversely impacted.

To obtain the EPA permit, Energy Answers was also required to demonstrate that the pollution controls on the plant are as strict or stricter than those of any other plant being built in the U.S. today. The EPA has included these pollution controls, which are considered the best pollution-control technology available, as requirements in the proposed permit.

The proposed permit also requires Energy Answers to test the pollution it releases into the atmosphere. Before the facility can begin full operation, it must demonstrate it meets the pollution limits the EPA is proposing to establish. The permit requires pollution levels to be measured and reported to the EPA during operation. Failure to meet any of these standards would subject the facility to EPA enforcement actions.

Energy Answers officials said the project's passing the intensive EPA review shows it is "safe and complies with the strictest U.S. air standards."

"This is a big step for the handling of solid waste in Puerto Rico, and for the island to leave behind antiquated practices that have done so much harm to our natural resources and communities," said Rafael Toro, an environmental consultant with Energy Answers.

Opponents' basic concern about the Energy Answers project is about its potential to pollute the air.

Concerns over air pollution stem from fears about old municipal waste-combustion units, known for their soot and smog, which operated stateside before the EPA began establishing emission limits back in the 1970s, Energy Answers officials say. Since then, new technology has reduced the emission of toxins such as dioxin/furan, mercury, cadmium and lead by 94% to 99% since 1990, according to the EPA.

"Opposition has been based on cherry-picked data from plants that don't even operate today," said Energy Answers Project Manager Mark Green. "Emissions-wise, it would be like comparing a 1965 lead-burning car to a modern-day hybrid."

Energy Answers uses patented processed- refuse-fuel (PRF) technology involving semi-suspension combustion using a spreader-stoker boiler, instead of the heat-recovery boiler used in a traditional mass-burn incinerator. PRF technology leads to more effi- cient energy production—800 kilowatt- hours (kWh) compared with 500 kWh under previous systems and to ash quantities that are 30% less than in mass-burn incineration. Water and stabilizer is added to the fl y (airborne) ash resulting from the combustion to turn it into a solid that can be used to produce construction material.

The technology was employed in the Southeastern Massachusetts Resource Recovery Facility (Semass) in Rochester, Mass., which the company developed and opened in January 1989. The plant, which processes about 1.2 million tons of solid waste a year and provides up to 80 MW of power, allowed the orderly closing of 16 landfills and the protection of groundwater reserves in the Cape Cod area, some eight miles from the plant, officials said.

The technology that will be used in Arecibo will also be employed by another company project slated for Baltimore, Green said. The EPA has already approved that project, although negotiations with area utilities have delayed it.

Other critics worry that a WTE plant will divert materials in the island's waste stream that could be used for recycling, undercutting efforts to start a robust recycling industry on the island. Officials say this assertion is wrong, and the Energy Answers project will sort materials for recycling as well as convert trash into energy.

Green said the construction of the Semass plant in Massachusetts increased recycling in Cape Cod to 34%, above the state rate of 28%. Some 115 tons of ferrous metals recovered by the plant each day are sold to a nearby steel mill. Some 15 tons of nonferrous materials that can't be recycled are recovered daily. The Arecibo project should have the same impact, he said.

"This may not be the ultimate solution, but the [Energy Answers] plant provides a vision for an alternative-energy source for the 10,000 tons of trash a day we generate here, and of which barely 10% is recycled," added Alexis Molinares, another project environmental consultant.

Molinares said the EPA's analysis shows the Energy Answers proposal will use the "most modern and technologically advanced" system available.

EPA sets new hearings on WTE plant (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=74297&ct_id=1&ct_name=1)
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a new series of public hearing sessions in August to accept public comments on its proposed action to approve an air permit to construct a waste-to-energy facility in Arecibo.
Energy Answers International Inc. has proposed to construct a new 77-megawatt facility at the former site of the Global Fibers paper mill in the Barrio Cambalache area of the north coast municipality.

The EPA scheduled the new hearings and extended the comment period on the proposed $500 million waste-to-energy (WTA) project following its abrupt cancellation of a planned hearing in late June after determining “that it was not possible to provide the intended productive opportunity for people to comment on the draft permit.”

The cancelled hearing at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo campus on the EPA’s proposed draft permit for the project was part of a broader public comment period that was to end on June 29.

The EPA is proposing an air permit for the facility after evaluating the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it to EPA air quality standards which are established to protect public health. The EPA’s evaluation also included assessing the impact of the facility on nearby low-income communities. Based on information available to date, EPA has concluded that operation of the facility will not cause any health standards to be exceeded or any communities to be disproportionately and adversely impacted.

To obtain an the EPA permit, Energy Answers was also required to demonstrate that the pollution controls on the plant are as strict or stricter than any other plant being built in the United States today. The EPA has included these pollution controls, which are considered the best pollution control technology available, as requirements in the proposed permit.

The proposed permit also requires Energy Answers to test the pollution it emits to the atmosphere. Before the facility can begin full operation it must demonstrate it meets the pollution limits the EPA is proposing to establish. The permit requires pollution levels to be measured and reported to the EPA during operation. Failure to meet any of these standards would subject the facility to EPA enforcement actions.

The proposed WTE plant would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of alternative energy in the process. Energy Answers says the plant would pump $350 million into the island economy and create 3,800 jobs during the construction phase.

The plant will represent a private sector investment of approximately $500 million in renewable energy and solid waste management infrastructure and provide approximately 150 new, “green collar” permanent jobs, according to Energy Answers.

The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery and recycling operation.

“This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico’s reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island’s recycling rate and reduce decrease the environmental impact on the water, land and air resource of Puerto Rico,” Energy Answers officials said.

The EPA will hold five formal public hearing sessions spread over three days from August 25-27.

The sessions will run on Saturday August 25 and Sunday, August 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Monday, August 27, a session will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The hearing sessions will all be held at the Arecibo Lions Club on Ing. Manuel T. Gillan Avenue in the El Tanque area of Arecibo.

The EPA will accept written comments or written presentations at the hearing and will allow each person wishing to give oral testimony for up to 10 minutes. Oral testimony and written comments submitted during the public hearing or anytime during the public comment period will be given equal consideration.

For the first four sessions on August 25 and 26, people who register ahead of time will be given preference in filling slots to testify in each session. People who register at the door will be accommodated in that session only if there are slots left in that session. If that session is full, the EPA will give that person a choice of sessions and still have open slots. The final session on August 27 will be preserved to accommodate those who signed up to, but were not able to, testify at previous sessions.

To pre-register for August 25 or 26, contact John Aponte of the EPA Caribbean Environmental Protection Division Office by email at Aponte.john@epa.gov or phone at 787-977-5853.

The EPA is extending the public comment period to coincide with the conclusion of the additional hearing sessions. Written comments may be submitted at any time during the comment period, which remains open until August 27. EPA’s final permit decision will be made only after full consideration of all public comments received.

Members of the public wishing to review the administrative record for the proposed decision, which includes all documents relevant to the EPA’s proposed permit, can make an appointment Monday – Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the EPA’s Caribbean Environmental Protection Division at City View Plaza III-Suite 7000 in Guaynabo. To make an appointment, contact John Aponte by email at Aponte.john@epa.gov or phone at 787-977-5853. The documents are also available online through the Interamerican University-Arecibo Campus website at http://www.arecibo.inter.edu/ reserva/epa/epa.htm#. In addition, the administrative record is also available for viewing in EPA’s New York offices at 290 Broadway in New York City.

EPA hearings on WTE plant near

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to finally kick off a new series of public hearing sessions this weekend to accept public comments on its proposed action to approve an air permit to construct a waste-to-energy facility in Arecibo. Energy Answers International Inc. has proposed to construct a new 77-megawatt facility at the former site of the Global Fibers paper mill in the Barrio Cambalache area of the north coast municipality.
The EPA scheduled the new hearings and extended the comment period on the proposed $500 million waste-to-energy (WTA) project following its abrupt cancellation of a planned hearing in late June after determining “that it was not possible to provide the intended productive opportunity for people to comment on the draft permit.”
The cancelled hearing at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo campus on the EPA’s proposed draft permit for the project was part of a broader public comment period that was to end on June 29.
The EPA is proposing an air permit for the facility after evaluating the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it to EPA air quality standards which are established to protect public health. The EPA’s evaluation also included assessing the impact of the facility on nearby low-income communities. Based on information available to date, EPA has concluded that operation of the facility will not cause any health standards to be exceeded or any communities to be disproportionately and adversely impacted.
To obtain an the EPA permit, Energy Answers was also required to demonstrate that the pollution controls on the plant are as strict or stricter than any other plant being built in the United States today. The EPA has included these pollution controls, which are considered the best pollution control technology available, as requirements in the proposed permit.


The proposed permit also requires Energy Answers to test the pollution it emits to the atmosphere. Before the facility can begin full operation it must demonstrate it meets the pollution limits the EPA is proposing to establish. The permit requires pollution levels to be measured and reported to the EPA during operation. Failure to meet any of these standards would subject the facility to EPA enforcement actions.
The proposed WTE plant would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of alternative energy in the process. Energy Answers says the plant would pump $350 million into the island economy and create 3,800 jobs during the construction phase.
The plant will represent a private sector investment of approximately $500 million in renewable energy and solid waste management infrastructure and provide approximately 150 new, “green collar” permanent jobs, according to Energy Answers.
The company has said the plant could be in service in the next three years and would establish an advanced materials recovery and recycling operation.
“This will dramatically lessen Puerto Rico’s reliance on its severely limited landfill space; make a significant positive impact on the island’s recycling rate and reduce decrease the environmental impact on the water, land and air resource of Puerto Rico,” Energy Answers officials said.
The EPA will hold five formal public hearing sessions spread over three days from August 25-27.
The sessions will run on Saturday August 25 and Sunday, August 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Monday, August 27, a session will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The hearing sessions will all be held at the Arecibo Lions Club on Ing. Manuel T. Gillan Avenue in the El Tanque area of Arecibo.
The EPA will accept written comments or written presentations at the hearing and will allow each person wishing to give oral testimony for up to 10 minutes. Oral testimony and written comments submitted during the public hearing or anytime during the public comment period will be given equal consideration.
For the first four sessions on August 25 and 26, people who register ahead of time will be given preference in filling slots to testify in each session. People who register at the door will be accommodated in that session only if there are slots left in that session. If that session is full, the EPA will give that person a choice of sessions and still have open slots. The final session on August 27 will be preserved to accommodate those who signed up to, but were not able to, testify at previous sessions.


To pre-register for August 25 or 26, contact John Aponte of the EPA Caribbean Environmental Protection Division Office by email at Aponte.john@epa.gov or phone at 787-977-5853.
The EPA is extending the public comment period to coincide with the conclusion of the additional hearing sessions. Written comments may be submitted at any time during the comment period, which remains open until August 27. EPA’s final permit decision will be made only after full consideration of all public comments received.
Members of the public wishing to review the administrative record for the proposed decision, which includes all documents relevant to the EPA’s proposed permit, can make an appointment Monday – Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the EPA’s Caribbean Environmental Protection Division at City View Plaza III-Suite 7000 in Guaynabo. To make an appointment, contact John Aponte by email at Aponte.john@epa.gov or phone at 787-977-5853. The documents are also available online through the Interamerican University-Arecibo Campus website at http://www.arecibo.inter.edu/ reserva/epa/epa.htm# (http://www.arecibo.inter.edu/reserva/epa/epa.htm). In addition, the administrative record is also available for viewing in EPA’s New York offices at 290 Broadway in New York City.


http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=75529&ct_id=1&ct_name=1

Miles de Arecibeños favorecen la planta “Waste to Energy” de Energy Answers


Redacción yasta.pr | 08/27/2012

http://www.yasta.pr/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RESIDENCIA-DE-AUREA-MIRANDA-25-DE-AGOSTO-2012-3-e1346092583955.jpeg

Arecibo – Vecinos del Municipio de Arecibo expresaron hoy su apoyo a la propuesta planta de conversión de basura a energía que se propone en el barrio Cambalache de Arecibo y anunciaron que son más de 1,500 firmas de endoso recopiladas a favor del proyecto que han sido entregadas a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) como parte de la oportunidad que ésta ha dado de que los residentes para expresarse.
“Ninguna empresa en Puerto Rico ha realizado un esfuerzo tan directo e intenso de comunicar a la ciudadanía las particularidades de un proyecto, como lo ha hecho Energy Answers en Arecibo. De eso puedo dar fe”, expresó Áurea Miranda vecina del barrio Cambalache y portavoz del grupo.
Señaló Miranda que la compañía desde hace más de dos años mantiene un grupo de consultores ambientales, legales y educativos, que con el apoyo de residentes de Arecibo, implantaron la iniciativa denominada “Dialogando con Arecibo” para educar sobre la propuesta y aclarar dudas a los residentes de Arecibo.
Este programa ha tenido como resultado el que ya se hayan realizado cientos de presentaciones en radio, local y nacional, periódicos regionales y nacionales, televisión, más de un centenar reuniones comunitarias y reuniones con decenas de grupos profesionales.
“Se han efectuado cientos de intervenciones en medios, se han contactado directamente a unas 7,291 personas en las reuniones y presentaciones. También se han recogido más de 1,500 firmas de endoso. Al día de hoy hay unas 434 cartas-ponencia de endoso enviadas a la EPA como parte del proceso de vistas públicas de la EPA”, expresó por su parte, David Pérez, colaborador de “Dialogando con Arecibo”.
Por su parte, Javier Ríos, vecino y agricultor arecibeño, se mostró tranquilo con la propuesta de Energy Answers y aseguró que de la información que ha evualdo y la visita que tuvo la oportunidad de hacer a la planta modelo de Energy Answers en Rochester, Massachusetts, está ahora más convencido de que es una gran alternativa para Arecibo.
“La mayoría de los residentes de Arecibo no tienen problemas con que se establezca la planta. Al contrario, quieren que se apruebe ya y que podamos tener desarrollo económico en Arecibo, empleos y una mejor forma de manejar la basura en nuestro pueblo que ha sido tan afectada por el vertedero que está ahora mismo contaminando tanto a nuestro pueblo y a nuestro Caño Tiburones”, dijo Ríos.
Todo lo anterior se ha evidenciado en documentos sometidos a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental Federal. Además, los arecibeños han tenido amplio acceso a los documentos oficiales del proyecto los que han estado disponibles desde un principio en la página de internet de Energy Answers y en las bibliotecas en el Municipio de Arecibo.
Pérez indicó que el pasado sábado, antes que iniciaran las vistas públicas de la EPA, se celebró una actividad de “Dialogando con Arecibo” en la residencia de Áurea Miranda, a la cual asistieron cerca de 150 personas y todas endosaron el proyecto de Energy Answers porque entienden va a traer empleos. También porque representa la compañía ha podido presentar información que evidencia que va a ser una planta segura y responsable con el ambiente en Arecibo.

http://yasta.pr/miles-de-arecibenos-favorecen-la-planta-waste-to-energy-de-energy-answers

JCA cancela vista sobre incineradora de Arecibo en medio de escándalo

Publicado el 24/10/2012

http://www.miprv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Energy-Answers-Arecibo-560x355.png (http://www.miprv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Energy-Answers-Arecibo.png)
Imagen conceptual de la planta ‘waste to energy’ propuesta para Arecibo vía energyanswers.com

Por Miprv.com

Mientras la Junta de Calidad Ambiental (JCA) anuncia la cancelación de la vista pública pautada para este viernes en la que se discutiría el permiso para la construcción de la incineradora de basura propuesta por la empresa Energy Answers (EA) en Arecibo, la página de Noticel (http://www.noticel.com/noticia/132243/energy-answers-crea-cartel-de-la-basura-con-palas-azules-y-rojas.html) publicó la primera parte de una serie investigativa al respecto con reveladores detalles del contrato entre la Autoridad de Desperdicios Sólidos y EA.
El primer artículo de la serie, titulado “Energy Answers crea cartel de la basura con palas azules y rojas” y escrito por el periodista Oscar Serrano, explica que el contrato para el manejo de la propuesta incineradora en Arecibo dura 30 años y convierte a la empresa “en un cartel con el poder para obligar al gobierno a garantizarle un mercado multimillonario, y a cobrarle las deudas en las que incurran los municipios, y sus habitantes, por el uso obligado de su incineradora”.
Este uso es a la tarifa que ellos dispongan y la tarifa puede aumentar 2.5% cada año con poca o ninguna posibilidad de que el gobierno evite el aumento.
Según el artículo, la ADS se obliga a conseguirle a EA el tonelaje diario que necesita para garantizar la rentabilidad de su operación, y se obliga a cobrar las deudas en las que los municipios incurran si no pueden pagar las tarifas de EA, las cuales representan un aumento de entre 8% y 20% de los costos actuales. El municipio no tiene opción ya que, incluso, en su búsqueda de negocio para EA, la ADS puede designar de dedo a un municipio y obligarlo a llevar su basura a la planta de EA en Arecibo. La tarifa está sujeta a revisión anual para aumentos de hasta 2.5% y la ADS se obliga a que la aprobación de esa nueva tarifa “no será irrazonablemente detenida, dilatada, o denegada”.
Esto va acompañado con una trama paralela mediante la cual la Junta de Calidad Ambiental (JCA) está obligando a los municipios a cerrar sus vertederos antes de tiempo e, incluso, está oponiéndose a que los municipios implanten planes, perfectamente legales, para conseguir extender la vida útil. La existencia, o extensión de a vida útil, de los vertederos sencillamente no garantizarían el volumen de negocio que requiere EA.
De hecho, el contrato que firmaron EA y la ADS el 4 de abril de 2012 es usado como colateral para que EA consiga el financiamiento bancario que necesita para la construcción de la planta, por lo que las garantías del gobierno no sólo sirven para garantizar un mercado, sino para garantizar financiamiento estimado en por lo menos $500 millones.
El arquitecto del esquema es el licenciado Jorge San Miguel, director de la plataforma del Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) para las elecciones pasadas y para la actual. El ejecutor del plan es el licenciado Pedro Nieves, presidente de la JCA y ex empleado de San Miguel en el bufete O’Neill & Borges.
Pero EA no ha apostado solamente al PNP. La empresa tiene como encargado de Comunicaciones a José Julio Aparicio, encargado de las investigaciones de fiscalización del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) y ex asesor de varios políticos de ese partido.
Tanto la plataforma del PNP (directamente), como la del PPD (indirectamente) contemplan la incineradora en su plan de energía. El PPD, de hecho, no ha hecho un solo señalamiento de peso sobre la oposición a la planta incineradora en Arecibo.
Según documentos y testimonios que recopiló NotiCel para esta investigación, el plan ya ha cumplido con colocar la incineración como una prioridad en la política pública del manejo de desperdicios sólidos, y ha logrado una resolución de la JCA que pone en ‘fast track’ el cierre de vertederos, estén o no preparados los muncipios.
Las ramificaciones, aunque se han mantenido bajo el radar, abarcan todos los municipios de Puerto Rico, de ambos partidos, y llegan hasta las oficinas en Nueva York de la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA).
Entre los efectos está llevar a muchos municipios al borde de la quiebra, ya sea por los costos que le crea el cierre acelerado de sus vertederos, o por el aumento que representan las tarifas de EA. Esos costos pasarían a los residentes en la forma de menos servicios en otras áreas, o de cargos directos por el manejo de la basura.
La JCA tenía prevista la continuación de sus vistas públicas sobre la incineradora de EA en Arecibo para este viernes pero, tras la indagación de NotiCel con el representante de EA y otros actores, quedó suspendida hasta nuevo aviso.
En un comunicado oficial, la JCA asegura que la posposición de la vista se ha aprobado la otorgación de un término adicional a los ciudadanos para evaluar la información disponible, y garantizar un completo y amplio análisis y discusión durante los procedimientos, sin afectar el propósito principal y esencial de los mismos.
Una vez coordinada la nueva fecha de vista pública, la JCA emitirá un Aviso Público por lo menos con 30 días de anticipación a la fecha de vista.
La Agencia federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) ya celebró sus propias vistas sobre el permiso de aire para el proyecto.
Pero, una lectura del contrato revela claramente que las vistas son un ejercicio prácticamente proforma ya que el compromiso de la JCA con EA ya está escrito y firmado. “La (incineradora) es parte de las estrategias de la Autoridad para conseguir el manejo a largo plazo, planificado, estructurado, y racional de los desperdicios”, indica el acuerdo.
Según el contrato, EA necesita que la ADS le consiga lo que haga falta para completar 2,100 toneladas de desperdicios al día, o lo mismo que 63,000 toneladas al mes. Un municipio promedio puede producir unas 240 toneladas al día. La ADS se obligó a cumplirle la meta a EA para el 31 de julio de 2013. Como contraste, EA se compromete a agenciarse por sí misma sólo 300 de esas toneladas diarias. Es la ADS la que queda obligada a garantizarle las otras 1,800.
El gobernador Luis Fortuño fue abogado de la antecesora corporativa de EA, la compañía Recovery Solutions, Inc. a fines de la década de 1990. Como gobernador, Fortuño incluyó las plantas incineradoras entre los proyectos de energía “verde” que cualificaban para incentivos contributivos e industriales.
Patrick Mahoney, principal oficial de Recovery y ahora de EA, así como otros ejecutivos de EA, figuran como donantes de Fortuño, del Comisionado Residente, Pedro Pierluisi, del Comité Nacional Republicano, y del comité de acción política de Fortuño, Leading Us In Success (L.U.I.S.).


http://www.miprv.com/jca-cancela-vista-sobre-incineradora-de-arecibo-en-medio-de-escandalo/

En su etapa final la evaluación de la planta incineradora de Arecibo (http://www.elnuevodia.com/ensuetapafinallaevaluaciondelaplantaincineradoradearecibo-1393510.html)
Mañana se celebrarán vistas públicas de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental

Por Rebecca Banuchi / rebecca.banuchi@gfrmedia.com

Con la celebración mañana, lunes, de las vistas públicas de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental (JCA) sobre la planta de conversión de desperdicios sólidos en energía que la compañía Energy Answers planifica construir en Arecibo, se acerca el final del proceso de evaluación del proyecto.

Defensores de la instalación que utiliza la tecnología conocida comúnmente como "waste to energy" resaltaron hoy, domingo, que el desarrollo ha sido sometido a un riguroso proceso de escrutinio público, que incluye 18 vistas públicas de entidades estatales, federales y municipales, y sobre 140 reuniones en comunidades de Arecibo.

El exsecretario del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) Javier Vélez Arocho, quien actúa como consultor ambiental de Energy Answers, resaltó que el proyecto propuesto ha cumplido "estrictamente con los requsitos federales y estatales que se le han impuesto".

"Es un proyecto enfocado en no utilizar materiales reciclables, y sobre todo, fomentar el reciclaje en Puerto Rico como parte de su proceso de producción de energía, un proyecto eficiente y que logrará una transformación energética completa", sostuvo durante una conferencia de prensa en la que residentes en varias zonas de Arecibo presentaron cinco voluminosas carpetas que recogen el respaldo escrito que otros compueblanos presuntamente han brindado al desarrollo.

Sin embargo, desde que comenzó la evaluación del proyecto, grupos opositores, integrados también por vecinos del área y grupos como el Sierra Club, han expresado su rechazo a la iniciativa por entender que producirá cantidades excesivas de cenizas tóxicas que amenazarían la salud de los residentes en Arecibo, así como sus recursos naturales.

Alexis Molinares, también consultor ambiental del Energy Answers, afirmó que la mayoría de los opositores no residen en Arecibo, y sus argumentos se basan con regularidad en ideas erradas sobre el proyecto y la tecnología que utiliza.

"En los años '90, las tecnologías de control de emisiones de todos estos sistemas mejoraron dramáticamente, y hoy día remueven más del 90% de los componentes que van a la atmósfera", dijo Molinares al destacar que no se trata de una "incineradora" como las que proliferaban en la década de 1980 y actualmente son ilegales.

"Todos los procesos de combustión, incluyendo el vehículo, generan emisiones, pero todas esas emisiones están reguladas por estándares federales, y lo que asegura nuestra tecnología es que nosotros vamos a estar por debajo de esos límites de seguridad", enfatizó.

Las vistas públicas de la JCA sobre el permiso de construcción y ubicación se efectuarán mañana, lunes, en la sede regional del Colegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores, en Arecibo.

A punto de caramelo permisos para incineradora Energy Answers en Arecibo en Puerto Rico
Ambientalistas y vecinos les salen al paso a opositores

POR Rebecca Banuchi / rebecca.banuchi@gfrmedia.com

La última etapa de evaluación de la planta de conversión de desperdicios sólidos en energía de Energy Answers en Arecibo se acerca a su fin, y quienes se oponen al proyecto guardan esperanzas de que el cambio de gobierno altere el rumbo favorable que el desarrollo lleva hasta ahora.

Aunque el gobernador electo Alejandro García Padilla no se ha expresado categóricamente a favor o en contra de la propuesta incineradora, defensores del proyecto que usa la tecnología waste to energy aseguraron ayer que el líder del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) respalda la iniciativa.

“Este proyecto tiene el respaldo, no solamente de una sola administración que representa un partido político, sino de las dos; los dos, el electo y el que estaba anteriormente, respaldan este proyecto”, afirmó el expresidente de la Legislatura Municipal de Arecibo Héctor “Tato” González, en una rueda de prensa junto a los consultores ambientales de Energy Answers y vecinos de Arecibo que favorecen la planta.

Para terminar la evaluación del proyecto resta un permiso de la Agencia federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA) sobre la calidad de aire, y el permiso de construcción y ubicación de la Junta de Calidad Ambiental (JCA), que hoy tiene vistas públicas en Arecibo.

La EPA otorgó un permiso preliminar, y actualmente la solicitud se encuentra en revisión final mientras la agencia federal analiza los comentarios vertidos durante sus vistas públicas.

Mientras, opositores dijeron ayer que seguirán su lucha contra el plan de Energy Answers, incluso tras el cambio de gobierno. “Esto no es una lucha política, (...) es un asunto de salud pública que los políticos han jugado con ella (...) Todo el mundo sabe de la prevalencia del asma en Arecibo, y que es grande la enfermedad de cáncer del pulmón”, dijo Javier Biaggi, portavoz del Comité Basura Cero en Arecibo.

Biaggi participará hoy en las audiencias públicas de la JCA.
“Estamos hablando de un asunto de salud, se ha convertido en un issue político porque lo han querido plantear así, pero lo que hemos dicho es simple, si el gobernador (electo) quiere una protesta el día de su inauguración, la va a tener porque esta vez vamos a estar más activos”, aseveró.

Para los consultores ambientales de Energy Answers, Javier Vélez Arocho y Alexis Molinares, el rechazo al proyecto responde más a una “oposición de carácter dogmática” que a reservas fundamentadas. Molinares sostuvo que se dejan llevar por sus principios sobre asuntos en los que no creen, como la combustión, y no por los datos relacionados con la tecnología.

“En los años 90, las tecnologías de control de emisiones de todos estos sistemas mejoraron dramáticamente, y hoy día remueven más del 90% de los componentes que van a la atmósfera”, dijo Molinares. “No es una incineradora como las que proliferaban en la década de 1980 y ahora son ilegales”, destacó.

“Todos los procesos de combustión, incluyendo el vehículo, generan emisiones, pero todas esas emisiones están reguladas por estándares federales, y lo que asegura nuestra tecnología es que nosotros vamos a estar por debajo de esos límites de seguridad”, enfatizó.Vélez Arocho, secretario de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales bajo la administración de Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, planteó que el proyecto propuesto ha cumplido “estrictamente con los requisitos federales y estatales que se le han impuesto”.Los consultores ambientales, entre los que figuró también el abogado Rafael Toro, agregaron que el plan de desarrollo de Energy Answers ha sido sometido a un riguroso proceso de escrutinio público, que incluyó 18 vistas públicas de entidades estatales, federales y municipales, y sobre 140 reuniones en comunidades de Arecibo.“Es un proyecto enfocado en no utilizar materiales reciclables, y sobre todo, fomentar el reciclaje en Puerto Rico como parte de su proceso de producción de energía, un proyecto eficiente y que logrará una transformación energética complet”, dijo Vélez Arocho.Los opositores, en cambio, argumentan que el proceso de discusión pública ha estado “viciado” a favor de la empresa productora de energía alterna.Las vistas públicas de la JCA se efectuarán hoy, de 1:00 p.m. a 8:00 p.m. en la sede regional del Colegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores, localizada en la avenida Manuel T. Guillán de Arecibo.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/apuntodecaramelopermisosparaincineradoraenergyanswersenareciboenpuertorico-1393739.html

MDs group against Arecibo WTE plant (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/mds-group-against-arecibo-wte-plant-78848.html)
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cb.pr@gmail.com

The Puerto Rico Surgeons Association came out Monday against a planned waste-to-energy plant in Arecibo citing public health concerns.
The professional organization is planning to state its opposition formally in public hearings on the project slated by the island’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) for Monday.

“We’re talking about a project that would have a serious effect on public health,” said Ángel González Carrasquillo, who chairs the association’s public health committee.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) missed an Oct. 31 statutory deadline to render a final decision on Energy Answers Arecibo LLC’s proposed WTE plant, but officials told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS they are working quickly to wrap up their review.

EPA officials blamed the delay on the amount of public comment they received and the necessity of rescheduling a public hearing in Arecibo last summer to ensure enough time for all who wanted to testify publicly on the $500 million project, which Puerto Rico government officials have called a key piece of their long-term solid-waste-management strategy.

However, New York-based EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck, the top official with direct jurisdiction over Puerto Rico, has spoken out against WTE for the island, a stance that is in direct conflict with official agency policy.

The proposed WTE plant in the Cambalache sector of Arecibo would have the capacity to burn more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of energy in the process, according to Energy Answers officials. Some 3,800 jobs would be created during its construction phase and 150 permanent jobs once the plant is in operation. The 40-acre project includes an advanced materials-recovery and recycling operation and fully enclosed waste-receiving, -processing, -energy recovery and ash-processing operations.

By October 2014, most of the island’s landfills could be shuttered, with only a few able to meet federal operating standards expected to remain open, according to an order issued last year by the EQB.

The order followed years of threats by EPA to close down Puerto Rico’s municipal trash sites because of shoddy management, substandard design and disappearing storage capability. These sites are among the island’s greatest environmental threats, blamed for polluting underground water supplies and the air, and for devouring acres of precious land on this 100-mile-by-35-mile island, acreage that remains unfit for most activity even decades after closure.

EQB President Pedro Nieves Miranda has said the WTE plant is a necessary part of government plans to handle its solid-waste problem in the future, along with increased waste reduction and recycling.

After months of review, EPA issued a tentative endorsement of the project in May. EPA told developer Energy Answers that it had made a preliminary determination to approve the company’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit subject to public review. That determination came seven months after the developer completed its application, which started the clock on a one-year timeframe for the federal agency to complete its review and issue a final opinion. The deadline was Oct. 31.

In granting the preliminary approval, EPA evaluated the potential impact of the facility on air quality by comparing it with EPA air-quality standards established to protect public health, as well as its impact on nearby low-income communities. EPA concluded the facility wouldn’t cause any health standards to be exceeded or that any communities would be disproportionately or adversely affected.

EPA officials announced in June it would extend the project’s public-comment period after it was forced to abruptly end a public hearing in Arecibo when project opponents protested an EPA decision to limit the time each speaker would be allotted to ensure all would have a chance to speak.

Along with the extension of the public-comment period through August, EPA held another three-day round of public hearings that month in Arecibo, where opponents and supporters spoke about the project.

Bueno, Alejandro esta a favor pero su Secretaria de la Gobernacion esta en contra. Vamos a ver que pasa...

Este proyecto tiene que darse, Puerto Rico produce mucha basura y tenemos que tener un mecanismo para procesarla. Ademas una gran mayoria de los vertederos se han cerrado por disposicion federal. La necesidad es apremiante!

¿Cómo se compara la contaminación de agua, suelos y atmósfera de los vertederos mal hechos versus la del incinerador + reciclaje? Hay que comparar la contaminación de un vertedero con funcionalidad equivalente a la de esta planta incineradora para decidir si la planta contamina más o menos que el o los vertedero(s).

Energy Answers confident of federal approval (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/energy-answers-confident-of-federal-approval-8010.html)
By : JOHN MARINO
marino@caribbeanbusiness.pr; cb.pr@gmail.com
Edition: January 17, 2013 | Volume: 41 | No: 1

EPA decision near on first WTE plant proposed for Puerto Rico
Despite a broken deadline by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make a final determination on Puerto Rico's first proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, the project's developer remains confident it will shortly win federal approval.

EPA was tied to an Oct. 31, 2011 deadline to issue a final determination on Energy Answers' proposed $500 million WTE facility in Arecibo's Cambalache sector, which officials say will have the capacity to process more than 2,000 tons of trash daily, producing some 80 megawatts of energy at the same time. Some 3,800 jobs would be created during its construction phase and 150 permanent jobs once the plant is in operation, the developer indicated.

EPA officials, however, have cited an extended public-comment period and the large number of comments received, among other reasons, for taking longer for its final review than its rules allow.

"We spoke to EPA and they informed us of the issues that were causing the delay, and said they were continuing to work on the application. We feel they are sincerely working to complete the process as quickly as they can," said Energy Answers Project Manager Mark Green.

...

Ojala y se lo den. Ademas de procesar la basura que tanto necesitamos; estamos hablando de empleos que necesitamos urgentemente para reactivar la economia.

Enhorabuena!

Yeap hace falta, y ni se diga que abaratando los costos de electricidad le va a ahorrar dinero al consumidor por lo que lo gastará en otro sector de la economía creando más empleos. Y ni se diga el dinero que se van a ahorrar los taxpayers en la electricidad de los mantenidos.

Ah no espera, el dinero ahorrado será para cubrir las deudas del gobierno :lol:

EPA chief says no decision ‘imminent’ on Arecibo WTE plant (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/prnt_ed/epa-chief-says-no-decision-imminent-on-arecibo-wte-plant-8224.html)
By : JOHN MARINO
marino@caribbeanbusiness.pr; cbprdigital@gmail.com
Edition: March 7, 2013 | Volume: 41 | No: 8

Citing ‘potentially serious air-quality impacts,’ Enck defends pace of review

Saying the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Arecibo could pose "serious air-quality and other environmental impacts," the top Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official in the region said a decision on a crucial air permit wasn't "imminent" because the federal agency was giving the project the "careful scrutiny" it required.

"There are potentially serious air-quality and other environmental impacts, so we are taking our time," EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck said during a press conference last week. "Nothing is imminent. It is an issue that requires very careful scrutiny, and that is what we are doing."

Enck also pointed to the "huge amount of public comment on the proposed garbage incinerator in Arecibo" as another issue holding back a final decision on the project.

"I can't give you a date because we are taking it very seriously. At some point, we have to make a decision on an air permit, and we also have a role in the proposed wetlands permit," Enck said.

While Enck said the agency is in no hurry to issue a ruling, the EPA was statutorily bound to make a decision on the permit by Oct. 31, 2012, which was a year after the federal agency notified developer Energy Answers that its application for the permit was complete. The federal agency has been reviewing the project for more than two years.


...

Petition drive backs Arecibo WTE plant (http://caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/petition-drive-backs-arecibo-wte-plant-83168.html)

Issued : Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:27 AM
By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

Arecibo residents delivered more than 1,300 signatures to La Fortaleza on Thursday in support of plans to build a waste-to-energy plant in the north coast municipality.
The signatures were collected in a petition drive carried out by residents who back Energy Answers project for reasons ranging from problems caused by the Arecibo landfill to the potential for an economic boost from the first WTE plant in Puerto Rico.

“We want change in Arecibo,” said group spokesman Pedro Marcano. “This project is a big opportunity for us to address many of Arecibo’s problems.”

The petition drive was aimed at sending the message to the administration of Gov. Alejandro García Padilla that there is broad support for the proposed WTE plant.

Energy Answers spokesman and environmental consultant Alexis Molinares welcomed the initiative.

...

Congress queries EPA chief on WTE delay (http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/congress-queries-epa-chief-on-wte-delay-84611.html)

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

A delayed permit for the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Arecibo has made it onto the radar in Congress.Republican senators have questioned new Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy about Energy Answers’ stalled “state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility” during the ongoing confirmation process for her appointment to head the federal watchdog agency.
EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck, the agency’s top official in the region, has said the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant could pose “serious air-quality and other environmental impacts” and that a decision on a crucial air permit wasn’t “imminent.”
While Enck said in March the agency is in no hurry to issue a ruling, the EPA was statutorily bound to make a decision on the permit by Oct. 31, 2012, which was a year after the federal agency notified developer Energy Answers that its application for the permit was complete. The federal agency has been reviewing the project for more than two years.
...