EPA complaint filed against Baltimore DPW over 10-year solid waste plan

By Tommie Clark

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Baltimore’s Department of Public Works is named in a new civil rights complaint that calls for an investigation into the air pollution coming from the BRESCO smokestack.

The South Baltimore Community Land and Trust filed the complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency, calling for an investigation into air pollution.

“Even though BRESCO might hold a bit of a central location in the city, its harm is not distributed equally. It’s felt specifically and severely by the communities in this area,” said Taylor Lilley, an environmental justice staff attorney for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Lilley prepared a complaint to the EPA against the Baltimore DPW, calling out the city’s 10-year solid waste management plan and alleging the DPW failed to adequately plan a transition away from reliance on burning trash at BRESCO. The complainants said they believe that contributes to the unequal health risks faced by people living in nearby neighborhoods.

“You have that feeling of the negative impact. You can hear it on residents, you can see it in the health impacts they have to go through. I personally felt those impacts,” said Carlos Sanchez, a Lakeland resident.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Environmental Integrity Project are backing the complaint, seeking more composting and recycling in the city.

“When you know better, you should do better. What’s the purpose of spending all this money to beautify Baltimore to allow something like this to effect all of the communities around it?” said Angela Smothers, a Mount Winans resident.

Lilley said options have been presented to the City Council in the past to divert waste away from BRESCO. They hope the new complaint will lead to some action.

“Baltimore is violating the civil rights of its own residents by burning trash in this incinerator, releasing dangerous pollutants like mercury and dioxins, and it needs to stop,” said Tom Pelton, with the Environmental Integrity Project.

The DPW sent a statement to 11 News, saying:

“Public input was crucial in developing the city’s 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan (2024-2033), a regulatory document which sets goals for managing the city’s waste stream and assesses current and future disposal needs. The plan includes expanded waste diversion initiatives aimed at reducing reliance on incineration and landfilling, thereby lowering emissions related to waste management. “The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is aware of South Baltimore Community Land Trust’s request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to examine the city’s use of the Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Co. (BRESCO) for residential waste disposal. The city and DPW stand ready to work with the EPA if and when the agency needs the city’s help in assessing these claims.” Mary Urban, the senior director of communications and community at WIN Waste Innovations, which operates the BRESCO facility, told 11 News in a statement:

“WIN Waste Baltimore safely converts residential and business waste into renewable energy. Following last year’s completion of $45 million in upgrades to its air-quality control systems, WIN Waste Baltimore is among the lowest-emitting waste-to-energy facilities in the world. “Not only does research clearly demonstrate that our operations have a negligible impact on ambient air quality, our facility is reducing greenhouse gases by diverting waste from landfills, which release methane and reducing use of fossil fuels for energy. “While we actively invest in waste reduction initiatives like supporting the city’s recycling efforts during COVID and partnering with sustainability nonprofit 4MyCity on the region’s most ambitious residential composting program, the amount of waste generated by the city continues to grow each year. “Managing waste locally reduces the number of tractor-trailer trips required to haul waste to distant disposal sites, reducing traffic-related air pollution, which is the leading cause of air pollution affecting people in urban areas. Moving away from waste-to-energy, the city has estimated, would cost taxpayers roughly $100 million to expand local landfill capacity and build transfer stations to transport more waste out-of-state.”

The complaint calls for an investigation, and the EPA will next decide whether to accept or reject the request.

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