Covanta announced a new partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designed to reduce emissions limits at two of its facilities and to enhance accountability by making continuous emissions tracking available online to the public. Normally, new emission limits for an industry would need to go through a formal rule making process and would take several years to finalize. Covanta's decision to do this voluntarily demonstrates its commitment to continuously improving operations while providing transparency for communities and stakeholders.

Waste-to-Energy facilities convert the waste that remains after recycling into electricity for homes and businesses. This technology is recognized internationally as a source of greenhouse gas mitigation because it diverts waste from landfills, a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Scientists have estimated that each ton of waste diverted from landfill to Waste-to-Energy facilities reduces life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by one ton.

The new Massachusetts limits apply to Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and air toxics, including lead, cadmium, mercury and dioxins at Covanta's Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facilities in Haverhill, MA (Covanta Haverhill) and in West Wareham, MA (Southeastern Massachusetts (SEMASS) Resource Recovery Facility). Following the lead of Covanta facilities in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania, emissions data for Covanta's Massachusetts Waste-to-Energy facilities is now accessible online. This is the same data used by onsite operators to monitor operational performance of the company's WTE facilities.

Continuous emissions monitoring is an important tool in determining a facility's compliance with the strict emission limits set out in its operating permit established in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act and the state's strict regulatory requirements. Covanta's Massachusetts' facilities have a strong environmental record, operating below their permitted air limits. Covanta's Massachusetts facilities serve communities with reliable and sustainable waste management.

Combined, Covanta Haverhill and Covanta SEMASS process over 1.7 million tons of waste annually, which is equivalent to avoiding more than 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases by keeping waste out of landfills.