SAUGUS — Tech Environmental, a consultant contracted by the Saugus Board of Health to monitor the WIN Waste Innovations waste-to-energy facility, has released a report concluding the plant and nearby monofill met all air compliance criteria outlined in its operating permits in 2024.
Tech Environmental submitted the report, 2024 Annual Air Monitoring Report for WIN Waste Innovations Saugus, to the Board of Health in March after concluding its year-long review of the plant and adjacent ash monofill. The review included: the examination of reports WIN Waste submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; a comprehensive on-site examination of the operations; stack test data from July 2024; and six bi-monthly monofill inspections that included staff interviews and records reviews.
Tech Environmental noted that the plant’s ash handling area “is well maintained and well-sealed and … ash is not being released into the atmosphere.” The report determined that “even under the worst-case meteorological conditions, the emissions from the WIN Waste facility will not cause adverse effects on air quality.”
“We are very pleased that Tech Environmental’s thorough and stringent review of our site has again confirmed the excellence of our operations,” said Elliott Casey, WIN Waste plant manager. “These results affirm our ongoing commitment to provide a critical service in a manner that is protective of the environment and public health.”
WIN Waste Sr. Director of Communications & Community Mary Urban said, “These findings underscore our commitment to safety and good environmental stewardship. Our industry is one of the most technical and therefore highly regulated in the world, and we’re pleased that one layer of third-party expert reviews confirms our achievement in operational excellence.”
Highlights of Tech Environmental Report on WIN Waste Innovations
- In the course of the monitoring program for calendar year 2024, all evidence suggests that the facility was in compliance with its permitted conditions. (Page 1)
- Our review of these reports demonstrated that the units are working well and that the facility has been in compliance with the regulations and requirements. (Page 7)
- The review of the CEMS reports demonstrates that the facility was in compliance with emissions limits for NOx, SO2, CO and opacity in 2024. The monitored operating parameters were also in compliance. (Page 9)
- Tech staff attended six 2024 bi-monthly monofill operations inspections that included staff interviews, records reviews and a complete tour of the operations. These dates were February 14, April 25, June 12, August 14, October 22 and December 18. The inspections and subsequent report reviews indicated that the monofill was being properly operated and maintained. The ash being disposed of in the monofill had an operational cover. (Page 12-13)
- The maximum predicted air toxics concentrations are predicted to be safely in compliance with the Allowable Ambient Limits (AAL) and Threshold Effects Exposure Limits (TEL) guidelines and will not have an adverse impact on public health. (Page 18)
- Table 4-5 shows the maximum predicted air quality impacts for the criteria air pollutants in 2024 based on the CEMS emissions data from WIN Waste’s annual report to the MassDEP and the July 2024 stack testing reports. The predicted concentrations from the facility were added to the background concentrations and the total air quality concentrations were compared to the MAAQS/NAAQS. The results demonstrate that the facility did not cause adverse effects on air quality, even when using the worst-case operating emission rates. (Page 21)
- Recent inspections of the ash handling capability at WIN Waste by MassDEP and Tech have found that the area is well-maintained and well-sealed and that ash is not being released into the atmosphere. WIN Waste has continued with a series of improvement projects designed to reduce the environmental impact of the facility and to assuage any fears of community members. (Page 23-24)
- The results demonstrate that even under the worst-case meteorological conditions, the emissions from the WIN Waste facility will not cause adverse effects on air quality. (Page 26)
The complete PDF of the report can read here.
