Exemplifies commitment to safe, clean energy production since 1991
SPOKANE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 2013--
Wheelabrator Technologies has been named winner of the Solid Waste
Association of North America (SWANA) Gold Excellence Award in the
Waste-to-Energy category.
The award, which recognizes Wheelabrator’s exceptional operations in
Spokane, will be presented at SWANA’s annual conference — WASTECON® —
being held Sept. 17-19 in Long Beach, Calif.
“The recipients of the SWANA Excellence Awards represent the best solid
waste management practices in North America today,” said John H.
Skinner, Ph.D., SWANA executive director and CEO. “Community leaders
should be very proud of the valuable contributions that these projects
provide to their citizens.”
The Wheelabrator Spokane waste-to-energy facility is a key component of
an integrated solid waste system serving residents and businesses in
Spokane County in the state of Washington. Wheelabrator will receive
SWANA’s Excellence Award for the successful performance of the facility
operated for the City of Spokane. The award recognizes Wheelabrator’s
high-quality service, superior technical design, demonstrated excellence
in health, safety and environmental compliance, and its ongoing
commitment to community engagement in Spokane.
“Congratulations to Wheelabrator Technologies on its SWANA Gold
Excellence Award for the operation of Spokane’s waste-to-energy
facility,” said Rick Romero, the City of Spokane’s utilities division
director. “We’ve enjoyed a successful public-private partnership with
Wheelabrator and its devoted Spokane employees for nearly 23 years. This
critical facility provides solid waste disposal services to the county’s
businesses and 475,000 residents.”
The Spokane waste-to-energy facility provides dependable,
environmentally safe disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), while
generating clean electricity for sale to the local utility. The
waste-to-energy facility processes up to 800 tons per day of MSW and has
an electric generating capacity of nearly 26,000 kilowatts, the
equivalent of supplying electrical needs of 23,000 Washington homes.
Since opening in 1991, the Wheelabrator Spokane facility has:
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Processed over 11.4 million tons of waste — enough material to fill a
line of tractor trailer trucks over 3,450 miles long — longer than the
distance from Seattle, Wash. to Miami, Fla.
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Generated 2.9 million megawatts of electricity — enough to power more
than 506,000 homes
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Recycled nearly 325,000 tons of ferrous metals
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Engaged more than 60,000 visitors in tours of the site
“We have been proud to partner with Spokane since 1991. Together, we
help local residents and businesses convert post-recycled waste into
clean, renewable energy and recover additional materials from the waste
stream for recycling,” said Mark Weidman, president of Wheelabrator
Technologies. “We applaud all of our employees for their commitment to
safety and operational excellence, which has made the Spokane plant an
environmental and economic asset to the region. We also extend our
sincere gratitude to SWANA for recognizing Wheelabrator Technologies
with its 2013 waste-to-energy excellence award.”
The facility directly employs 43 Washington residents, many of whom live
in the Spokane area, and last year created approximately $12 million of
economic activity in the region through direct and indirect jobs,
purchases of goods and services, and city and state tax payments.
“This award is a testament to the dedication of Wheelabrator Spokane
employees in the safe, clean operation of the waste-to-energy facility,”
said Chuck Conklin, Wheelabrator Spokane plant manager. “We are proud to
continue our service to the City of Spokane and all of our customers
with a demonstrated commitment to environmental compliance and
operational excellence for more than two decades.”
ABOUT WHEELABRATOR TECHNOLOGIES INC.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management, Wheelabrator Technologies
Inc. is a leader in the safe and environmentally sound conversion of MSW
and other renewable waste fuels into clean energy. Wheelabrator’s 17
waste-to-energy facilities provide safe waste disposal for towns and
cities across the U.S. Wheelabrator also operates four independent power
plants designed to generate electricity using an assortment of fuels,
including waste wood, tires, waste coal, and natural gas. In addition to
producing electricity, some of these facilities also produce steam sold
to nearby government and commercial establishments. Wheelabrator’s 21
facilities have a combined electric generating capacity of 853
megawatts, enough energy to power more than 900,000 homes. To learn
more, visit www.wheelabratortechnologies.com.
ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management (NYSE: WM), based in Houston, Texas, is the leading
provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America.
Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer,
recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a
leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill
gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers
include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers
throughout North America. To learn more, visit www.wm.com
or www.thinkgreen.com.
ABOUT SWANA
For more than 50 years, the Solid Waste Association of North America has
been the leading professional association in the solid waste field. Our
association serves over 8,000 members throughout North America, and
thousands more with conferences, certifications, publications and
technical training courses.
Source: Waste Management
Waste Management
Michelle Nadeau, (603) 929-3458
mnadeau@wm.com