About Us

• Maximize energy production by achieving high performance levels during peak steam and electricity demand periods
• Occur during periods when trash inflow is typically low

Staffing of a facility includes a Plant Manager, with additional administrative personnel, shift operations personnel, and maintenance personnel. Included as a key administrator is a full-time Director of Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance.

Wheelabrator has developed the industry's most comprehensive, modular-designed, operations staff training program. This program has evolved to develop each operator's capabilities to a level exceeding standards set forth by the ASME Qualifications and Certification of Resource Recovery Facility Operators. The results and performance of each individual is continuously monitored, recorded and used to promote the individual within the company's Operations organization.

Wheelabrator places significant emphasis on safety, lockout/tagout procedures, industrial hygiene, medical surveillance, regulatory compliance, fire fighting, and respiratory protection.

Our well-disciplined preventive and scheduled maintenance programs allow us to operate our facilities at annual availabilities exceeding 90 percent.

Operations Training
The operation of a Wheelabrator waste-to-energy system as described above involves many complex skills and can only be achieved with dedicated and competent operators. For these reasons, we mandate that our operator training and safety programs keep pace with technological evolution. This effort has ensured a long history of worker safety and plant efficiencies.

Wheelabrator utilizes a modern, interactive, multimedia safety training program. Every employee is required to complete monthly training modules and demonstrate proficiency in each topical area.


Environmental, Health & Safety

Safety
Wheelabrator's commitment to safety is unmatched in the industry with all 21 of its energy facilities certified by OSHA as VPP Star worksites, the highest recognition level awarded by OSHA (see Spotlight on Safety).

Regulatory Compliance
Wheelabrator's waste-to-energy regulatory compliance history is exemplary, reflecting a commitment to running its facilities in strict compliance with all applicable regulations. To ensure compliance, Wheelabrator has established comprehensive environmental, health, and safety systems. Our CYCLE compliance management system tracks and schedules all regulatory and permit-related requirements providing for strict adherence to these requirements.

Regulatory Experience
Wheelabrator developed the first commercial U.S. waste-to-energy plant in Saugus, Massachusetts and since that time has developed extensive experience in the permitting and operation of waste-to-energy facilities. This permitting experience has included a wide range of environmental issues, including risk assessment, air emissions, water/wastewater discharges, fugitive dust emissions, and noise and odor controls.

Wheelabrator's leadership position has allowed it to break new ground in environmental permitting that includes:

Air Emissions Permitting
Wheelabrator's air permitting successes are extensive, ranging from obtaining permits for the nation's first commercial waste-to-energy project three decades ago, to permitting one of the most recent waste-to-energy plants built in this country. Wheelabrator was the first company to negotiate and sign a license agreement for the use of carbon injection systems for the removal of mercury from waste-to-energy emissions and installed the first commercial, large-scale application of this patented process.

Water
Wheelabrator has successfully permitted the use of once-through cooling systems and wet and dry cooling towers. Several plants use collected rainwater runoff and leachate from adjacent ash monofills as process make-up water, and all of our plants operate with the goal of zero wastewater discharge.

Noise/Odor/Fugitive Emissions
Use of enclosed trash-receiving areas operating under negative pressure ensures that odors are not released from the plant site while controlling noise and dust.

Ash
In response to stringent state and federal ash leachate testing requirements, Wheelabrator developed WES-PHix®, a process that chemically transforms lead and other heavy metals into mineral compounds that substantially reduces solubility. As a result, no waste-to-energy facility using WES-PHix® has ever had its ash characterized as hazardous waste using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's TCLP test. WES-PHix® has been installed at Wheelabrator waste-to-energy facilities as well more than 50 other facilities in the United States and in other countries.

Ash Monofills
Wheelabrator has successfully permitted four waste-to-energy ash disposal monofills, the newest of which, in Putnam, CT, began operation in June of 1999. The Putnam facility is permitted to receive ash from Wheelabrator and non-Wheelabrator waste-to-energy facilities in Connecticut.

Ash Reuse
Wheelabrator has participated in numerous ash reuse research and development projects in conjunction with state and federal regulatory authorities. The largest of these, and the most extensive in the U.S. to date, evaluated ash as a component in asphalt roadbase. Assisting Wheelabrator in this demonstration were the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Education, and the University of New Hampshire.

Power Sale Agreements
Wheelabrator has extensive experience in negotiating energy sales contracts in the waste-to-energy industry. Wheelabrator has produced electric power for sale to fifteen different electric utility companies under long-term contracts.

The revenue stream from the sale of electricity is essential to the overall success of a waste-to-energy project. Recognizing this, Wheelabrator places great emphasis on operating and maintaining plants to optimize the value of the energy resource. Wheelabrator has a long track record of negotiating agreements for, and selling power to, utilities that provide the most advantageous long-term, equitable, and workable energy purchase.


Community Relations
Wheelabrator has implemented numerous full-scale community relations programs for projects throughout the country. Assisted by Wheelabrator Community Relations personnel, the Plant Manager of each Wheelabrator facility has significant community relations responsibilities. Community outreach programs include participation in and funding of community programs and forming partnerships with local schools. Each facility's staff is encouraged to participate in the local community activities. This has led to a variety of positive community partnerships including educational activities for children, the development and implementation of education centers, nature trails, wildlife sanctuaries, and river walks.

Wheelabrator believes strongly in becoming a positive force in each community in which our facilities are located by working in partnership with the community.