clean air

Municipal Trash Incinerators in Upstate NY (Google Maps)

These incinerators are sorted by their size, with the largest ones up top, and smallest ones below. These numbers are converted from the yearly numbers of the DEC, to average tons per day, as calculated in standard format for landfills (21-day months).

Incinerators normally are rated by 31-day months, as they typically burn trash year round, unlike landfills which are closed on Sundays and all Major Holidays, and also work only half days on Saturdays. For the sake of comparison, 31-day incinerator tonnages where converted to 21-day landfill tonnages. Tonnages can vary per day, as incinerators are not rated on the tonnage of waste they may accept, but how many BTUs of energy are produced by burning the waste. Incinerators burning larger volumes highly combustable wastes, such as tires or roofing material, must reduce their tonnage to comply with air quality permits.

Incinerated waste produces bottom (unburnable stuff) and fly ash (toxic by-products of combustion captured in various smoke stack filters), which must be disposed at a landfill, so for example, the 1,266 tons per day incinerator in Ondononga County still produces an average of 316 tons per day of ash that is currently sent to the Seneca Falls Landfill off of NY 414.

Also, it should be noted the minimal electricity protection of these facilities. The largest incinerator in Upstate NY, produces only 67 MW of electricity, compared to even modest new power plants such as the new 635 MW Besicorp Natural Gas Plant in Rennselear or the 750 MW Bethlehem Steam Station Natural Gas Plant in Glenmont. All of the incinerators in Upstate NY, produce far less electricity (124 MW) then this one power plant.

Niagara Falls.


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MSW Processed: 3,869 tpd – Ash Generated: 906 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 24% – Average Electricity Sold: 24 MW/hr + steam

Westchester County.


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MSW Processed: 2,778 tpd – Ash Generated: 665 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 24% – Average Electricity Sold: 67 MW/hr

Onondaga County.


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MSW Processed: 1,266 tpd – Ash Generated: 316 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 25% – Average Electricity Sold: 23 MW/hr

Hudson Falls.


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MSW Processed: 688 tpd – Ash Generated: 215 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 31% – Average Electricity Sold: 10 MW/hr

Dutchess County.


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MSW Processed: 599 tpd – Ash Generated: 177 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 30% – Average Electricity Sold: 5 MW/hr

Oswego County.


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MSW Processed: 290 tpd – Ash Generated: 87 tpd – Reduction in Tonnage: 36% – Average Electricity Sold: 0.6 MW/hr + stream