INCINERATORS: TRASH to ENERGY

Solid waste that is not recycled, landfilled, or composted can be incinerated. In the 1940s and 50s, most homes in Los Angeles had backyard incinerators and a residential recycling program was in effect throughout the city. These numerous, inefficient residential incinerators contributed much to the air pollution problem in the Los Angeles Basin. Mayor Sam Yorty was elected on the promise that he would end the recycling program and shut down the incinerators. Residents did not want to bother with sorting material for the recycling program. And they wanted cleaner air. A modern refuse-to-energy incinerator in the City of Commerce is shown on the left.

The Tale of Two Incinerators

During the 1980s the issue of trash incineration has resurfaced in Los Angeles. Two Refuse-to-Energy Incineration plants were proposed for the central, industrial area of Los Angeles. These plants are designed to burn trash to boil water and generate electricity.

The City of Commerce incinerator was proposed and later built in 1986, a few miles east of South Central Los Angeles. This refuse-to-energy plant burns 4,000 tons of trash daily and produces enough electricity for 10,000 homes. The plant is operated by the Sanitation District of Los Angeles County.

The LANCER incinerator was proposed for South Central Los Angeles in 1983. After three years of opposition by local residents over concerns about increased pollution and garbage truck traffic, Mayor Tom Bradley announced that the project was cancelled.

Project Home: Waste Not, Want Not. Copyright © 1996 Target Science