In an interview with WBAL-TV, Mary Urban, Director of Communications, Community Engagement, and Marketing at WIN Waste Innovation, claimed that waste incineration is a form of renewable energy. However, this is an unsubstantiated claim given that  “waste-to-energy” incinerators release higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycles than do green practices such as source reduction, reusing and recycling of the same materials.

Furthermore, Urban’s claim that the EPA has a preference for incineration instead of landfilling is misleading. The EPA's 2020 Emissions Inventory indicated that incinerators contributed 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide  emissions to the atmosphere. A 2017 study  by George D. Thurson, who directs the Program in Exposure Assessment and Human Health Effects at the Department of Environmental Medicine at New York University  found that approximately 5.5 deaths occur each year as a result of particles released from the WIN Waste incinerator. 

Labeling incineration as renewable energy not only misleads the public but also undercuts our collective efforts to combat climate change and protect public health. According to a New School report, 79% of all municipal solid waste incinerators in the United States are located in low-income communities or communities of color. These communities disproportionately bear the brunt of the environmental impacts of these incinerators. 

In 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) published the Climate Pollution Reduction Plan which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2031 while also ensuring progress toward reaching net-zero emissions by 2045. Among the plan’s key recommendations is the elimination of incineration from Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. The analysis from the MDE reveals that incineration has been misrepresented as a form of renewable energy when it is, in fact, a hazardous utility that poses significant risks to the environment and public health. 

Eliminating incineration from Maryland's energy landscape is not just a recommendation; it’s a legislative necessity for achieving the state's ambitious climate goals. The state must pass HB0220/SB0010 Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2025 which removes “waste-to-energy” (i.e. waste incineration) from Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and redirects subsidies toward authentic, clean renewable sources such as solar, hydro, and wind. 

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SirJames Weaver

Environmental Justice Organizer at Progressive Maryland