Over a breakfast meeting in Peekskill’s Dramatic Hall on October 10, 2024, the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce presented a talk by David Schepperly, the plant manager at WIN Waste’s local facility. His illustrated presentation, titled “Waste to Energy: Part of the Solution for Westchester County,” detailed how the facility is a better alternative solution than landfills, which generate methane gases among other pollutants.
Schepperly noted that the incinerator “not only diverts waste from landfills but creates renewable energy from waste.” Some 6,300 tons of waster are converted to energy every day, providing electricity to power 30,000 houses. Steam generated at the plant is channeled to power a local business, White Plains Linen.
He added that burning reduces solid waste by 90 percent. Boiler gases are treated to neutralize acid gases and filtered to remove particulates. Some 11,000 tons of metal are recovered and recycled from the ash annually.
In addition, WIN Waste Westchester provides 4.5 million dollars in a fee to the community and is an active supporter of many community activities.
Schepperly also repeatedly stressed that WIN Waste operates under federal and state guidelines, including the Clean Air Act, and county permits. Emissions and compliance with the standards are monitored “continuously” by the firm as well as by third parties, with frequent audits on site.
To ensure that the plant’s operations stay current, boilers are replaced regularly and the turbine is overhauled every seven years.
Schepperly acknowledged that the facility’s Title V permit expired in 2021 and claimed that all paperwork and documentation had been submitted promptly. The plant has been allowed to continue operation, pending state approval; public comment sessions are pending.
A contrary opinion was expressed outside the entry door to Dramatic Hall, as a handful of protesters distributed fliers blaming WIN Waste for “forty years of polluting Peekskill.”
It’s clear that the path to “zero waste” is a complex issue on many fronts.
