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Expansion of Lee County’s Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility Wins Sustainable Florida Best Practices Award for Partnership
Expansion of Lee County’s Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility Wins Sustainable Florida Best Practices Award for Partnership
Published 06-18-09
Submitted by Covanta Energy
FORT MYERS, Fla., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Lee County, Florida and Covanta Energy today announced that the $120 million expansion of Lee County’s Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility has received the 2009 Best Practices Award in the Partnership category from Sustainable Florida "“ Collins Center, a statewide organization committed to promoting the balance of economic interests with the need to be socially and environmentally responsible.
A partnership arrangement between Lee County and Covanta Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA), built the expansion project. Covanta Energy operates the expanded facility under a long-term contract with the county.
"Lee County is extremely proud of its totally integrated solid waste management system," said Lindsey Sampson, Director of the Lee County Solid Waste Division. "Successful projects like the Energy-from-Waste expansion demonstrate that responsible local government leadership coupled with private industry expertise results in overall community benefit, so long as there is a proper balance between cost and sustainability."
The Lee County facility plays a pivotal role in securing the long-term sustainable environmental future for the 640,000 residents of Lee and Hendry counties. It safely disposes of all municipal solid waste generated in both counties, using trash as fuel to produce clean, renewable electricity.
The expansion increased the facility’s capacity approximately 50%, enabling it to process an additional 636 tons of municipal waste per day. The facility now processes 1,836 tons of municipal solid waste daily, while generating up to 57.3 megawatts of electricity, enough energy to power 36,000 homes.
"We are honored to receive this award along with the Lee County Board of Commissioners, and particularly proud to have built the first Energy-from-Waste facility expansion under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New Source Performance Standards," said Seth Myones, President of Covanta Americas. "Lee County’s visionary leadership has helped make the county a leader in integrated waste management. As a result of this strong partnership, the Lee County Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility is helping to power a sustainable future for the county by generating clean, renewable energy and offsetting greenhouse gases."
Since 1994, the Lee County’s Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility has processed more than 5.5 million tons of waste and offset 5.5 million tons of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of planting 127 million trees. The facility uses secondary sewage treatment effluent from a city-owned treatment plant for the majority of its process water. The facility is also equipped with both ferrous and non-ferrous recovery systems and has recycled 145,000 tons of metals from the waste stream. The facility expansion was also named 2008 "Project of the Year" in the renewable energy category by Power Engineering magazine.
Founded in 1994, Sustainable Florida "“ Collins Center is committed to the interrelated issues of economic growth, environmental quality and social capital. It promotes sustainable practices and programs throughout Florida and its signature event is its annual awards program. These awards are an example of state-level recognition for accomplishments and leadership in sustainable development and are a respected measure of best performance standards in the integration of environmental, social and economic factors for the long-term sustainability of Florida. The Council has recognized and honored more than 100 businesses, organizations, governmental agencies and individuals over the last eight years.
About Lee County
Lee County, Florida was founded on May 12, 1887 and is named in honor of General Robert E. Lee. The County, located on the Gulf coast of Florida, encompasses approximately 811 square miles including several small islands in the Gulf of Mexico. Three incorporated municipalities are located on the mainland: Fort Myers, the County seat, Bonita Springs, and Cape Coral. Fort Myers Beach, a fourth municipality, is located on Estero Island and a fifth municipality, Sanibel, is situated on the island of the same name. Lee County attracts visitors and companies alike with its mild climate, beautiful beaches and boundless business opportunities. Overseen by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, Lee County Government provides services to more than 575,000 residents of Lee County and its cities. The Lee County Solid Waste Division with its Resource Recovery facility, located in East Fort Myers, provides municipal solid waste collection and disposal services for the residents of Lee County and disposal service to neighboring Hendry County.
About Covanta
Covanta Energy is a subsidiary of Covanta Holding Corporation, an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Covanta’s 38 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately 17 million tons of waste into more than 8 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity and create 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries. For more information, visit http://www.covantaholding.com.
