Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) pollution is a major cause of asthma. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution causes breathing difficulties and pre-term births.

Covanta’s trash incinerator in Chester, PA is the largest source of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution in the City of Chester. In all of Delaware County, it’s second only to the Philadelphia International Airport.

Of the 28 electric generating facilities in the 5-county Philadelphia area, Covanta is the largest NOx and the largest SO2 polluter, now that coal is no longer burned at the Exelon power plant in Eddystone, just north of Chester.

Of all 82 electric generating facilities in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, Covanta was the 4th largest NOx polluter in 2007, the 9th largest in 2009 and 2010 and the 6th largest in 2011. Four power plants closed or stopped burning coal since 2011, leaving only two coal plants and maybe a paper mill as the only dirtier sources of NOx pollution in all of eastern PA.

Once the Titus coal power plant in Berks County closes in April 2015, Covanta will be the 4th largest source of NOx pollution and 6th largest source of sulfur dioxide pollution from any electric generating plant in eastern Pennsylvania.

Largest Nitrogen Oxide-polluting electric generators in eastern half of Pennsylvania (2010):

Largest Sulfur Dioxide-polluting electric generators in eastern half of Pennsylvania (2010):

Sources: EPA eGRID Database and National Emissions Inventory