New York relies on garbage-export to ship most of its municipal solid wastes, MSW to distant landfills, rather than using it to generate energy. A ton of MSW,has the energy of a barrel of oil. The United States now uses only about 20 percent of its renewable waste fuels to generate alternate energy. Waste-to-energy, WTE plants in Hempstead, Huntington, Syracuse etc prove that MSW can effectively serve as significant biomass energy sources, generating clean electrical energy without pollution. New York City now uses about 600 diesel trucks a day to move its MSW to VA landfills, and plans further diesel barge and rail transport in the future. This, causes much toxic air pollution, as diesel trucks emit several times more toxic particulate matter per ton of MSW than waste-to-energy facilities. Long Island is running out of WTE capacity and may have to export it's wastes if new WTE facilities aren't built. Unfortunately, using obsolete data, some environmental organizations, falsely argue that waste-to-energy's dangers outweigh its advantages. Instead of their unrealistic goal of "zero wastes", zero waste disposal to landfills, and energy recovery from wastes should be utilized as Europe and other progressive states are now doing. This will also help us to reduce our reliance on imported fuels and to reduce global warming impacts. Multistage, controlled waste-to-energy plants like the new German MVR WTE technology, have virtually eliminated toxic emissions and encourage waste recycling. WTE also largely eliminates massive greenhouse gas emissions, wasted fuel, and toxic emissions from diesel engines involved in long range transport to distant landfills. WTE can also be used to burn mined wastes from existing closed landfills, reclaiming valuable lands. Zero waste disposal to landfills and WTE are our best tools to improve our environment.

About the Speaker

Jack D. Lauber is a Chemical Engineer, a licensed New York State Professional Engineer, and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, listed in Who's Who in Environmental Engineering. He was formerly Chief of Technology Assessment at the NYS Dept.of Environmental Conservation. He is an environmental engineering consultant, and a Research Associate at Columbia University's Earth Engineering Center, specializing in WTE, waste to energy issues.

Agenda

5:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Registration, networking, appetizers, sodas, cash bar

6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
Buffet dinner

7:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Local section business and seminar

Registration & Fees

Registration
Please make dinner reservations by Noon on Monday, November 10, 2008 by contacting Arrangements Chair, Jeffrey Thorn, jthorn@dot.state.ny.us or 518-485-7555

Fees
Dinner will be $25 per member or guest, $15 for full-time graduate and undergraduate students.

Directions

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is located at:
106 New Scotland Ave
Albany, NY 12208
Phone: (518) 456-0292

Directions to the ACPHS can be found at:
http://www.acp.edu/admissions_directions.html

Page last updated: October 30, 2008

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