Tulsa, OK, September 17, 2013 – Covanta Tulsa Renewable Energy LLC, (Covanta Tulsa), a subsidiary of Covanta Energy Corporation (NYSE: CVA) a world leader in sustainable waste management and renewable energy, today announced that it is the recipient of a 2013 Excellence Award in the Waste-to-Energy category from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Covanta Tulsa was presented with the Bronze Award at SWANA’s annual conference, WASTECON®, being held in Long Beach, California today.
The Covanta Tulsa Energy-from-Waste Facility processes 1,125 tons-per-day of solid waste, generating up to 265,000 pounds-per-hour of steam. The steam is used to power a turbine generator to produce 16.8 megawatts of clean, renewable energy and is also exported to a neighboring refinery. This steam offsets the need for the refinery to use fossil fuels to generate their own steam. Energy-from-Waste facilities like Covanta Tulsa provide a sustainable and safe alternative to landfills, recycle metal and reduce greenhouse gases.
“Covanta provides the City of Tulsa with a reliable and environmentally sustainable approach to disposing of our municipal waste. We are proud to have Covanta as a program partner and know that our combined efforts will benefit our citizens for years to come,” said Liz Hunt, APR – City of Tulsa spokesperson.
SWANA’s Excellence Awards Program recognizes outstanding solid waste programs and facilities that advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound solid waste management through their commitment to utilizing effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, advancing worker and community health and safety, and implementing successful public education and outreach programs. Programs also must demonstrate that they are fiscally and environmentally responsible through their compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations.
“Covanta Tulsa is proud to be recognized by SWANA with an Excellence Award for our superior operations and community programs. We are committed to providing safe and sustainable waste disposal that reduces greenhouse gases and produces enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes in Green Country Oklahoma,” said Matthew Newman, business manager at Covanta Tulsa.
In 2012, Covanta Tulsa received the Henry Bellmon Sustainability Award, a statewide award in Oklahoma that recognizes organizations that are dedicated to a balanced approach toward quality of life for all, responsible economic growth and environmental stewardship. The facility has also been recognized for its participation in Covanta’s Rx4Safety program which provides for the safe destruction of unwanted pharmaceuticals and medications. The program was launched as a direct response to prescription drug abuse and evidence of pollution in waterways and drinking water. Covanta Tulsa, partnering with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and other law enforcement agencies has destroyed over 67,000 pounds of prescription medications in the last 12 months.
Covanta Tulsa was Covanta Energy’s first Energy-from-Waste project. The facility began commercial operation in October 1986 and serves the sustainable waste disposal needs of the City of Tulsa and surrounding communities. A Covanta CLEERGAS® gasification demonstration unit has operated successfully at the Tulsa facility since 2011.
About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in sustainable waste management and renewable energy. The Company’s 45 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities and businesses around the world with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta’s modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately 20 million tons of waste into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle over 430,000 tons of metal. Energy-from-Waste facilities reduce greenhouse gases, complement recycling and are a critical component to sustainable solid waste management. For more information, visit www.covantaenergy.com.
About SWANA
For more than 50 years, the Solid Waste Association of North America has been the leading professional association in the solid waste field. Our association serves over 8,000 members throughout North America, and thousands more with conferences, certifications, publications and technical training courses. For more information, visit www.swana.org .
