United States
                 Environmental Protection
                 Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
v-xEPA      A Citizen's  Guide  to
                 Incineration
EPA 542-F-01-018
February 2002
www.epa.gov/superfund/sites
www.cluin.org
     The Citizen's Guide Series
                                                                                         I
    EPA uses many methods to clean up pollution at Superfund and other sites. If you live, work, or go to school near
    a Superfimd site, you may want to learn more about these methods. Perhaps they are being used or are proposed
    for use at your site. How do they work? Are they safe? This Citizen's Guide is one in a series to help answer your
 I  questions.

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                   What Is  incineration?                                  Q

                   Incineration is the process of burning hazardous materials to destroy harmful chemicals.
                   Incineration also reduces the amount of material that must be disposed of in a landfill.
                   Although it destroys a range of chemicals, such as PCBs, solvents, and pesticides, incin-
                   eration does not destroy metals.

                   How  does it work?

                   An incinerator is a type of furnace. It burns material, such as polluted soil, at a controlled
                   temperature, which is high enough to destroy the harmful chemicals. An incinerator can be
                   brought to the site for cleanup or the material can be trucked from the site to an
                   incinerator.

                   The material is placed in the incinerator where it is heated. To increase the amount of
                   harmful chemicals destroyed, workers control the amount of heat and air in the incinerator.
                   As the chemicals heat up, they change into gases, which pass through a flame to be heated
                                              soil/ash to
                                             - landfill or
                                              buried on site
                                                              air pollution
                                                              control
                                                              equipment
               metals,
               acids, and
               ash particles
  to proper
  disposal

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For more
information
write the Technology
Innovation Office at:

U.S.EPA(5102G)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW
Washington, DC 20460

or call them at
(703)603-9910.

Further information also
can be obtained at
www.cluin.org or
wvv*v.epa.gov/
superfund/sites.
                         further. The gases become so hot they break down into smaller components that combine
                         with oxygen to form less harmful gases and steam.

                         The gases produced in the incinerator pass through air pollution control equipment to remove
                         any remaining metals, acids, and particles of ash. These wastes are harmful and must be
                         properly disposed of in a licensed landfill. The other cleaner gases, like steam and carbon
                         dioxide, are released outside through a stack.

                         The soil or ash remaining in the incinerator after the burning may be disposed of in a landfill or
                         buried on site. The amount of material that requires disposal is much less than the initial
                         amount of waste that was burned.

                         Is Incineration  safe?

                         An incinerator that is properly designed and operated can safely destroy harmful chemicals. It
                         can also run without producing odors or smoke. EPA tests the incinerator before and during
                         operation to make sure that gases are not released in harmful amounts.
                             How long will  it take?
                            The time it takes for incineration to clean up a site depends on
                            several factors:
                            •  size and depth of the polluted area
                            •  types and amounts of chemicals present
                            •  whether or not the waste must be trucked to the incinerator
                            Larger incinerators can clean up several hundred tons of waste each day.
Why  use  Incineration?

Incineration can destroy some types of chemicals that other methods can't. It is also quicker
than many other methods. This is important when a site must be cleaned up quickly to prevent
harm to people or the environment. On-site incineration can reduce the amount of material
that must be moved to a landfill. Incinerators have been used to clean up 136 Superfund sites
across the country.
                         NOTE: This fact sheet is intended solely as general guidance and information to the public. It is not intended, nor can it be relied
                         upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States, or to endorse the use of products or services
                         provided by specific vendors. The Agency also reserves the right to change this fact sheet at any time without public notice.

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