Disadvantages of incineration

Noise The incinerator is driven by up to a 400 to 500 hp fan, which can generate substantial noise. Residents neighboring the Savanna Army Depot and die Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant have complained about the noise from incineration activity at these sites. 

Air Emissions Emissions from the stack may contain nitrous oxides (NOJ volatile metals, such as lead and products of incomplete combustion (PICs). Modeling may need to be conducted to predict the distribution of emissions. 

Capital Costs The capital mobilization and demobilization costs associated with incineration typically range from 1 to 2 million. Over time, for a large facility, incineration becomes more cost effective. 

Public Perception The public usually is wary of hazardous waste incineration. There may be public concern that a mobile incinerator will be established at a site and subsequently used to incinerate waste from other sites. The public must be assured that, most often, mobile incinerators are used only for single site cleanups and that incineration can be an effective way to treat explosives waste. 

Required Tests Before an incinerator can be used to treat a large volume of hazardous waste, it must pass a trial bum demonstrating that it can achieve a 99.99% organic destruction efficiency. If the soil at the site does not contain enough contamination to demonstrate the 99.99% destruction and removal efficiency, explosives might have to be shipped to the site to spike the feed soil for the trial bum. 

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