Are Garbage Incinerators Spreading 'Forever Chemicals'?

Across the United States, there is a growing debate about how to handle waste. Many cities use incinerators—large facilities that burn trash to get rid of it. However, public health experts and community advocates are now warning that these facilities are failing to stop the spread of PFAS. These are a group of at least 16,000 man-made chemicals used to make products resistant to water, stains, and grease. Because they do not break down in nature, they are often called “forever chemicals.”

According to The Guardian, these chemicals are linked to many serious health problems. These include cancer, birth defects, high cholesterol, and kidney disease. Because PFAS are used in so many everyday products, they often end up in landfills. When this waste is burned in an incinerator, the chemicals can be released into the air. Experts say that these compounds are designed to resist heat, making them extremely difficult to destroy even at very high temperatures.

Recently, the waste management industry has tried to show that incineration is a safe way to handle PFAS waste. A report from the Minnesota Resources Recovery Association (MRRA), an industry group, claimed that incinerators in Minnesota were reducing their forever chemical emissions by 99.6%. The report suggested that there is little risk to the public from the specific chemicals they measured. However, this report has faced strong criticism from independent experts and advocacy groups like the Zero Burn Coalition.

Critics argue that the industry report is full of mistakes and misleading information. According to The Guardian, experts believe the report uses bad assumptions and incomplete data. Nazir Khan, the executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table, stated that the report “deceives the public into thinking incineration is safe.” He noted that the pollution often affects low-income and marginalized neighborhoods, meaning these communities are forced to deal with the health consequences of the country's trash.

There is also a disagreement about what should be tested. While the industry report focused on six specific PFAS compounds that are currently regulated in Minnesota, opponents point out that people are exposed to many more types of these chemicals. Denise Trabbic-Pointer, a former scientist who worked with chemicals, suggested that the industry report was likely created to stop the government from making stricter rules. Michael Youhana, an attorney with the non-profit group Earthjustice, added that he does not know of any large-scale incinerator that truly solves the PFAS problem.

This issue is part of a larger fight over how the government manages waste. Currently, there are nearly 100 municipal or hazardous waste incinerators operating across the country. In cities like Miami, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, local groups are working to shut these facilities down. Furthermore, a lawsuit has been filed against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The lawsuit claims that the EPA’s current rules for incinerator emissions are too weak because they do not include specific standards for PFAS.

As research continues, scientists are finding that breathing in these chemicals may be more dangerous than previously thought. While regulators are just beginning to create new health standards, the gap between industry claims and independent science remains wide. For now, the debate highlights a difficult challenge: how to dispose of modern waste without creating new, long-term health risks for the people living near these facilities.