Pollution concerns

The incinerator, once known as the Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Co., or BRESCO, has been operating near Interstate 95 and Russell Street since 1985. At the time, it was viewed as an efficient and environmentally friendly replacement for landfills. As it reduces waste to ash, it generates electricity and steam used to heat downtown buildings.

And since 2011, it has qualified for a state program designed to create financial incentives for renewable energy. A Baltimore Sun investigation last year found that because state law classifies the incinerator on a par with solar and wind energy, it has earned more than $1 million a year, on average, in subsidies.

More recently, environmentalists have seized on the incinerator’s impact on the environment and public health. For each ton of trash it burns, it releases about a ton of planet-warming carbon dioxide, along with scores of pounds of lead and mercury. It’s responsible for the bulk of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emitted by industry in Baltimore, according to Environmental