Joe Pitts: “Yesterday I visited a waste-to-energy facility in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and concluded, once again, Lancaster…”

“Yesterday I visited a waste-to-energy facility in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and concluded, once again, Lancaster County gets it right. This facility is a great example of the kind of ingenuity that we need to put America on a path toward energy independence, and it is disposing of waste at the same time. The plant burns solid waste at very hot temperatures, using the heat to turn water into steam which is used to turn a turbine and create electricity. Ninety percent of that electricity is sold to the local electric utility. Metals, glass and plastics are recycled out in the process. This process is saving pollution from ending up in the Chesapeake Bay. It's saving land by reducing the need for landfills, and it's creating clean energy in the process. One ton of solid waste has the energy equivalent of 1 barrel of oil. Last year, over 342,000 tons of waste were processed at the facility, and I'm told that something like 30,000 tons of trash a day is trucked out of New York City to landfills. Maybe our State and community leaders should take a cue from the people of Lancaster County as we search for more energy to meet our needs.”