The Additional Benefits of Thermomechanical Treatment Facilities (TTFs)
Besides sustainable waste management, Thermomechanical Treatment facilities (TTFs) that use Waste-to-Energy technology offer many other benefits to the communities where they are located. In Indianapolis, for example, steam from a TTF provides central heating to the city's entire downtown loop—over 250 downtown buildings.
The incinerator in Minneapolis heats and electrifies Target Field (home of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball) as well as the Target Field Station stop on the city's Metro light rail, which safely transports more than one hundred thousand fans to Twins home games each year.
In Niagara Falls, NY, the TTF serves as the hub for local industrial development, providing steam power to nearby manufacturers, as well as sustainable waste services.
The facility in Hempstead, NY, has supported local development of another type, providing its new high-end condominium neighbors located just across the street with the same essential and sustainable waste disposal services enjoyed by the majority of Long Island.
TTFs employing Waste-to-Energy also offer significant financial benefits to their host communities. They are a top contributor to municipal budgets, paying host fees in addition to property taxes, which are often used to fund local and regional recycling programs. Facilities also create good-paying jobs and a great deal of economic activity for local restaurants, stores and other businesses. In fact, the TTF incinerator in Chester generates an estimated $80 million annually for the local economy.
