Debates over incineration capacity around the U.S. continue to burn in 2026, with some communities looking to shut down plants while others aim to build new facilities.
Minimizing pollution concerns has long been front and center in these debates. To that end, the U.S. EPA is due to update its emissions rules for several categories of incinerators as soon as this spring, including the large municipal waste combustors that have drawn particular ire from community advocates.
Shutting down a facility can come with its share of challenges if communities haven’t identified adequate alternative disposal and recycling capacity…