Philadelphia sends hundreds of thousands of tons of trash to Chester each year to be burned. Now, as city councilmembers weigh new waste contracts, residents in the small Delaware County city and its leaders are urging Philly to stop sending its trash there and calling for the incinerator to close.
The debate pits the cost and logistical challenge of disposing of hundreds of thousands of tons of Philadelphia waste against concerns about air pollution and environmental justice in a city that already hosts a concentration of industrial facilities.
The Reworld Delaware Valley waste facility sits along the Delaware River in Chester and is one of the largest waste-to-energy incinerators in the country…