PATRICK E. MURPHY 

18TH DISTRICT, FL0!11DA 

WASHINGTON Ofl-ICF: 

1617 LONGWORTH HoUSE OFFICE 8UiLDIW< 

WASHINGTON, DC 20515 

(202) 225-,'3026 

FAX: (202) 225--8,'398 

www,p(ltrickmurphy,house.gov <!ongress of tbc Zfrtnttcb ~Mates 

,l!)ousc of !\cpw:~entattues 

ztmm5!Jington, IDilt 20515-0918 

November 26,2014 

Environmental Pmtection Agency 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue 

Washington, DC 20460 

Re: Comments for EPA Clean Power Plan Section 1ll(d) 

EPA Docket#: EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

Dear Sir or Madam: 

COMMITfi'FS 

FINANCIAL SERVICES 

SUHCOMMI l rES:;: 

FINANCIAL iW-illTUli()N:> AND 

CoNSUMEH Cm:otT 

MUNt-IN-lY POLICY /\1\'U TrM!JF 

SMALL BUSINESS 

~'UBCOMMITTf[-: 

RANKIN(; ME'MBER, ACiRICULTUR[, 

ENmGY, ANil 7RADE 

As your agency works to transition our nation toward cleaner electricity production through the regulatory 

framework of Section 111( d) of the Clean Air Act, it is important to consider the broad-based climate 

benefits of already-existing renewable energy sources like Waste-to-Energy (WtE) electric generating 

units. I submit my comments for this EPA Docket to highlight the overarching environmental benefits of 

this technology. 

Waste-to-Energy facilities provide renewable energy to the grid while significantly reducing the waste 

stream. The reduction of landfill volume is typically reduced 10 to I by utilizing WtE. The fuel 

feedstock for these renewable energy units is derived from material that historically has been managed 

almost exclusively through landfill disposal, which creates a pathway for the production of methane and 

other volatile organic compounds that occur with decomposition of landfill waste. Advancing the 

utilization of municipal solid waste as a fuel source diverts the waste stream from landfill, reduces carbon 

dioxide emissions, and avoids the potential increase in atmospheric methane- another environmental 

initiative the Administration has tasked your agency to regulate. WtE facilities provide our nation a 

confluence of opportunities to combat heat trapping greenhouse gases and the environmental challenges 

they create. 

Through the combustion of waste that would otherwise be landfilled, WtE facilities decrease our nation's 

reliance on more carbon-intensive generating technologies while simultaneously extending the 

operational life of our nation's landfills and eliminating methane release from the decay of organic waste 

in a landfill. The nation's 80 operating WtE facilities safely process in excess of30 million tons of trash 

each year and generate more than 14.5 million megawatt hours of electricity that is supplied to the grid. 

Additionally, these facilities recover more than 730,000 tons of ferrous metals for recycling and serve to 

increase overall community recycling rates through continued onsite separation of recyclable materials. 

In the 18'h District of Florida, which I represent, the Palm Beach Renewable Energy Park annually 

processes 795,000 tons of municipal solid waste, providing renewable energy for approximately 30,000 

homes. Upon completion of Facility #2 next year, 1, 795,000 tons of municipal solid waste will be 

121 SW POI-1\ ST. LUCif 80ULEVAHD 

RooM 187 

Pom ST. LucK, FL 34984 

f'HONE {772) 3,'36-2877 

FAX {772) 336--2899 

2300 \lrHGINIA Avt'NUE 

ROOM 200A 

FORT Ptf.'HCE, FL 34982 

PHONE (772) 489-·0736 

FAX (772) 464-8,'392 

f'HINTlD ON Rf.CYCl I'D f'/1PER 

2000 PGA BOULr:VAfHJ 

Sumo A3220 

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processed to power 85,000 homes. Operating at capacity, this new facility will also support more than 

200 full time jobs. 

Our nation has reached a critical juncture where we have an oppmiunity to promote the expanded 

development of clean, renewable energy sources that simultaneously curb our greenhouse gas emissions. 

Waste-to-Energy generating facilities achieve that goal while creating domestic jobs, suppmiing 

American technological innovation, and avoiding methane emissions. 

Given these benefits, I strongly encourage the EPA to give full and fair consideration to strengthening 

WtE as a renewable energy generating technology under the guidelines of Building Block 3. I also highly 

recommend EPA consider including methane avoidance emission contributions in the context of this 

rulemaking. 

Thank you for the opportunity to submit my comments. Please feel free to contact me or my staff with 

any questions. 

Sincerely, 

f_JfodR--

Patrick E. Murphy 

~ 

MEMBER OF CONGRESS