Thermoselect Realities

What the report to LA County says	Reality
IWT (using Thermoselect technology) is the top technology supplier.(1)	• Thermoselect’s flagship gasification incinerator in Karlsruhe, Germany closed in November 2004 after losses of $500 million dollars. (2) • Epic operating problems led German newspapers to nickname it “Thermodefect”
This incinerator would make energy.(3)	• Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator consumed 17 million cubic meters of natural gas to heat the waste in one year alone, and returned no electricity to the grid that year,(4) undermining claims of energy generation.
Existing operational experience: 100 (on a scale of 100) (5)	• Operational problems at Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator included a toxic gas leak, an explosion, cracks in the heating chamber casing that leaked toxic gas, and leaks of contaminated wastewater(6)
Landfill diversion: 100 (on a scale of 100) (7)	• While in operations, Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator was only able to process 1/5 of the contracted waste, forcing cities who had contracted with it to send their waste elsewhere (8)
Supplier credibility: 100 (on a scale of 100) (9)	• Thermoselect’s management was convicted of contaminating a lake with cyanide, chlorine and nitrogen compounds from Thermoselect’s first facility in Fontodoce, Italy(10) • A full year after Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator closed and months after the facility was fully dismantled, Thermoselect claimed on its website that the Karlsruhe incinerator was still in operations(11)
“Economically, these technologies appear to have the ability to compete favorably with other solid waste disposal methods in a commercial facility.”(12)	• The same county report states that Thermoselect would require tipping fees of $186/ton of waste(13) (regional landfill tipping fees appear to be no higher than $40/ton)
What Thermoselect claims	Reality
Technology “completely destroys dioxins and furans”(14)	• Thermoselect’s website lists emissions from its incinerators including dioxins and furans(15) • Dioxins tested at amounts above regulatory limits in the gas created by the Karlsruhe incinerator(16)
“Harmful substances in the waste are also completely destroyed”(17)	• Releases of toxic gases forced the temporary closure of Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator(18) • Thermoselect’s Karlsruhe incinerator exceeded emissions for hydrogen chloride, particulates, nitrogen oxides and total organic carbon(19)
What IWT Claims	Reality
“Closed loop process - has no process water discharge”(20)	• The Karlsruhe incinerator discharged approximately 120,000 cubic meters of wastewater into the Rhine River in one year(21) • Not only does Thermoselect technology discharge water, it has discharged contaminated water (in both Karlsruhe and Fontodoce, Italy where Thermoselect was convicted of environmental crimes)
“Cost competitive with other forms of waste disposal”(22)	• The LA county report states that Thermoselect would require tipping fees of $186/ton of waste(13) (regional landfill tipping fees appear to be no higher than $40/ton)

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(1) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, page 2-25

(2) Süddeutsche Zeitung [Munich, Germany], “The End for Thermoselect [Aus für Thermoselect],” 5 Mar. 2004; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung [Frankfurt, Germany], “No Future for Thermoselect [Keine Zukunft für Thermoselect],” 3 Mar. 2004.

(3) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, page ES-13

(4) Fränkische Landeszeitung, “Natural Gas Use Should Be Halved This Year [Erdgas-Verbrauch soll dieses Jahr halbiert werden],” 29 Jan. 2003.

(5) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, page 2-26

(6) Bernhard Baldas, “Magic Gone from Miracle Garbage Weapon [Entzauberte Müllwunderwaffe],” Die Tageszeitung [Germany] 28 Aug. 2001.

(7) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, page 2-26

(8) Bernhard Baldas, “Closure Threatens the Karlsruhe Garbage Miracle [Dem Karlsruher Müllwunder droht das Aus.],” Die Tageszeitung [Germany] 28 Oct. 2003.

(9) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, 2-26

(10) Frankfurter Rundshau [Frankfurt, Germany], “Incident Halts Incinerator Project. Regulators Want New Review of the Technology Planned for Hanau [Störfall bremst Müllofenproject. Behörde will die für Hanau geplante Technik erneut prüfen”22 Dec. 1999.

(11) Thermoselect, Facility in Karlsruhe,Germany, <http://www.thermoselect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Anlagen&m=3> (Viewed 10 Nov.
2005).

(12) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, ES-13

(13) URS, Conversion Technology Evaluation Report for the County of Los Angeles, August 18, 2005, 2-36

(14) Thermoselect, Process Characteristics, <http://www.thermoselect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Technologie&m=2>,

(15) Thermoselect, The Environment, <http://www.thermoselect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Umwelt&m=2>

(16) District Administration of Karlsruhe (Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe), press release, 5 Nov. 1999.

(17) Thermoselect, The Environment, <http://www.thermoselect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Umwelt&m=2> (Viewed 2 Aug. 2005).

(18) Bernhard Baldas, “Magic Gone from Miracle Garbage Weapon [Entzauberte Müllwunderwaffe],” Die Tageszeitung [Germany] 28 Aug. 2001.

(19) Trade Control Office Karlsruhe, Thermoselect emissions data, 2002; Stuttgarter Zeitung, “Lawsuit Against Thermoselect [Anzeige gegen Thermoselect],” 5 July 2000; District Administration of Karlsruhe (Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe), press release, 5 Nov. 1999.

(20) Interstate Waste Technologies, Benefits, <http://www.interstatewastetechnologies.com/benefits.htm>

(21) Wolfgang Heininger, “Skepticism from Hanau Opponents Proves True: Karlsruhe Thermoselect Garbage Oven on the Verge of Closing Completely [Die Skepsis der Hanauer Gegner bestätigt sich. Karlsruher Thermoselect-Müllofen droht endgültiges Aus],” Frankfurter Rundshau 29 July 2003.

(22) Interstate Waste Technologies, Benefits, <http://www.interstatewastetechnologies.com/benefits.htm>.