Reworld to cease operations at California’s last remaining incinerator

Morristown, New Jersey-based Reworld, a sustainable materials management company, is set to cease operations at its Stanislaus County incinerator, the last remaining waste incinerator in California, in December, the Modesto Bee reports.

Jody Hayes, Stanislaus County’s chief executive officer, tells the Bee that Stanislaus is in negotiations with Reworld to reach an agreement to end operations at the Stanislaus Waste-to-Energy Facility.

“There are many impacts to this type of change in solid waste operations that require careful consideration for a successful transition,” Hayes said in a statement. “We are hopeful to reach a final agreement prior to December and will be in a better position to provide comments at that time.”

Nicolle Robles, director of communications for Reworld, confirmed the company will end waste services at its Stanislaus facility on Dec. 2 as it shifts focus toward expanding business operations across North America.

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County Supervisor Terry Withrow says the county and cities in the waste-to-energy service agreement will need to rely more on landfills and recycling after the incinerator closes. He said the waste-to-energy plant served to reduce the amount of waste placed in the landfill over more than three decades.  

“There is a lot of argument on both sides about how bad (incineration) is,” Withrow says. “We would have a lot more garbage buried out there in those hills if it was not for the Covanta plant.”

Last December, Reworld informed the county that the Stanislaus plant was facing an additional $23 million in costs through 2027 due to the state’s removal of renewable energy credits for waste-to-energy facilities and more stringent air quality regulations. Reworld has operated the plant under a 15-year agreement with the county and Modesto that’s scheduled to expire in 2027.