Oregon’s last remaining incinerator to close by the end of the year

Oregon’s last remaining incinerator will be closing its doors by the end of 2024. This is a big win for Oregon’s environment and communities.

Burning municipal solid waste is harmful to public health and our environment. Incinerators work by burning waste material at extremely high temperatures, producing ash and air pollution. Some of these emissions include cancer-causing and highly toxic pollutants like dioxin, which can cause skin, blood, liver and reproductive problems. Incinerators also release heavy metals and mercury, a neurotoxin that impairs brain function.

Burning medical waste is even more harmful, since it primarily consists of plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which are known to emit more toxic pollutants than most other municipal waste. Very few municipal waste incinerators are permitted to burn untreated medical waste but the last remaining incinerator in Oregon, located in Brooks, is one of them. 

Environment Oregon and OSPIRG supported a bill in 2023 that would more strictly cap and monitor toxic emissions from the Brooks incinerator to promote clean air and healthy communities. Last week, the company announced it would cease operations altogether.

“The closing of Oregon’s last remaining incinerator is a big win for Oregon’s environment,” said Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director with Environment Oregon. “Waste incineration is dirty and toxic and we have better ways of managing waste. We should continue focusing our efforts on enabling reuse, modernizing our recycling system and, most importantly, finding ways to reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place.”