Paper Offsets Won’t Clear the Air.

From the edge of Rumney Marsh, two distinct plumes rise above the Saugus incinerator. One is easy to understand, the other much less so.

The bright white vapor that drifts into the sky is steam from the plant’s turbine system. This is part of the process that converts the heat from burning trash into electricity. When warm exhaust from the turbine system meets cool outside air, it condenses into visible water vapor. In other words, that plume is mostly harmless moisture.

The taller smokestack is different. It releases flue gases from the combustion of municipal solid waste. Before reaching the air, these gases pass through several layers of pollution control equipment — scrubbers that neutralize acids, filters that capture particulates, and systems that inject materials like activated carbon to help trap metals and other contaminants. These controls were added in the 1970s after strong public pressure, including campaigns by local residents and groups like Greenpeace.

But unlike modern waste-to-energy facilities, the Saugus incinerator does not have continuous on-site air monitoring. Emissions are tested periodically and reported to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), but there are no real-time sensors measuring what leaves the stack at any given moment. That means neither regulators nor the public can see actual, up-to-date data on pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or fine particulates.

When a visible haze appears from the main stack, it might be nothing more than moisture. It might also signal incomplete combustion or a temporary malfunction in filtration equipment. Without continuous monitoring, there is simply no way to know. We can see it, but we cannot measure it. What we do not know can, in this case, have real consequences for air quality and public health.

In recent years, the facility has exceeded nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits, a pollutant linked to smog, acid rain, and respiratory problems. Rather than installing new equipment to reduce these emissions, the operator has been allowed to buy pollution credits under a regional trading program. This approach offsets emissions on paper but does not improve the air for those living near the plant or for the marsh ecosystem that absorbs its fallout.

Rumney Marsh sits directly downwind of the facility. It is a protected Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and provides habitat for migratory birds, fish, and native salt-marsh vegetation. Persistent exposure to airborne pollutants, even in trace amounts, can alter soil chemistry, damage vegetation, and affect the health of nearby communities.

For decades, residents have asked for greater transparency. Continuous emission monitoring is a basic expectation for any industrial facility operating beside homes, schools, and wetlands. Communities should not have to rely on quarterly reports and estimates to understand what they are breathing.

The Saugus incinerator is one of the last of its kind in New England, and its future deserves serious public discussion. Should it continue to operate without modern monitoring systems? Should pollution credits be an acceptable substitute for local compliance?

Do you think paper offsets are a fair trade for clean local air?
It is time for this facility to meet real emission standards, not just those on paper.