Covanta

Right here in the state of Oklahoma we have our own waste to energy facility. The companies name is Covanta and their facility is set up in Tulsa. Covanta is also known as the Walter B. Hall Resource Recovery Facility, which  is Covanta's first Energy-from-Waste project. Covanta  began commercial operation in October 1986 with two units. A third unit was later added to meet growing demands of the residents and businesses in the Tulsa area.

Operating as Covanta Tulsa Renewable Energy, LLC, the facility processes 1,125 tons-per-day of solid waste, generating up to 240,000 pounds-per-hour of steam. The steam can be used to power a turbine generator to produce 16.8 megawatts of clean, renewable energy that is sold to Public Service Company of Oklahoma. However, on a more regular basis, the steam is sold to Holly Frontier, Inc. which is an independent refiner, adjacent to the facility, and used in the refining process. This offsets the need for the refinery to use fossil fuels to generate their own steam.

Notably, Covanta Tulsa received the 2013 Bronze Excellence Award in the Waste-to-Energy category from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA.)

 In 2012 it was honored with  the Henry Bellmon Sustainability Award, a recognition created to raise awareness and reward those people, agencies, organizations, or companies that dedicate themselves to a balanced approach toward quality of life for all, responsible economic growth, and environmental stewardship

It is really exciting to know that this company is dedicated into making a more sustainable world. They have even developed a community outreach program to get the word out. I have scheduled a tour to go visit their facility in two weeks. I can't wait to go so I can see firsthand how this stuff really works. It would also be a great place to work once I graduate next semester, so I applied to work there, hopefully they will call me back!

Facility Address:

2122 S. Yukon Ave
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107

Site:

22 acres owned by Covanta Tulsa Renewable Energy, LLC

Commercial Operation:

1986

Energy-from-Waste System:

Two 375 ton-per-day Martin Gmbh inclined and horizontal grates, one Sangfeng platform, all three units have water wall furnaces

Boiler Design:

Zurn manufactured 824 pounds per square inch gauge (psig)/700°F superheater outlet conditions

Air pollution control equipment:

Aqueous ammonia injection, activated carbon injection with lime slurry injection, followed by fabric filter baghouse for fly ash collection.

Rated Refuse Capacity:

1,125 tons-per-day or 410,625 tons-per-year

Energy Generation at Rated Capacity:

16.8 megawatts of electricity

Sold to:

American Electric and Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma

Cited Works:

https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-1/p160x160/1546229_10152759167046953_256167105_n.jpg?oh=b17888a489680a6c3ca13fa260e0a125&oe=54F46344&__gda__=1424864868_b071f6805964abe19b6019f468d007a7

http://www.covanta.com/facilities/facility-by-location/tulsa/community-outreach.aspx

http://www.covanta.com/~/media/US-site/Facilities/Covanta%20Plymouth_Tipping%20Floor%20with%20TS%20waste%20truck.ashx

Social Construction of Nature

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF NATURE

Nature is subjective to each society, and for two individuals, nature will not conjure the same ideas as man. 

Social Construction of Nature and the Environment demonstrates how our understanding of nature and of human relationships with the environment are really cultural expressions used to define who we were, who we are, and who we hope to be at this place and in this space. Humans are not separate from nature, but we use nature to form interpretations of ourselves, our place within nature, as well as of nature itself.

                                                    

Nature is something that exists independently of the human race. In fact, nature would be better off if the human race didn't exist. Human actions are the reason nature is so distraught. In order to create these interpretations of ourselves we must use different products. 

Most of these products turn into waste ever time, which forces us to find a place to dispose of it all. We could take the normal route where the waste is buried or we can take advantage of this waste and turn it into energy. 

This human environment relationship will be ever living therefore we must take care of our world because it is the most precious thing life has to offer us.