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Chatham, MA Chosen As Fifth "Fishing for Energy" Port

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 September 2008, 12:00 CDT

"Fishing for Energy," an innovative partnership to recycle fishing equipment into energy, continues to catch on in New England by expanding to Chatham, MA.

The "Fishing for Energy" partnership is an initiative between Covanta Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. to help coastal communities reduce the amount of abandoned fishing gear that ends up in the nation's oceans.

Derelict fishing equipment can threaten marine life, impair navigational safety, and have serious economic repercussions on shipping and coastal communities. Since the partnership was launched in February, over 83,000 pounds of fishing nets, trawl gear, crab pots, and line have been collected and converted into energy.

"Mariners around coastal communities clearly understand the need for cleaning up our marine environment," said Stuart Smith, Harbormaster for the Town of Chatham and Vice President of the Cape & Islands Harbormasters Association. "The 'Fishing for Energy' partnership is an important partnership to clean up the marine debris along our shorelines and in our oceans. Fishermen and mariners utilizing this program now have the opportunity to help clean up our waterways and shorelines free of charge through this cooperative effort."

Covanta will work closely with the Town of Chatham to coordinate the removal of abandoned gear from local coastal waters, as well as help retire equipment that is no longer fit for use within a fishery. Once removed from the environment, the gear will be shredded at a Schnitzer facility and transported to Covanta's Energy-from-Waste facility in Haverhill, MA where it will be converted into clean, renewable energy at no cost to the town.

"The 'Fishing for Energy' partnership is an excellent way to address both used and derelict fishing gear in our waters by working with the fishing community to dispose of it in a beneficial way," said Dr. Holly Bamford, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program. "We are pleased to continue to make connections with others who share a passion to eventually abate the problem of marine debris by reusing abandoned gear as a source of energy to power the region's homes and businesses."

"As we move into our fifth seaport, it is encouraging and inspiring to see the support that we have received from local communities," said Paul Gilman, Chief Sustainability Officer for Covanta Energy. "Each town has demonstrated enthusiasm for this program, both as a way to clean up our oceans and to create renewable, environmentally sustainable energy from the debris. Covanta is proud to be a part of this partnership and to continue to find ways to help communities transfer waste into clean, renewable energy."

"The 'Fishing for Energy' program is already proving to be of great value to several of New England's busiest and most productive ports," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of NFWF. "As we move forward, bringing the program into new ports, the addition of new partners and attention to this cooperative effort will increasingly benefit both fishermen and the marine environment. The fact that over 83,000 pounds of gear have been collected so far is a great indicator of the interest in the marine debris issue and need for this important partnership."

About Covanta

Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized owner and operator of Energy-from-Waste and power generation projects. Covanta's Energy-from-Waste facilities convert municipal solid waste into renewable energy for numerous communities, predominantly in the United States. As a world premier operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste facilities, Covanta is proud to offer an environmentally sound solution to communities' solid waste disposal needs. With close to 40 facilities worldwide, Covanta uses municipal solid waste as a fuel to generate clean, renewable energy. Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely turn 15 million tons of waste into more than 8 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity each year and create 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.covantaenergy.com.

About NOAA

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. For more information, visit: www.noaa.gov

The NOAA Marine Debris Program coordinates, strengthens, and increases the visibility of marine debris issues and efforts within the agency, its partners, and the public. The program supports activities at both a national and international level focused on identifying, reducing, and preventing debris from entering the marine environment. For more information, visit: www.marinedebris.noaa.gov.

About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, NFWF sustains, restores, and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded nearly 9,500 grants to over 3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $400 million in federal funds into more than $1.3 billion for on-the-ground conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

Source: Business Wire

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