Safety & Environment
Waste Management
Tons of hazardous waste are captured and shipped by Con Edison and O&R each year to licensed commercial waste-handling facilities. Much of this waste is presumed lead-contaminated and comes from cleaning our underground electric facilities, including manholes and transformer vaults. The costs of cleaning these facilities and the amount of hazardous waste generated have been reduced substantially since 1998—the year we launched a waste program managed by our employees that rendered lead virtually inert and therefore no longer hazardous. In 2019, Con Edison removed approximately 7,500 tons of hazardous waste to support the removal of four retired fuel oil tanks.
O&R’s recycling program continues a long-established partnership with Rockland ARC, a local organization that provides support for the mentally disabled. Since 1991, O&R recycling has saved more than 1 million cubic feet in landfill space and has led to the avoidance of tens of thousands of dollars for waste disposal costs annually.
Con Edison and O&R recycle or auction for sale tons of non-hazardous waste, including retired fleet vehicles, forklifts, tool carts, old cables, streetlights, reflectors, meters, and paper products.
CECONY Waste (tons)
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hazardous waste generated |
17,547 |
11,371 |
12,070 |
10,600 |
10,360 |
17,381 |
19,472 |
Remediation waste |
545 |
31 |
18 |
7,195 |
11,939 |
111 |
223 |
Hazardous waste numbers are higher in 2019 and 2020 due to the large volume of waste removed from Hudson Avenue as well as a large volume of waste removed from Seaview Avenue in 2020.
Tank removal projects at both locations have been completed, and we do not expect to see any significant waste from these locations.
