THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 12, 2025 Page 9 WIN Waste Innovations turbine maintenance project to begin Sept. 15 (Editor’s Note: WIN Waste Innovations issued the following statement regarding the company’s plans to shut down the steam turbine generator at its trash-to-energy plant on Route 107 in Saugus.) W IN Waste Innovations will begin a scheduled maintenance project that will require the steam turbine generator at the waste-to-energy facility in Saugus to be taken offline, resulting in the venting of steam through the industrial silencer. The silencer, installed in 2021, has consistently performed as designed, muting the steam that would otherwise vent audibly through the roof while the turbine is offline. The facility’s emission controls, which are designed to protect public health and ensure safe air quality, will continue to operate normally throughout the outage, maintaining performance well within stringent state and federal permit limits. This turbine project, scheduled to run from September 15 to November 16, takes place every 5-7 years to ensure the facility continues to be a reliable disposal site serving local communities. The Saugus facility converts up to 1,500 tons of residential and commercial waste into renewable energy daily. That energy is transferred to the grid and powers the local community, including 16,000 homes, and offsets 343,000 barrels of oil PETITION | FROM PAGE 5 safety due to a policy that does not consider individual hardships. Many of these routes are unsafe for children to walk, increasing the risk of accidents and dangerous encounters.” Ceciliano’s goal is to get the school district to re-evaluate and amend its current policy. “By lowering the transportation eligibility distance and incorporating considerations for families facing financial difficulties or unsafe walking annually. The WIN Waste facility serves as an economic engine for Saugus and the region, providing 60 full-time jobs and contributing approximately $28 million to the region, $8 million of which is directly spent in Saugus. This local spending generates $7 million of additional economic activity, 36 additional jobs and $4 million of new taxes and investments in the community. While we fully expect the silencer to mitigate any noise that would occur from steam venting, there will be a visual plume from the facility, and we ask that any questions about the facility’s scheduled outage be directed toward Mary Urban (murban@winwaste.com). What is happening? An overhaul of the steam turbine – which takes place every 5-7 years, in addition to regular maintenance – is scheduled to run from approximately September 15 to November 16. With the turbine offline, the steam that is produced as part of the power-generation process is instead vented through the silencer and ultimately the roof. The steam will be visible but not audible as it leaves the silencer. The turbine overhaul, which will be done by GE Steam Power, consists of repairing, cleaning and tuning parts. The turbine will be taken off-site for the work to be completed, with a portion of the work beroutes, many children in Saugus like Elias will have a fairer chance at a safe and accessible education,” Ceciliano wrote. The petition drive and Ceciliano’s recent Letter-to-the-Editor got the attention of the School Committee, as all of the incumbent members are parents of present or former schoolage kids. School Committee Chair Vincent Serino said he welcomes any dialogue with parents on issues that affect UPCOMING PLANT PROJECT: WIN Waste Innovations announced this week that it will conduct an overhaul of its steam turbine at its Saugus plant on Route 107 over a two-month period beginning Sept. 15. The company said “steam will be visible but not audible” as it is vented through a silencer and ultimately the roof while the steam turbine generator is shut down and undergoes maintenance. (Saugus Advocate file photo) ing done locally in Lynn. Why is it necessary? WIN Waste regularly repairs and maintains our facilities to ensure reliable regional waste disposal and compliance with strict regulatory environmental and safety permits. The turbine is a high-performing component of the facility’s energy system, and this project is designed to preserve its efficiency and reliability for years to come. What can we expect to see? A large visual steam plume will be routed through the sichild safety. “We’ll re-evaluate the bus transportation policy,” Serino told The Saugus Advocate. But Serino stressed that the school district’s fiscal situation is at the heart of a parental concern that “comes up every year.” “We can get three more buses, but at what cost? This isn’t something new,” Serino said. “We could have 20 buses, and the issue would still come up. We’re no different than any other district. We’re facing what other communilencer and exiting the roof of the facility for most of the scheduled outage. The steam is a byproduct of the waste-to-energy process, which is normally utilized to power the turbine and create renewable energy. In addition to the turbine overhaul, WIN Waste will conduct scheduled outages of the two boilers over the last two weeks of September. Each boiler will be taken offline separately, though there will be a period of several days in which the facility will be in a coldiron outage, with both burners offline. The facility will prities are facing. There’s still a bus shortage. There’s still a driver shortage,” he said. As a parent, Serino said, he can relate to the issue being raised by Ceciliano. “My four kids weren’t on the bus. They had to walk,” he said. When reached for comment, School Committee Vice Chair Tom Whittredge encouraged the concerned parents to continue speaking out. “I understand the frustration of the parents affected. I see the petition on social media. A petition is not needed,” oritize our local municipalities and continue to receive municipal solid waste from Saugus and the surrounding communities during this maintenance period. The facility’s emission controls, which are designed to protect public health and ensure safe air quality, will continue to operate normally throughout the outage — maintaining performance well within stringent state and federal permit limits. Where can I learn more about the Saugus waste-to-energy facility and how it operates? www.winwastesaugus.com Whittredge said. “They can come to the School Committee meeting with their concerns and be heard at public comment. The administration is already working on possible alternative transportation solutions,” he said. “I say the same thing every year. The School Department needs to change the way they do business. There has been some real progress in the schools over the last couple of years. A rePETITION | SEE PAGE 10
10 Publizr Home