West Philly-based City Councilmember, Jamie Gauthier, recently introduced Bill No. 250768, the “Stop Trashing Our Air” Act, to bar the City from entering into new contracts for the burning of trash. On Monday, Nov. 17, the Council’s Committee on the Environment will hold a public hearing on this bill, and public testimony is invited.

In introducing the bill, Councilmember Gauthier made three main arguments for its approval:

• Burning trash emits highly toxic ash into Philadelphia’s air. Currently the City sends over a third (37 percent) of our trash to the Reworld (Covanta) incinerator in Chester City, the country’s largest incinerator and Southeastern PA’s largest industrial polluter. Many studies confirm that toxic ash created by trash incinerators contributes to illnesses like asthma and cancer, which today affect disproportionately large numbers of City residents.

• Air pollution is most concentrated near the burn site. While we all breathe toxins from the Reworld incinerator, residents living nearby in Chester City suffer most from its impact. Chester’s elected officials and residents have long requested assistance from the City and State to address this problem. With the City’s waste disposal contracts expiring at the end of FY 2026, the time is right to respond to their distress.

• Landfill is preferable to burning. While far from ideal, landfills pose considerably less risk to public health than incineration. A life cycle assessment conducted for Delaware County found that burning trash and then landfilling the toxic ash that it generates is almost 2½ times more harmful to the environment and human health than sending unburned trash directly to a landfill.

The Council hearing on November 17 is an opportunity for all City residents to make their voices heard on this issue. The hearing will take place at 1 p.m. in City Hall, Room 400. Those who cannot testify may still express their views by calling, emailing, or texting the office of their City Council members, by writing a letter to the Inquirer (letters@Inquirer.com) or other City newspaper, or by posting on social media.

– Elaine Fultz