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What’s next for Philadelphia’s waste as Chester incinerator debated
Philadelphia’s waste disposal practices, particularly the use of incinerators in Chester, are under scrutiny as contracts near expiration and community leaders call for change due to health and environmental concerns.
PHILADELPHIA - The future of Philadelphia’s waste disposal is under scrutiny as city officials, health leaders and advocates push for an end to incinerator use, citing health risks for Chester residents, with key contract decisions looming.
City leaders and advocates rally against incinerator use
What we know:
A portion of Philadelphia’s trash is currently transported to the Highland Avenue incinerator in Chester, where it is burned.
This practice has sparked debate over health impacts and the movement of waste across county lines.
What they're saying:
"Do not award a waste disposal contract to any anti-green, anti-clean, anti-safe company. They do not deserve it," said Kristin Motley, City of Chester Health Commissioner.
Motley also said, "It’s contributing to our infant mortality. It’s contributing to our pediatric asthma rates, which are through the roof. It’s contributing to the cancer, the heart disease, the kidney disease, the strokes and countless other preventable health conditions."
Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Chester City Mayor Stefan Roots, and others joined outside City Hall to voice their concerns as the bid deadline approaches for new waste disposal contracts.
Speakers urge action on environmental legislation
Advocates are calling for Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration to sign the "Stop Trashing Our Air Act," first developed in 2021, which would shift Philadelphia away from incineration and toward landfill use.
Mike Ewall with Energy Justice Network said, "I wrote ‘Stop Trashing Our Air Act,’ and I’m honored that Councilmember Gauthier has chosen to prioritize and champion this bill as she has."
One Pennsylvania representative, Steve Paul, warned of a long delay if the bill is not signed now, saying, "Every day this incinerator runs, our air is being poisoned. So do we want seven more years of poisoned air?"
The backstory:
Chester is home to the largest garbage incinerator in the country.
The debate over Philadelphia’s waste disposal has been ongoing for years, with residents and advocates raising concerns about the health and environmental impacts on Chester.
The Parker Administration’s response
The other side:
FOX 29 received 2025 testimony from the Parker Administration’s Director of Clean and Green Initiatives, who said, "The administration applauds the bill's efforts for improved air quality and environmental justice concerns for the residents of Chester, however there is a need for more objective data to support the claims of this bill in its entirety. There are both pros and cons to both waste disposal processes."
Mayor Parker’s Department of Sanitation has indicated a desire to further study the impacts of landfills versus incinerators.
Mike Ewall said, "Mayor Parker’s Department of Sanitation is talking about wanting to study whether landfills or incinerators, which one is better. And yet, they want to study this now because they don’t like the results of the best study that could be done on this topic. This study has already been commissioned by Delaware County several years ago."
The city’s waste contracts are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, with a new bid deadline of Friday, February 20.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear which waste disposal method Philadelphia will choose moving forward or whether the "Stop Trashing Our Air Act" will be signed before the contract deadline.
The Source: The Source: Information from FOX 29 reporting and public statements from city officials and advocates.