The most polluting incinerator in France is in Toulouse
The Mirail incinerator in Toulouse emits as much nitrogen oxide as the three largest incinerators in the country, according to the Zero Waste association.
The Mirail household waste incinerator in Toulouse is the one that emitted the most nitrogen oxides, a toxic gas, in 2020. It rejected 322 tonnes, according to published data by the Zero Waste Toulouse association on Tuesday 13 September. This is more than double the Calce incinerator in Pyrénées-Orientales, second in the ranking with 156 tonnes.
The Toulouse incinerator emits as much as the three largest in France
By way of comparison, the Toulouse incinerator emitted almost as much nitrogen oxide as the three largest French incinerators combined, those of Ivry-Paris XIII, Saint-Ouen and Issy-les-Moulineaux. Together they reach 337 tons. However, the quantity of waste treated in the Pink City has nothing to do with that of Île-de-France: 285,000 tonnes against 1,630,000 tonnes. Moreover, that of Ivry-Paris XIII is downright the biggest in Europe.
The monthly discharge measurements on each of the four lines of the incinerator for the year 2020, carried out continuously by the operator, the mixed syndicate Decoset, are between 133 and 186 mg/Nm3. The annual averages are between 149 and 165 mg/Nm3.
Three projects for the future of the structure
“The Toulouse incinerator, built in 1969, is one of the oldest in France still in operation and it is located in the heart of a densely populated urban area, in the immediate vicinity of schools and homes,” writes the Zero Waste association.
A reflection is underway about the future of the Mirail incinerator. A public consultation opens on September 20. Three projects are on the table: the renovation of the structure, its reconstruction or its maintenance as it is.
“Upgrading work is planned over the next two years for an amount of 46 million euros, but which should only reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by around 25%. The Toulouse incinerator should therefore still be the most polluting in France after this work which, moreover, will only be useful for seven to eight years before it is dismantled,” according to Zero Waste.