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Comprehensive Review of S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options v2.1 155 10/22/12  A refuse-derived fuel (RDF) technology may impact waste generation minimization efforts with the need to generate more waste for fuel. The selection of a technology, therefore, is not a simple one, but one which can require tradeoffs between one goal with others. Since the risks associated with WTE and WC technology can be substantial, it is critical that the Town recognize and minimize these risks as best it can. The following criteria can be utilized to assess the relative risk of a particular WTE or WC technology:  Degree and Scale of Operating Experience. The technology must be proven. Most existing technologies, other than conventional mass-burn technology, have only been proven in pilot or laboratory operations, or with raw materials other than municipal solid waste. Other technologies have only been commercially operated in small facilities and the scale up to larger sized plants may result in unforeseen problems.  Reliability to Dispose of Municipal Solid Waste. The technology selected must be capable to dispose of solid waste in a reliable manner without frequent mechanical downtimes resulting in diversion of such waste to landfills.  Energy and Material Market Compatibility. The technology must be capable of recovering energy and materials for which markets are available and viable.  Environmental Acceptance. The technology must meet all permitted environmental requirements established by regulatory agencies.  Cost to the Town. The technology must dispose of the Town’s solid waste at a price it is willing to pay given alternative means of disposal. 12.2 CLASSIFICATION OF TE CHNOLOGIES For the purpose of this report, SCS has divided the processes for disposal of municipal solid waste into two main categories:  Conventional WTE Technology  Alternative WC Technologies The conventional WTE technologies include mass-burn incineration and smaller, modular units where unprocessed MSW is fired in a boiler or chamber where the heat is recovered in a series of tubes filled with water or in a heat recovery boiler where the heat is recovered in the form of steam or electricity. Alternatively, shredded MSW with some form of metals recovery can be fired in a chamber either in a dedicated boiler made of water tubes or on a fluidized bed of sand with the energy recovery in the form of steam or converted to electricity. Alternative conversion technologies can be defined as:  Alternatives to landfills and standard combustion-based WTE plants  Potential to produce by-products and chemicals that could be useful