7
Vol. 4, No. 1 Spring 2011 Wheelabrator Westchester, L.P. One Charles Point Ave. Peekskill, NY 10566 PRSRT-STD U.S. Postage PAID Grant Communications A PUBLICATION OF WHEELABRATOR TECHNOLOGIES INC. BY MEAGHAN CASEY For the past decade, Orange County native Lori Smith has established firm roots east of the Hudson in her role as operations specialist at Wheelabrator Westchester. Smith, who was raised and still resides in Chester, N.Y., enjoys her work life in Peekskill – both in terms of the setting and the people. “The teamwork here is so strong, we’re like family,” said Smith. “We stick together to get the job done, and Peter (Kendrigan) has just been a terrific leader.” Smith was hired by Wheelabrator 10 years ago, following her 16-year career at a landfill gas recovery facility in Goshen, where she had advanced from secretary to plant manager – a title that she held for six years until the facility was sold. “I wore all the hats at that plant, from purchasing agent to manager,” she said. “It was a great learning experience.” And it was an experience that led her right to Wheelabrator, after one of her former colleagues was hired as an assistant utility operator in Westchester. “When I first read about Smith specializes in smooth operations If every person or place has its 15 minutes of fame, Wheelabrator Westchester’s moment has arrived. The plant was featured in a segment of NOVA’s four-part miniseries entitled “Making Stuff.”Divided into four one- hour segments: Stronger, Smaller, Cleaner and Smarter, “Making Stuff” was hosted by New York Times Technology Columnist and CBS News Correspondent and Author David Pogue. Wheelabrator was highlighted in the “Making Stuff Cleaner” segment, which aired on PBS on Feb. 2. Page 8. making stuff cleaner See SMITH Page 7

making stuff cleaner - Grant Communications …. 4, No. 1 Spring 2011 W h e e l a b r a t o r W e s t c h e s t e r, L. P. One Charles Point Ave. Peekskill, NY 10566 PRSRT-STD U.S

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Vol. 4, No. 1 Spring 2011

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A PUBLICATION OF WHEELABRATOR TECHNOLOGIES INC.

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

For the past decade, OrangeCounty native Lori Smith hasestablished firm roots east of theHudson in her role as operationsspecialist at WheelabratorWestchester.

Smith, who was raised andstill resides in Chester, N.Y.,enjoys her work life in Peekskill– both in terms of the setting andthe people.

“The teamwork here is sostrong, we’re like family,” saidSmith. “We stick together to getthe job done, and Peter(Kendrigan) has just been aterrific leader.”

Smith was hired by

Wheelabrator 10 years ago,following her 16-year career at alandfill gas recovery facility inGoshen, where she had advancedfrom secretary to plant manager– a title that she held for sixyears until the facility was sold.

“I wore all the hats at thatplant, from purchasing agent tomanager,” she said. “It was agreat learning experience.”

And it was an experience thatled her right to Wheelabrator,after one of her formercolleagues was hired as anassistant utility operator inWestchester.

“When I first read about

Smith specializes in smooth operations

If every person or place has its 15 minutes of fame, WheelabratorWestchester’s moment has arrived. The plant was featured in a segment of

NOVA’s four-part miniseries entitled “Making Stuff.” Divided into four one-hour segments: Stronger, Smaller, Cleaner and Smarter, “Making Stuff”

was hosted by New York Times Technology Columnist and CBS News Correspondent and Author David Pogue. Wheelabrator was highlighted in

the “Making Stuff Cleaner” segment, which aired on PBS on Feb. 2.Page 8.

making stuff cleaner

See SMITH Page 7

2——Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111

A PUBLICATION OF:WHEELABRATOR

WESTCHESTER, L.P.

Jeff PrimaveraRegional Vice President

Peter KendriganPlant Manager

Wheelabrator Westchester, L.P.One Charles Point Ave.

Peekskill, NY 10566Tel. 914-739-9555Fax 914-739-9104

www.wheelabratortechnologies.com

PRODUCED BY:GRANT COMMUNICATIONS

CONSULTING GROUPBoston/New York

[email protected]

At WheelabratorWestchester, ourmission includesproducing clean,renewable energy andbeing a good neighbor,all while maintaining anunyielding commitmentto workplace safety andthe environment. I thinkthis edition ofWheelabratorWestchester Newseffectively capturesthose efforts.

Inside, you will readabout some of the

achievements Wheelabrator has made in the field ofwaste-to-energy, as depicted in recent documentariesairing on PBS and CNBC. You will also learn moreabout some of the leaders in our company’s ongoingcommitment to safety and operational excellence.You’ll be introduced to a new member of the team,Frank Pochopin, director of quality assurance, aswell as Ray Soulard, a veteran employee who hasassumed the role of director of operationssustainability. At the core of our success, and criticalto our future, is an unwavering commitment to

sustainability. Ray will help us all formalize andadvance that commitment.

Here in Westchester, all of our employees – suchas Pat Fahey and Lori Smith, whom you will learnmore about – are to be commended for theirdedication to this facility, to the environment and tothe community. I especially would like to commendPat, who has done an exceptional job stepping intomy shoes while I have spent some time at one ofour facilities in Massachusetts.

In this edition, you will also read about some ofthe activities we have organized in recent months tosupport our local youth and communityorganizations. It is always a pleasure to see studentsat Peekskill Middle School participate in the annualWheelabrator Symposium for Environment andEducation, and their project this year was againimpressive. Congratulations to the students on a jobwell done.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy summer andthank you for your continued interest in our plant.Know that our door is always open if you want topay a visit.

Peter Kendrigan is plant manager of WheelabratorWestchester.

Always committed to our cause

PETER KENDRIGANPlant Manager

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

Change is in the air atWheelabrator Westchester,where Maintenance ManagerPatrick Fahey has spent the lastfew months walking in theshoes of Plant Manager PeterKendrigan.

Fahey is serving as interimplant manager while Kendriganis on assignment atWheelabrator’s Millbury, Mass.,plant.

“It was an honor to be askedto do this job,” said Fahey.“Peter and I and our regionalvice president, Jeff Primavera,have a great workingrelationship and open lines ofcommunication. We’re all inthis together, which makes thejob easier. It is a privilege towork with such a supportiveteam.”

Fahey was hired byWheelabrator as a laborer inMay 1985. Prior to that, he wasemployed by U.S. Gypsum Co.(USG), North America’s largestmanufacturer and marketer ofgypsum-based products for the

construction and remodelingindustries. He served as a millsupervisor at USG’s StonyPoint, N.Y., facility.

At Wheelabrator, Faheyadvanced from laborer tomaintenance planner, utilityoperator, assistant plantoperator, control operator andmaintenance manager. He hasserved as maintenance manager

for nearly eight years and is stilloverseeing those responsibilitieswhile he fills in as plantmanager.

“If you perform well andprepare yourself for the next

challenge, advancementopportunities are within reach,”said Fahey. “The companyalways encourages advancementand recognizes employees whoare willing to grow with thecompany.”

He is proving to be not onlycapable in his new role, butenthusiastic.

“I care about this facility andthe employees – I always have,”he said. “It’s a great group ofengaged and trustworthyemployees, and I’m happy tohave their respect. The mindsetis that we want to be the best,and the guys have proven that’sthe case time and time again.Every week, month, and yearthe statistics show that we’reoperating safely andeffectively.”

Fahey, a Westchester Countynative, is a graduate of James I.O’Neill High School in FortMontgomery. He lives inYorktown Heights with his wife,Theresa, and their two children,Meghan, 11, and Patrick, 9.

Maintaining order: Fahey stepsin as interim plant manager

We have a great working relationship

and an open communication line.

We’re all in thistogether.

PATRICK FAHEY

If you WOULD

prefer to

receive an

electronic

version of

Wheelabrator

Westchester

News, please

send an

e-mail to gccg@

grantgroup.com

Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111—— 3

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

Wheelabrator Westchester was recognized as one of fivehonorees at the seventh annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Celebration, benefitting benefiting the Preservation Company.

Associated with Hudson River HealthCare, thePreservation Company is a housing and communitydevelopment organization, serving the community ofPeekskill that provides assistance with home ownership,home improvement and tenant support services. Programsinclude counseling and workshops on the home-buyingprocess, debt and budget counseling, financial evaluation andadvice on obtaining mortgage pre-approval and loans. Theorganization also provides funds of up to $15,000 for eligiblerepairs, which include electrical upgrades, roof replacements,window replacements, plumbing repairs and lead abatement.

“Wheelabrator Westchester has been a major sponsor of theDr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration since the event’sinception,” said Tuesday McDonald, program generalist at

Hudson River HealthCare. “It is because of their sponsorshipthat we are able to host this event. The support they give tothe Preservation Company is invaluable. We are trulythankful to have their support each year as we celebrate thecontributions of Dr. King.”

This year’s celebration was held on Jan. 16 at ColonialTerrace in Cortlandt Manor. Other honorees included Dr. IdaSilver Wiggins, Margaret Lastique, Victor Conte of ConteElectric, and Entergy.

For Ken Phillips, a Wheelabrator ash and labor systemsmanager, the recognition has personal meaning. His mother,Rev. Jeannette Phillips, serves as executive director of thePreservation Company and was one of the founding mothersof Hudson River HealthCare – originally known as PeekskillArea Ambulatory Health Center. In the early 1970s, Rev.Phillips joined Pearl Woods, Willie Mae Jackson and MaryWoods in championing for high quality and affordablehealthcare services in the Peekskill community. Theysucceeded. Since opening its doors in 1975, Hudson River

HealthCare has expanded to become a network of 13community health centers serving more than 42,000 patientsthroughout the Hudson Valley.

“My mother taught me the importance of service throughher own example,” said Phillips.

Today, Rev. Phillips continues to remain a staunchsupporter of the services that both Hudson River HealthCareand the Preservation Company provide, and she is proud that– through Wheelabrator’s support – her son is able to helpher carry out that mission.

“Since Wheelabrator became a part of our community, theyhave responded in helping in so many ways,” said Rev.Phillips. “While the financial support is key to an agency inrunning its programs, it’s commendable that Wheelabratorgoes the extra mile by having their staff involved as well. Tome, that’s what ‘continuing the dream’ and the legacy of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. is all about – investing in each other. Ifelt a sense of pride and joy to see Wheelabrator honored fora job well done in our community.”

WHEELABRATOR RECOGNIZED AT MLK CELEBRATION

From left, Ken Phillips, Dr. Dillard Elmore of Hudson RiverHealthCare and Rev. Jeannette Phillips.

Interim Plant Manager Pat Fahey speaks at the MLK celebration.

Rev. Jeannette Phillips is executive director of thePreservation Company.

BY PAUL HALLORAN

With a long history of operational excellence, Wheelabrator is not contentto rest on its laurels. Instead, the company is determined to get to the next

level, and it has identified one of the key people to lead the way.Meet Frank Pochopin, Wheelabrator’s new

manager of Quality Assurance.Pochopin arrived at Wheelabrator a last fall with 20

years’ experience in quality assurance, having worked forseveral companies in the manufacturing and aerospaceindustries. Rather than managing existing systems, hespecializes in developing quality-assurance systems thatlead to improved operational performance.

At Wheelabrator, Pochopin’s primary focus will be thedevelopment of the OBOX – Operations in a Box –document-control program that will house all companyprocedures and protocols.

“We want to standardize our own best practices,” saidPochopin, who has already visited many of Wheelabrator’s22 U.S. plants and plans to get to all of them before long.“We’re moving toward paperless documentation so that alldocuments will be created electronically and be available onan internal network. Everyone will be able to find anydocument or form they need.”

Pochopin has been on a fact-finding mission, gatheringinformation from the plants on their processes. “It’s anopportunity for me to learn what they do and how they doit,” he said. “My job is to gather documentation from allthe plants and come back with one lump sum ofknowledge.

“I can identify where the best practices are and come up with a methodology that can beused in all the plants,” he added. “The people in the plants have been great. Every plant I’ve

visited has had something (in its operations) stand out.”Like Bill Roberts, VP of Operations, Pochopin firmly believes Wheelabrator employees on

the front lines hold the key to improved performance. “Operational excellence starts with thepeople in the plants. My job is to capture the ‘tribal’ knowledge of those people,” he said.

As a continuation of its commitment to operationalexcellence, when OBOX becomes an integral part ofWheelabrator’s operations, Pochopin will work to move theorganization toward becoming ISO 9001 certified.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) isthe world’s largest developer and publisher ofInternational Standards.

ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms abridge between the public and private sectors. On the onehand, many of its member institutes are part of thegovernmental structure of their countries or are mandated bytheir government. On the other hand, other members havetheir roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set upby national partnerships of industry associations.

Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be reached onsolutions that meet both the requirements of business andthe broader needs of society.

“Obtaining ISO certification will serve us well, notonly operationally, but also with the growth of thebusiness worldwide,” Pochopin said.

Pochopin, whose father was in the Navy, was born inMemphis and grew up in San Diego. He moved to Utica,N.Y., as an adolescent and graduated from SUNY Instituteof Technology with an associate’s degree in computer

science and a bachelor’s in business management. He holds a Six Sigma green belt and manyother certifications.He and his wife, Doreen, live in New Hampshire. They have threechildren: Frank (23), Kevin (20) and Stephanie (14).

Pochopin gets employees to think inside the box

Frank Pochopin takes a look inside the boiler at Wheelabrator.

EMPLOYEE

PROFILE

4—— Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111 Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111 —— 5

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

They are stewards of the environment. They are advocatesfor sustainability. And, as part of the Peekskill Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club, they have concluded another year ofparticipation in the Wheelabrator Symposium forEnvironment and Education.

Through the symposium, approximately 150 middle-schoolstudents representing New England, the mid-Atlantic andFlorida commit to a six-month learning project, identifyingan environmental challenge in their community anddeveloping a long-term solution. Under the guidance ofeducators and Wheelabrator employees, students applylessons learned in the classroom to real-life situations.

In Peekskill, students built on what they developed lastyear when they created a sustainable, educational garden intheir new courtyard. Wheelabrator Westchester employeesand other volunteers assisted the students with landscaping.The students then explored native plants, composting,rainwater irrigation and integrated pest management. Theywere able to use fresh produce from the garden in consumerscience classes and the cafeteria, and donated the surplus to

local shelters. They also built a cluster of tables for learningin the courtyard. Throughout the summer, families wereencouraged to “adopt the garden” for a week.

“Our goal was to show how gardening in an urban settingwas possible,” said Faculty Advisor John Cooley.

This year, the students completed the education zone andexpanded the garden with additional composting stations,raised beds for herbs and a storage shed. They also studiedindoor gardening and added a drip irrigation system to plantlettuce seedlings. In addition, they developed acomprehensive recycling and reduction program within theschool.

“It’s so impressive to see what these kids are able toaccomplish in a matter of months,” said Ken Phillips,Wheelabrator Westchester ash and labor systems manager,who has taken on an active role at the school. “And they’relearning about things like organic, healthy eating andpreserving our natural resources. Those are valuable lifeskills.”

Ten of the Peekskill students presented their project atWheelabrator’s four-day symposium event, which was heldMay 2-5 in Sunrise, Fla. Participating schools each received

$500 in startup funds and a $1,000 donation fromWheelabrator at the conclusion of the event. In addition,students can later qualify to earn a four-year scholarshipthrough Wheelabrator’s partnership with Fisk University inNashville, Tenn.

“I didn’t realize I’d be meeting future astrobiologists,” saidKent Wallace, director of physics at Fisk University, whoalso served as a speaker and judge at the event. “NASA islooking for people to grow food without food and sunlight,and these students attempted just that. The projects they’redoing are truly advanced, rivaling work that high school andcollege students can produce.”

The Symposium wrapped up with a visit to the MiamiSeaquarium and an awards dinner, featuring speaker FabienCousteau, third-generation ocean explorer and founder of theorganization Plant a Fish™.

“It is the job of each of us to pass to the next generation apassion for studying the environment and provide support tothem to make a difference to improve the planet,” saidCousteau. “I commend Wheelabrator for providing theopportunity to these students to conduct these researchprojects, and I’ve been astounded and impressed to no end.”

LET IT GROWPeekskill students create garden forWheelabrator Symposium project

Right:After Wheelabrator'sEnvironmental Symposium, the

Peekskill team joined otherparticipants on a field trip to the

Miami Seaquarium.

Below, the Peekskill Middle SchoolSymposium team: seated from left),

Interim Plant Manager Pat Fahey,students Courtney Hill, Gregory

Clark, Diana Barreto, Ken Phillips ofWheelabrator Westchester; (standing

from left) Shania Minard, DevinGuardino,Teacher John Cooley, Gabby

McMillan, Kacey Albino,AnthonyGentile, Catherine Lively,Teacher

Susan Mahoney, and Rebecca Tuteur.

Below far right, the Peekskill teamlearns about manatees at the field trip

to the Miami Seaquarium.

PHOTOS BY REBA M. SALDANHA

Darius Luna works on the sustainable urban garden in the Peekskill Middle Schoolcourtyard.

Wheelabrator Regional Vice President Jeff Primavera, left, congratulates Peekskill MiddleSchool Symposium Teacher John Cooley on a first-class presentation.

6——Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111

BY PAUL HALLORAN

At some companies, providing a safe workplace is a goal;at Wheelabrator it is a value that is part of the culture.

“Many companies do not view safety as an important partof their business success, we do and we’re different,” saidKent Baughn, senior manager of Health and Safety.

Baughn has been with Wheelabrator for 10 years. In the 16years prior to that he worked for a consulting firm, the U.S.Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C.In his role with the federal government, Baughn worked at sitesthat housed weapons and radioactive waste, so you can imaginethat workplace safety was held in very high regard.

At Wheelabrator, Baughn works with Steve Campbell andDave Smith to help plants remain in compliance with OSHAregulations. Baughn focuses on workplace exposures andindustrial hygiene – defined by OSHA as “the science ofanticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling workplaceconditions that may cause workers’ injury or illness.”

According to OSHA, “industrial hygienists use environmentalmonitoring and analytical methods to detect the extent ofworker exposure and employ engineering, work practicecontrols, and other methods to control potential health hazards.”

Baughn conducts air monitoring assessments at the plantsand provides the results to the plants and the employees. Healso analyzes the noise levels to which employees areexposed. “Our goal is to perform air sampling at each plant2-3 times a year,” said Baughn, a Peru, N.Y., native andClarkson University grad who lives in New Hampshire withhis wife, Ann-Marie, and four children.

Campbell was a corporate safety director and a consultantbefore joining Wheelabrator two years ago as manager ofHealth and Safety. He and Smith conduct safety audits in theplants, analyzing how effectively the various programs andprocedures have been implemented.

“We do a full-blown safety and health audit in every plantevery few years,” said Campbell, noting that he and Smithare typically assisted by a team of employees from a plantother than the one being audited.

The audits examine areas such as OSHA compliance, companypolicy, hazard recognition, Safety on Purpose (SOP) and PositiveSafety (PS) actions. Campbell also conducts training in safetyprocedures for employees working in the plants.

Safety on Purpose is a company-wide program thatchallenges employees to approach every task with safety inmind. “It’s a mindset that we want people to bring to workwith them every day,” Campbell said. “We want to identifyand correct any hazards that might be created by a job.”

Campbell has been working with Wheelabrator’sMassachusetts plants – Saugus, Millbury and North Andover –over the last few months. He has an associate’s degree inoccupational health and safety from Central Maine CommunityCollege and a bachelor’s in environmental health and safetyfrom the University of Southern Maine. He lives in Buckfield,Maine, with his wife, Heidi, and daughters Abigail and Ashley.

As Health and Safety project manager, Dave Smith worksclosely with Baughn and Campbell. Smith, who has beenwith Wheelabrator for 20 years, focuses on internal policiesand procedures with regard to OSHA compliance, technicalguidance and communications.

Smith started in operations at Wheelabrator Frackville inPennsylvania. He was in that position in 1996 when the plantbecame Wheelabrator’s first to attain Star status in OSHA’sVoluntary Protection Program, the highest safety designation

awarded by OSHA. Since then, 16 Wheelabrator waste-to-energy plants and five Wheelabrator independent powerplants have attained VPP star status. The WheelabratorPortsmouth (Va.) waste-to-energy facility, which the companyacquired in May 2010, is committed to attaining VPP Starstatus by the end of 2012.

“We try to standardize things as much as possible,” said Smith.“Kent, Steve and I work together. When Kent came on, he had abackground in VPP so he helped move that effort along.”

Smith studied Business Management at Penn StateUniversity, received a Power Plant Technology certificationfrom Schuylkill Technology Center in Mar Lin, Penn., and iscurrently an active OSHA Special Government Employee(SGE), assisting OSHA in Voluntary Protection Program(VPP) evaluations and recertifications.

Smith, who works out of the Frackville plant andWheelabrator headquarters in Hampton, N.H, lives in Elysburg,Penn., with his wife, Karen. They have three adult children.

Trio charged with maintaining OSHA compliance

STEWARDS OF SAFETY

KENT BAUGHN

STEVE CAMPBELLDAVE SMITH

Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111 —— 7

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

As one of Wheelabrator’s earlyteam members in the late 1970s,Ray Soulard holds a significantstake in Wheelabrator’s past.

Today, he assists in mappingout the company’s future –enhancing its practices,optimizing its resources andimproving the quality of itsproducts and services.

Soulard, Wheelabrator’s newlyappointed director of OperationsSustainability, is responsible fordevelopment, implementation andmonitoring of some of theoperating procedures and normsat each of the company’s 22waste-to-energy and independentpower plants. His goal is toensure that each plant isoperating efficiently and that itsbyproducts are fully controlled,are predictable, meet qualitystandards and are reduced orreused to the fullest extentpossible.

“On a daily basis,sustainability drives our efforts toreduce the solid waste wegenerate, improve the quality andhandling of ash residue, minimizewastewater and continuallyidentify and expand opportunitiesto beneficially reuse thebyproducts of our operations,”said Vice President of OperationsWilliam Roberts. “On a long-term basis, sustainability is apivotal metric for our operational,organizational and financialsuccess.”

“As neighbors of each otherand our environment, minimizingour environmental impact is afoundational operating principlefor our company,” said Soulard.“This position gives me theopportunity to do somethingchallenging and make a lastingcontribution to the organization.”

Prior to his new appointment,Soulard served as regional vice president, covering thecompany’s western U.S. territory.

“Ray is a highly respected professional whose operationalexperience, attention to detail and systematic approach toeverything he does makes him an exceptionally qualified

person for this important role,” said Roberts. Soulard joined Wheelabrator in 1978 as a shift supervisor

at Wheelabrator Saugus (Mass.). He had been employed byNew England Power Company and was aware of the newindustry opportunities on the rise.

“I thought the concept ofwaste-to-energy had merit,”said Soulard. “The seniormanagers in Saugus believedthat it would be a developingtechnology and that we wouldbuild more plants – and theywere right.”

Soulard remained in Saugusuntil 1983, learning the ropesfrom the plant’s chiefengineer and manager, DanielMadigan, who later went onto serve as Wheelabrator’sNew England regional vicepresident.

“To those of us in thebusiness, Dan Madigan waswidely regarded as one of thesharpest engineers in thestate,” said Soulard. “To beable to work for him was anextraordinary privilege.”

From 1983-87, Soulardsupervised operations atWheelabrator Westchester,during the plant’s constructionand start-up. In 1987, hetransferred to northern Maineto manage the company’sformer biomass facility,Sherman Station. In 1998, hewas selected to manage theConcord and Claremont, N.H.waste-to-energy facilities. Thefollowing year, he wasappointed regional vicepresident and his territoryexpanded to includeWheelabrator’s facility inSpokane, Wash., and latertheir independent powerplants in California andMaine.

Soulard assumed directionof Operations Sustainabilitylast July. He remains based inConcord, N.H., but will spendthe majority of his time on theroad, making site visits.

“It’s important for me to bein the field, visiting the plantsand talking with the

employees,” he said. “The strength of this company is ourculture. What we do is challenging, and our employeesthrive on challenge; they are engaged and exceptionallyhard-working people. Throughout our fleet, that isconsistently apparent.”

SUSTAINABILITY A PRIORITY AT WHEELABRATOR

Ray Soulard is working with Wheelabrator plants, including North and South Broward, on standardization andsustainability. PHOTO: PAULA MULLER

Wheelabrator, I was simplyamazed at how they were able toburn trash and not put it into theground,” said Smith. “I had neverworked for such a big company,and I liked what it had to offer interms of training, safety andhuman resources. Theopportunities were so much moreextensive.”

In addition to her dailyadministrative and operationalduties, Smith is responsible forreaching out to form publicpartnerships. Together,Wheelabrator and WestchesterCounty have organized householdmaterial recovery days andmedication take-back days toensure proper disposal of unusedand expired medications. Themedication take-back program,

launched in 2008, was the first ofits kind statewide. Medicationtake-back days were held March18-19 at Playland Park in Rye andApril 8-9 at FDR Park inYorktown Heights.

Another project Smith recentlyspearheaded at the plant was theimplementation of Fast Lanes, anew scale system that went liveOct. 28, 2010.

“It’s going very well,” she said.“The drivers seem to like it. It’smore hands-on, allowing them tobetter report where they’re goingand what products they have.”

Smith is the proud mother oftwo boys, ages 25 and 26. Heroldest son served in the Navy andis back in New York right now,while her youngest is living inPittsburgh, pursuing a career as amechanic and artist.

Smith is a smooth operator at Wheelabrator WestchesterSMITH: from Page 1

When I first read aboutWheelabrator,I was simply

amazed.

8——Wheelabrator Westchester News SSpprriinngg 22001111

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

BY MEAGHAN CASEY

If every person or place has its 15minutes of fame, WheelabratorWestchester’s moment has arrived.

The plant was featured in asegment of NOVA’s four-partminiseries entitled “Making Stuff.”Divided into four one-hoursegments: Stronger, Smaller,Cleaner and Smarter, “MakingStuff” was hosted by New YorkTimes Technology Columnist andCBS News Correspondent andAuthor David Pogue. In each hour,Pogue set out in search of thestrongest, smallest, cleanest andsmartest materials and technologies.Wheelabrator was highlighted in the“Making Stuff Cleaner” segment,which aired on PBS on Feb. 2.

The program introduced viewersto the rapidly developing scienceand business of clean energy andexamined alternative ways togenerate, store and distribute it.

Filming for the segment beganlast July, when a crew fromPowderhouse Productions visitedthe Peekskill facility.

“Our lifestyles are based so muchon consuming things and throwingthem out, and this series addressesthat,” said David Moore Huntley,principal of Moore HuntleyProductions, who worked on theproject with Powderhouse. “Wewanted to show how to make greenenergy. The waste-to-energy

process is so cutting-edge, but notreally as widespread as it shouldbe.”

Wheelabrator Westchester PlantManager Peter Kendrigan gavePogue and crew members a behind-the-scenes tour, explaining thecycle that transforms trash intoclean, renewable energy. While itwas not a new experience for thePowderhouse crew – which shotfootage for the History Channel in2007 at Wheelabrator’s waste-to-energy plant in Saugus, Mass. – itwas eye-opening for Pogue.

“David was blown away,” saidHuntley. “He posted a link onTwitter that day, directing hisfollowers – about one million – toWheelabrator’s Web site.”

On air, Pogue marveled that“88,000 homes are being fueled bytheir own trash,” and went on todetail the process – with help fromKendrigan. Throughout thesegment, he put into question thefuture sustainability of man-madematerials and continued to explorethe new science of materials – usingcorn to fuel our cars or chickenfeathers to help store hydrogen fuel,among some of his examples.Television personality Jay Leno,whose vast car collection totalsalmost 200, was also featured,taking Pogue out for a spin in hiselectric and fuel cell cars.

To view the episode, go tovideo.pbs.org/video/1768954299

PBS shines the spotlight onWheelabrator Westchester

Above,Wheelabrator Plant Manager Peter Kendrigan, left, explains the waste-to-energyprocess to David Pogue for a NOVA segment. Below, crew members from PowderhouseProductions are pleased with the filming. PHOTOS: POWDERHOUSE PRODUCTIONS