CORRECTION: The Greater Wilmington Business Journal previously reported that the Covanta-county work session Sept. 13 was not open to the public. It is open to the public, but with no opportunity for public comment. Members of the public will be able to comment on this topic at the commissioners' regular meeting Sept. 17.

New Hanover County commissioners will meet this week to discuss the future of the county’s aging trash incinerator.

A proposed contract would allow energy-from-waste company Covanta to refurbish New Hanover’s trash incinerator. The deal has been drafted but not yet approved by county officials. New Jersey-based Covanta wants to retrofit the existing incinerator to capture some of the energy produced by burning waste and turning it into electricity.
 
A work session for country officials to discuss the contract will be Thursday, Sept. 13. During the work session, Covanta and county officials will discuss concerns and questions about the proposed contract, county spokesman Charles Smith said.
 
Commissioners chairman Ted Davis called for a public hearing to be held about the contract because of recent criticism about the project. That public hearing will be Monday, Sept. 17 in the historic courthouse at 24 N. Third St. A half hour will be set aside for each side to talk. Commissioners are expected to vote on the contract later that day.
 
The incinerator, formerly known as WASTEC, was shut down last year. Covanta has proposed to reopen and improve the site with current technology.
 
Some New Hanover residents, however, are concerned about inviting Covanta into the county project. A group calling itself Citizens Protecting New Hanover County (CPNHC) claims that waste-to-energy facilities such as WASTEC have "never operated in an economically self-sustaining way" and that the costs will be passed onto residents, according to the group’s website against the proposed contract.