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New Incinerators Operating on Camp Lemonnier

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100408-16
Release Date: 4/8/2010 2:52:00 PM

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Frank Montellano, Camp Lemonnier Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (NNS) -- A pair of PENNRAM step-down incinerators installed in the expansion area of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), became fully operational, replacing the existing incinerators and increasing the camp's ability to manage waste April 1.

The two incinerators, installed in November 2009, are manned by a supervisor, two foremen, and thirty-two laborers. The incinerators replace the camp's previous method of incinerating, which consisted of using a large dumpster to hold burning waste.

"The new incinerators can run 24 hours a day, but usually run for 10-12 hours a day," said Joseph Erdos, a labor supervisor overseeing incinerator operations.

Each incinerator stack can process 1,700 pounds of trash per hour. After going through several weeks of testing and operation, the new incinerators have taken over waste disposal as the old incinerator was finally shut down at the end of March.

"The old incinerator was kept running for a month after we started the new incinerators," said Lt. Terrence Taylor, environmental officer at the camp. "This was to ensure that there were no issues with the new ones."

Waste material to be incinerated is fed into one of the incinerators and then burned at increasingly higher temperatures as it steps down through the incinerator.

Built-in safety features, such as a warning panel and pressure regulators, ensure a safe, reliable method of waste treatment.

"The incinerators get hot, real hot, up to 1800° Fahrenheit," said Curtis Reulecke, camp facilities manager. "Ash left behind is minimal. The new incinerator burns the ash left behind at each step."

At the very end of the incineration process, the last bit of leftover ash is captured in water. There is no other waste product from the operation. The incinerator is designed to prevent smoke elements from being released into the environment, burning all the hydrocarbons – the source of black smoke usually associated with burning waste.

"Efficiency is the main reason for the new incinerator," said Todd Linamen, the Refuse/Incinerator supervisor. "Fewer pollutants are going to be going in the air. A sign of the U.S. presence here in Djibouti, at least in this particular area, is that we are not putting bad toxins in the air."

Camp Lemonnier provides, operates and maintains superior service to meet the needs of regional tenant commands, and facilitate operations in the Horn of Africa, while promoting positive relations between the United States and African nations. Visit our Web site at www.cnic.navy.mil/cldj.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnre/.