Incinerator to cut air pollution, pay fine

The new owner of a Baltimore medical waste incinerator has agreed to cut air pollution by installing equipment to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent and to pay a $75,000 penalty for past air pollution violations, the Maryland Department of the Environment announced yesterday.

Environment Secretary Kendl P. Philbrick said Curtis Bay Energy also has agreed to install continuous mercury emission monitoring equipment, a first for Maryland.

CBE also will perform $125,000 in supplemental projects, including research and development on new ways to control and monitor mercury emissions. CBE operates a commercial medical waste incinerator that takes waste from hospitals and other medical facilities for disposal.