Councilors at the Indianapolis City-County Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee on Monday criticized the process by which the Board of Public Works advanced a walk-on agenda item to renew a long-term contract with the trash incinerator formerly operated by Covanta (now Re-World), and requested fuller public review of solid-waste planning.

Councilor Jesse Brown said he was “extremely disappointing” that the renewal was presented as a walk-on item and that board members and the public had little opportunity to review the proposal in advance. Brown asked how much input the Office of Sustainability had in the review; Mo McReynolds said the office “is a part of a team” within Public Works and that she had signed a nondisclosure agreement and therefore could not disclose specific contract details.

The Nut Graf: Councilors described concerns about process transparency and potential air-quality impacts, and requested a fuller discussion of the city’s solid-waste system in March. Brown and others urged public hearings and council review for decisions with community health implications.

Brown told the committee that the council appointees on the Board of Public Works voted no but had not been given time for questions. “There was no public input or engagement before, which really is the antithesis of kind of the MO I’ve seen from your office,” Brown said. He added he feared some children could face increased asthma risk from elevated PM2.5 emissions and argued the contract renewal warranted a public process.

McReynolds said IDEM and city staff had been consulted on potential air implications and that, in comparison to other local sources such as transportation and industrial activity, she did not expect the incinerator to be the largest source of PM2.5. She urged the committee to consider the topic in a broader solid-waste discussion scheduled for March so staff could speak more fully once restrictions on commenting end.

Chair John Barth said a March committee meeting is planned to consider the solid-waste system “writ large,” and several council members said they expect public hearings and more documentation before permanent decisions.

Ending: The committee scheduled a March discussion of the city’s solid-waste strategy; members asked staff to ensure they have the opportunity for a public, documented review of the incinerator contract and related air-quality analysis before any long-term renewal is finalized.