FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Lindsey Sampson, Lee County Solid Waste Division
                (941) 479-8181

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 8, 2001) – The Solid Waste Processing Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has awarded Lee County and Covanta Lee Inc. its prestigious "Facility Recognition Award" for the Lee County Waste-to-Energy Facility’s contributions to the field of solid waste processing.

The 125,000-member society is a nonprofit educational and technical organization serving a worldwide membership of mechanical engineering practitioners. Founded in 1880, it conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations, holds some 30 technical conferences and 200 professional development courses each year, and sets many industrial and manufacturing standards.

The award was presented Monday (May 7) at the 9^th Annual North American Waste To Energy Conference in Miami.

Key selection criteria included:

• Success in meeting facility operation requirements,
• Innovative contributions to solid waste processing,
• Technical contributions to solid waste processing,
• Environmental performance,
• Facility economics, and
• Role in integrated waste management.

Lee County’s Waste-to-Energy Facility was completed in August 1994 and disposes of the county’s garbage by burning it and generating electricity from a steam driven turbine. The facility burns 395,000 tons of garbage a year and generates up to 34 megawatts of electricity – or enough to power about 30,000 homes. Since the Waste-to-Energy plant began operating, residential garbage rates in Lee County have declined from $216 to $188 a year. Covanta Lee Inc., formerly Ogden Martin Systems of Lee Inc., operates the facility through a County contract.