Dr. Kristin Motley, the City of Chester Health Commissioner, understands first-hand how pollution from heavy industry can increase the risk of illness.
Her father, Chris Ball, a longtime Chester resident, has survived three kinds of cancer.
“He’s doing great now,” said Motley, “but that’s not everyone’s story.”
Motley grew up with her family in Chester, a city of 34 thousand residents roughly 15 miles southwest of Philadelphia on the Delaware river. Chester’s population is 72% African American according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Chester is a very tight-nit community,” Motley says. “Everybody knows each other and if you don’t know the person, you know their dad or their mom or their child or a cousin. We’re still very tight-nit and we still look out for each other.”
Chester is at the forefront of a nationwide debate about how cities can dispose of increasing amounts of waste with fewer options of how to get rid of it.
The city is the location of Reworld Delaware Valley, the largest trash incinerator in the United States, and a source of controversy and protest since it began operation in 1991.
As Health Commissioner, Motley has seen the ways in which living next to a trash incinerator has translated to disproportionate health issues among Chester residents.
“The root cause that’s driving these issues, these health disparities, is environmental,” Motley says.
A third of the trash burned at Reworld comes from Philadelphia, which currently incinerates 37% of its total garbage output. The incinerator burns up to 3,500 tons of trash a day.
The future of Philadelphia’s relationship with Reworld will be decided this spring when the city’s current contract with Reworld expires on June 30.
As the city considers whether to renew with Reworld, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Chair of the Committee on the Environment, has introduced the Stop Trashing Our Air Act, which, if passed, would stop Philadelphia from contacting companies that incinerate waste.
Your Zip Code Could Determine your Health
“People don’t often think about where they live as being a risk factor for what diseases they may be at risk for,” said Motley, “and unfortunately, your zip code can absolutely predict your health outcomes.”
Chester has the highest infant mortality rate in the state of Pennsylvania, according to The Center for Excellence in Environmental Technology. A 2018 survey found that 26.8% of children in Chester have asthma, far exceeding the 6.5% national average.
“All of these things that have plagued our community, it’s tied to the environment,” said Motley.
The Reworld incinerator is not the only source of pollutants in Chester. Several other manufacturers have large factories in the vicinity and I-95 also runs next to Chester. Motley is also concerned about lead poisoning, leaching from old pipes and old paint, and infrastructure that the city can’t afford to renovate or replace.
“We’re moving away from trash incineration”
On January 22, Reworld representatives testified before City Council at the first Stop Trashing Our Air Act hearing. Alex Piscitelli, facility manager at Reworld, said that advocate’s claims that local residents living near the incinerator experience more health issues “are simply not supported by the data.”
Their facility report on the Chester incinerator indicates its compliance with federal emission standards. A statement from Reworld in September 2025 claimed that the facility “operates under continuous emissions monitoring and performs well below federal and state limits.”
“I feel like some of their information was based on modeling that wasn’t representative of what actually happened in real life,” said Motley.
Reworld often cites offering well-paying local employment and community outreach as part of their commitment to being a good neighbor. But Motley says what they contribute is a drop in the bucket for a company with over 90 facilities across the U.S., and doesn’t make up for the incinerators’ environmental and health impacts.
“They have not given back in a way that compensates for the healthcare crises that they cause in this town,” said Motley. “What they’ve given is nothing compared to what people have to go through and suffer from, from the poor air quality that they contribute to.”
Motley says that the city of Philadelphia not renewing their contract with the Reworld incinerator this summer would make a big difference, and not only for the residents of Chester.
“It’ll be sending a major message across this country that we’re moving away from trash incineration,” said Motley. “It’s not good for the Earth, it’s not good for human health, it’s not benefiting anyone at all.”
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