Document 8Vow73nvY9NMMvK5eEQz5L7zm

Metro-East Journal Sunday - August 7. 1977 PCB disposal wrong-it must go someplace To the editor, The ooe who pennks the rape Upon reluming ton visi of God's good e*rfc is the Illi tation with a young man dying nois Environmental Protection of cancer. I told my congre Agency. They have knowledge gation that I am more deter mined to bring about the dos ing of the Earthltoe Landfill in Wilsonviile. Immorality is not limited to sex. movies, or magazines, but extends to business activities which are harmful and endan that PCB can be destroy ed within two seconds tmder 2,000 degrees fareaheit, but do not insist on tins process. In stead the EPA issues permits to bury PCB the ground to perpetuate comer. gers die lives of human beings. TTr ffltoois Environmental Monsanto Chemicals in Sau- Protection Agency is to protect get produces Polychlorinat otr environment not destroy ed biphenyls (POTi. a cancer it. Instead of defending the source factor. EartMine Corp. people of Wilsonviile who op buries PCB to the landfill to pose the txriai of PCB, the Wilsonviile. God gave us the good earth to produce food and beautify it with flowers and trees. As it is immoral to rape a woman, so it is immoral to rape the good earth with hazardous wastes, toxic materials aad dis eases.. To rape the earth with PCB so that this cancer disease can multiply, perpetuate and spread txitil it contaminates our farms, cattle, livestock, pollutes our streams, springs, EPA goes on record to protect a private corporation, the Earthline tandfdl, to promul gate the growth and spread of this deadly cancer disease. Thus, the EPA is an agent to the destruction of the en vironment. an agent to contam inate our rich farms, an agent to pollute our streams, springs, creeks, water. Therefore, the EPA permits and approves the immoral activities of Monsanto and Earthline to rape our good earth daily." * creeks and well-water, is im People will continue to die moral because it endangers the horrible death with cancer human lives with a death by so long as we continue to al cancer unbearable to face and low Monsanto to produce it and endure. Earthline to contaminate our earth and water with PCB. Father Casimir F. Gierut BirnkerUm To the editor. Several moods ago my office was informed by a wire service reporter that the state of Iowa had discovered a shipment of waste oil reportedly contami nated with chlorinated biphe nyls (PCBs): Apparently the materia) was Intended for use as road oil and thus, the Iowa Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) described the situation as a "near disaster". Subse quently Iowa DEQ announced their plans to more the mater ial to a secure landfill in Shef field, Illinois. Within hours we were besieged with phone calls from irate citizens, interested reporters and state representa tives. Concurrent with the pub licity one Iowa county ordered the material moved across the courty line while another sought a court injwction to prevent movement of the oil across its border. Iowa Gov. Robert Ray authorized Nation al Guard troops to stand guard over the tanks while IHinois Civil Defense wits braced themselves for arhigbway ship ment. Meanwhile the disposal facility, under considerate pressure, announced its inten tion (a forego any attempts to accept toe waste. In desper ation, Iowa,officials mounc- ed that they would ship the waste to a highly efficient in cinerator a Canada. An En vironment Canada spokesman later told me that the sugges tion could not have come at a less opportune time. Local elections were about to be held and the proposal quickly be came a campaign issue which generally unsdnofed In such ultimately forced the closure disciplines as organic chemis of one of the most efficient try, toxicology, hydrogeology PCB destruct units m the etc. and is easily influenced world. Bui the ftoal irony is by scare tactics and false innu that four days after the contro endo. It's high time that the versy began. Iowa officials dis media recognize this dema closed that (be oab when test goguery for what it is. ed, proved to be free of PCBs. The danger may truly lie PCBs currently bead toe list rot to intelligent management of what we have come to term of hazardous materials but in as "political contaminants". the attack cn the very methods Others indude Kepone. DDT, designed to protect our society C-56, Phosvel etc. As such, the from the ever-growing menace to* of properly disposing of of hazardous indretrial waste. these materials is oof much a technical issue n it is a social phenchwnon. This task is To set the recced straight, piease note the following facts:- made all the more difficult by 1. Although PCTs are often the misguided individuals and linked to cancer by popular political hopefuls who, for belief, researchers have oot re whatever reasons, tend to con corded a single case of an fuse and frighten an interested^ individual developing cancer or public. The average citizen is| toring as a result of exposure ` *CBs. Historically, the most teack or become trapped in toe scrubber sludge or inciner ator ash. 4. At this wvithvt there are only two incinerators in the United States equipped to b"rn PCBs and both are very selec tive relative to the wastes they will tun. Incineration of chlor inated organics results in the production of hydrochloric acid mist which tends to rapidly destroy an tocincerators refrac tory. 5. Incineration is a partial solution but it is generally not. a- :*ed for destruction of con taminated soils, certain sludg es, capacitors, transforme-s, etc. Prooosed federal regula tions will also allow for con trolled land disposal. This is in view of the fact that several' independent' research stud ies confirm that PCBs are high ly immobile to sod. C. Air, water and land are the only possible repositorp.s for mankind's waste products. If society decides not to d;scharge its waste to the air or water then it must logically recognize the only remaining alternative. 7. PCBs have been used in hydraulic systems for several decades, and residual concen trations can be found in some systems to this day. When mmoo affliction attributed drained, this fluid enters the toe substance is dermatitis waste oil market where, among retated to tang term dermal other things, it is used as sup xpcsure by workers. PCBs, plemental fuel and for oiling DDT, seem to pose a great- roads. threat to certain fish and TMiltfe species than they do ho man "pa* ae". There are scund reasons for removing Without question, the major ity of hazardous waste streams generated in the United States are disposed in some unknown PCBs from toe environ fashion. Illinois, if not the lead ment but they are oot the rea er, is among the leading states sons normally perceived by the in the nation in controlling the genera] pttoiic; disposal of industrial residuals. 1 PCBs are often described m highly toxic. Thus, many think of them re scute toxins on toe order of cjwrade or anaue. But hi reality, u.S. HEW*#. Tbxkr Substance list contains literally thousands of compounds, many of which, are food additives, that are more cutely toxic than PCBs. Point in fad. all things are toxic through excessive exposure. S. PCBs can be destroyed by incineration at very high temperature. However, inciner ation is seldom 100 per cent eftioeot. The fredten that But even in this state, we can account for the safe disposal of no more than IS pre cent of the liquid waste, fudges and hazardous waste produced by industry. The remainder is strreptitiously dumped in back lots, farm fields, sanitary sew ers. waterways and illegal landfills. Thus, if society .will not tolerate legal and control led disposal, it should be pre pared to accept the uncontrol led disposal that now takes place laider cover of darkness to everyone's back yard. Michael W. Rapps not destroyed cm volatilize and Manager, HWU " enter the atmosphere via toe Illinois EPA V DSW 330156 STLCOPCB4076799