Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 16, 1992 TAG: 9202140051
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NEW RIVER VALLEY 2 EDITION: NEW RIVER
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
INCINERATOR MAY NOT BE NEEDED
The local newspapers recently reported on the Radford Army Arsenal's proposal for a joint effort to build a solid-waste incinerator for the New River Valley area.This project, called "Incinerator 2000," would dispose of both regional solid waste and hazardous waste generated at the Arsenal. Plant officials have begun a quiet public relations campaign in support of this incinerator.
According to newspaper reports, they face future legal problems with their current practice of open-air burning of plant waste, classified as hazardous because of its explosive nature. They feel that combining this waste with municipal waste from local communities would provide solutions for everyone.
However, major technical problems with combining their toxic wastes with highly variable municipal wastes remain. This process, called "cocktailing" is banned and would require a change in federal law.
Also, while federal facilities are forbidden from taking outside hazardous waste, the communities apparently would be responsible for monitoring their waste for hazardous materials.
The New River Group of the Sierra Club has several concerns about this proposal.
The primary concern involves potential toxic emissions affecting air quality in the New River Valley. The greater the variety of substances burned, the more possibility for variable burning temperatures leading to the release of unknown toxic and possibly carcinogenic substances.
Using a hazardous waste incinerator to burn municipal waste seems to be the proverbial case of killing a flea with a sledgehammer. Some projections indicate that costs would be equal to or higher than projected future landfill costs.
While it has been suggested that no hazardous waste would be accepted besides that generated at the arsenal, it is unclear what guarantees there would be or if this is even possible. How do we know what people are going to put in their trash cans?
Disposal of ash from a hazardous-waste incinerator requires a hazardous-waste dump. There are no commercial waste dumps in this region (Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington and Delaware.).
As difficult and expensive as it is to develop a regular solid-waste landfill, hazardous-waste landfills are even more difficult. In addition, once again we confront the problem of potentially accepting hazardous waste from other localities.
The Sierra Club believes that the proper approach to solid waste disposal is to first decrease it on the front end by source reduction, reuse and recycling.
While the Town of Blacksburg is to be commended for its curbside program, this needs to be expanded to include apartments and businesses. In addition, Montgomery County and other surrounding towns, cities and counties need to develop effective, comprehensive solid waste programs.
Ironically, incinerators require large amounts of trash to be feasible and might be counterproductive to waste-reduction campaigns.
It is hard to accept the need for a hazardous-waste incinerator in a state that continues to refuse to take the simple step of passing a bottle bill. It is almost impossible to find returnable containers in local grocery stores.
Clearly, before taking this drastic step, greater efforts need to be made to reduce the local waste stream. Much of this can be done by the informed individual consumer, but government action is important, also. The state must pass Sen. Joe Gartlan's Comprehensive Container and and Curbside Recycling Act.
Once all of these appropriate measures are undertaken, then the situation should be re-evaluated to determine the necessity for such a project as "Incinerator 2000." Why assume all the risks for something we may not need? After all, a little preventive medicine is always preferable to major surgery. \ Paul Hendricks, M.D.\ Conservation chairman\ New River Group, Sierra Club Blacksburg