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<br />to.; 1:~.y.:.~. . ~..::....:.,''\..~':';.;'f''\;~~:,. .,' ';.i.'~~'~.'.:t"I'';;'''~!;;'''-': I
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<br />-.:,I~.t~ewrqrng ~9.D$y{e..(:.,~, ,
<br />
<br />. ~ I' , .' . . .'- ..;. ~ . ;:- -. - .. -.-.' .
<br />,Ev'ery' week' new information ii" . leaking l!;round . the country. One
<br />.eJllerges to s\:ggest that thfe' is :f,'landfill designed specifically for
<br />,good reason to be concct.rned .,. ash disposal has contaminated
<br />. ab,out the health and enviroqm~n-' leachate 13 times higher than fed-
<br />. It~~ effects of burning gatba~e. eral drinking water standards for
<br />..Wjth that in mind, I find it.ib~rd lead. .'
<br />Jo:understand why the StarETrib-
<br />ILlne would take the Minneap(jlis' .The EPA is preparing to lower
<br />Chy Council to task for wantlng its acceptable level for lead in the
<br />to delay construction of the 4owl'l- bloodstreams of children. Over 80
<br />_town incinerator until cdu~cil percent of American children al-
<br />. ~mj:mbers are convinced th4t ,the ready have mote than this much
<br />. . .fll<>i1ity is ~fe.: " ' ' lead in their bodies, risking learn-
<br />_ ~.1 ' "'.' ' ing disabilities. intelligence loss
<br />.'such new information includes: and brain damage.
<br />f.;-~"::l"" . . .,.' '.
<br />. ..In February, the EnvironriJental . Operating and proposed incin-
<br />, . :I?totection Agency release4 ~ta ~ eratorsare being shut down' or
<br />IQI\: soil a.ulys;s from a resicl.e en.~ial.. "'defeated as.... CiU.'.z.e, ns becO. me m~re
<br />',~Jghborhtlod not far from iphtla-. aware of the hazards of burnmg
<br />;delphia's Nortbwest incintnttor. ., garbage. National coalitions of cit-
<br />,J;>ioxin. (:~'ncent!'8tions 'we)'.,.,e e.' al.....,. izens. o.p.'.P9sed to. burning, garbage
<br />.most 50 II ,nes higher than in ]~ny". are spnnglIlg up to .coordmate the
<br />.other .jJrban, S&:Iilin..the .4on.',~efforts of local groupS around the'
<br />, "Contamination was sevenjthne, nation.
<br />(more severe than safe levels,
<br />
<br />..
<br />
<br />_ \') .'1;:":""::"1: '~". '1
<br />
<br />'~f ;'j'
<br />
<br />
<br />- r '.( ,
<br />:''In a survey co~paring;, morC
<br />than 1.000 Nietnam veten$1~ ~it;;,
<br />posed to dioxin-containin_ted
<br />Agent Orang(f .with veterajlsnot
<br />exposed to dioxin. the ,U~.. Ait
<br />Force found "elevated ile.l,' of
<br />cancer. birth defects.'j)S)'cIlologit
<br />~ damage. impaired livepbl'lct
<br />.: ..-tc?? ,.a~~d.~~~~.la~.~~,~f~~ct,ic?~' ~ ".
<br />. The mQ.st .:~erit ~pati~if! ,sur-.
<br />v~ey found that .90 percent I)f,U:Sr
<br />atizens have 'enough 'didbdfl." iJl
<br />~~ii~~~sS~!~-~~fe~s~!:~~hfit
<br />gerbage lD~1I~e~t10n IS' ~ ,tno~t
<br />Important sangle source. ot1diOxl(l.
<br />. , . . -"', )- " ;;
<br />I~urenvlronm.ent.. .".,"'.. . ,-.,.
<br />::: ~..( .;.~ .t':' " . ; "t~:':','. it. ~~.., :', ,~:',
<br />1:Csts of residues coming~out of
<br />Jn~nerat6rS;find high lehJsof
<br />I~d, cadmiilm and dioxiO. ~ften
<br />l1iih: enough .for", the . as11l 1,0 ~
<br />c:Ohsldered a hazardous'waJte. .".
<br />t., ,,;; ....
<br />~~ .:'.secure." .lined la.."~l's,al'e
<br />
<br />. Cities that have o$"ied notio
<br />pour money;into',' incinerators'.
<br />have tqrned their attention to''fe- :
<br />cycling.. and;rtductiori" programs.
<br />Th~coinmUl1ities ~ making
<br />good use of thousands of tons of
<br />trash and';keeping..them 'out of
<br />incinerators and landfills. ..
<br />
<br />. .
<br />Citizens" arid "public' "officialS-'
<br />should. remain-open to the chang---
<br />ing fa<;e~f ,solid-waste issueS' in";
<br />this country:\Congratulations'to:' I
<br />. the memQers'of the City Council.\~
<br />who are 'willil'l& to admit that the .
<br />
<br />~h:at~U:td~~sh:r::~~~tifu~
<br />
<br />alternatives. It is time for Henne- ..
<br />pin County cori:uni,sioners as well .
<br />to listen ~() their constituents who
<br />know: that burning garbage poses a
<br />long-t(:rnl. toxic threat to . our, .
<br />health and environment ' . .. . .
<br />Josepb Thornton, Cbicago:To'XfcS .,'
<br />campaigner for.-Greenpeace ',and
<br />former director of Greenpeace
<br />Minnesota. ....., "ro. ,.> .'. '. ,',
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