HomeMy WebLinkAboutNCD980602163_19980408_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_Letter to the Editor from Kenneth and Deborah Ferruccio-OCRb ;11
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PCB WORKrnG GROUP
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/) ·· State and independent tornblned 1tudle1 have determined
'1 that the PCB landOU Is ln poor condition and that detoldOca~
i, lion 11 1.echnlcally reulble .with a proven hlgh-perfonnance
i:· dechlorinluUon technology, A' detpxlOcaUon design report
;:. with coat c1tlmate1 for · full-tcale detoxlfitatlon h11 been
• completed and l1 rtady tor submission to OovcfflOf Jim Hunt
': IO he can Include lt In hl1 u~lnt · budaet to the Oeneral ~ ~~~~/ ;;l;!~•;::~·~::t~:~~~ D~Y a ~I~::;
t' amount or money would be budgeted for Independent 1clen•·
.11 tine oversight, and the state would decide when and under
,~· what condltlon1 Independent aclentlnc oversight would. be ·.~~ IJICd.... . •·f~·1!•:~ll i:171•!.t,, •:1 .·~r.1' f.lt'f :.;·'•I ., . . .•-~• '1
1,,,1 .'J"he arrangement Is unacceptable ·because the state Is •
;J; pdnclpal party responsible for the failed l'C8 land OU and hu
;l obvious conntctln1 Interests. 111e history or the state'• PCB
••e•landfill ls one of documented negllgepce and careless lndlffcr• ·.j,enee tG lhe·wetrAreof Warren eoumyi":o1!:--, :1 ... ,1\,1•1 A:,1:4•~,il ~,,
:9.b !!ll'herddre. cltltlms or Warren ·county cannot afTord to rbk
~, dctoxlficatJon unless the following condltJons are met, condl-
~,. tlonl neceuary to ensure that principles of sound envtrorwnen• 1
~. w 1clence and justice prcv•II, principles necessary to protect
·:-the persons and propenle1 or Wuren County'• cltb:ens. · ,,,n 1 · f ': (I) Continuous ,Independent oversight by qualf Oed lndc-6. pendent scientists must occur throughout all phases or the J, detoxification process. This continuous independent oversight
,_. 11 necusary to ensure,~ 1at:ct.r and quality of the detoxlflci~,i ' t10flNnr"'■■ · ,\~• .. t•,·• 1, ••.:l~,,, ....... ,f, I •·I <. ~ r•--~• ' \• I • ' •• ,t t ,, ,. , • l" ♦ : \.
~-,' (2) Adequate funding for continuous independent oversight fi. ($250,~nly 111 ,-_of.the detoxification bu4get) m~s,. be ,;: ~ncally Included.' , ·.' ,, ; , · If.it t/, ~,. ~. , "· , · ,
n L (3) Continuous Independent oversight by quallned lnde•'
·,• pendent sclcntlsl5 must be determined by the scope of work .
( proposed by Independent 1clentlst1 Ind approved by an •u •
i tilCntlc grass-roots group of stalceholders-locaJ citizens and 1
,· their IUpportlng representatives who decide through a demo ~:
· critic process what Is or what 11 not neceaary 10 their welfare ,
-. through the entire detoxtncetlon process, for ctlltenS wlll be
~
. tlsklng their person! and their propertltt. · · · ·. · · •: · · 1· ;
(◄) With their knowledge of the landfill, the Independent'
1clentlst1 who have recently worked on behalf of Warren
County'• cltliens, and who have made lhe ca!C for dctolllnca~'
Uon, must remain cClllral IO the detodficatlon process because '
( they can ~•f •~lcrit~flcally ; r~~~ent .W•rr~n_ ~o~n,ty'!J.
·,1 lrlerests • · ·· •,.·, · ~~,.~:,►l •.1••·:1·, .,1.,... i: · . · ,.,1 •• ,,
!; I!· (5) l~cpenae~~•·~te~tlst.1°, ~an help the state ensure that r
[;' detoxtncatJon money Is spent property and respomlbly. · · · · ·
1~-1 ': Dcto.dncatlon Is the only pcnnanent solution to lhe PCB
~: landOH dilemma and will have algnlOcant environmental and ·
~;· economic benefits for Warren County. Detollincatlon will Hn
'..: the todc stigma that has burdened Warren County for 20 .
'. years and usher In lhe opportunity ror positive growlh. It has . L been estimated that through the detoxlneatlon process atone .
1.: up to five _mlU~o!'. dollm .•~~d .. ~-~--pcd Into ~ .•~al .' I -onomv ' , i,. i..,,l. · ·• ~V'.,, 11•.,·i,,I;-.· ·. ,•.. . ... , _. ""' ,If ' ,r ,, •I • •( l
;.: ·. · However, deroxlncatlon or PCB• and dlodiu It a risky ·
' process requlrlna knowledge or comple:Jt le1al and technical ·
lnuc:1. Thcrdore, Warren County'• clllztms cannot afford to ,
risk deto,dncatlon unle111 the above eondlllons are met. Con·
' dltlOM without which tf,ere can be ncllher environmental nor
; economl~justlce for Warren County •. : · .t
I )r :· . . ' • ·" •.. KENNI.ITH ANO DEBORAH FERR UCCIO . I ; .• , ..... ,,·' 1·,•1<J·v,r,,i1 ,p-'•t.•lf'P(.l/"!'/,:·: ,, AROfl I
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