ARTT Letter to Secretary of the Navy on Incineration of Napalm from Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station.WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 1995--Following is a letter sent in late January to the Secretary of the Navy by former New Jersey governor James Florio James Joseph "Jim" Florio (born August 29, 1937) is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position. History Florio was born in Brooklyn. . Florio is co-chair of the Association for Responsible Thermal Treatment Thermal treatment is a term given to any waste treatment technology that involves high temperatures in the processing of the waste feedstock. This commonly, although not exclusively involves the combustion of waste materials. and is well regarded for his work in public office on hazardous waste Hazardous waste Any solid, liquid, or gaseous waste materials that, if improperly managed or disposed of, may pose substantial hazards to human health and the environment. Every industrial country in the world has had problems with managing hazardous wastes. management and Superfund: -0- January 18, 1995 John H. Dalton Dalton, city (1990 pop. 21,761), seat of Whitfield co., extreme NW Ga., in the Appalachian valley; inc. 1847. It is a highly industrialized city in a farm area. Secretary of the Navy Department of the Navy The Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20350 Dear Mr. Dalton: I am writing to you regarding the Navy's recent proposal to transport approximately 23 million pounds of napalm from the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station to various cement plants around the country for disposal in cement kilns Cement kilns are used for the pyroprocessing stage of manufacture of Portland and other types of hydraulic cement, in which calcium carbonate reacts with silica-bearing minerals to form a mixture of calcium silicates. . While incineration incineration the act of burning to ashes. may be a viable disposal solution for napalm, I believe it is misguided to have napalm incinerated in cement kilns rather than commercial hazardous waste incinerators. The use of cement kilns rather than state-of-the-art incinerators may cause unnecessary risks to human health and the environment. Cement kilns are not subject to the same stringent requirements as commercial hazardous waste incinerators. Commercial hazardous waste incinerators are fully permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and , utilize state-of-the-art technology and operate in accordance with the highest regulatory standards designed to protect both public health and the environment. Commercial hazardous waste incinerators are carefully monitored, the burning processes are tightly regulated and the ash residue is disposed of in specifically designated hazardous waste landfills. On the other hand, cement kilns are regulated as "interim status" facilities under the federal Boiler and Industrial Furnace Rules, without among other things, proper restrictions on the types of hazardous wastes burned, without strict standards to control emissions, particularly metals, resulting from the burning process, and without a requirement that the resulting cement kiln dust be properly disposed in an environmentally safe landfill. Simply stated, cement kilns are not held to the same high standards that commercial hazardous wastes incinerators are. Thus, the burning of hazardous waste in cement kilns may result in unnecessary risks to human health and the environment. Undoubtedly, the handling, transportation and disposal of napalm is a dangerous task and the Navy's proposal to transport the napalm across the country to facilities for treatment will receive much scrutiny. Because of the potential risks and level of scrutiny, it is imperative that the Navy take every measure to ensure that the napalm is safely transported and disposed. Along these lines, it would seem prudent for the Navy to have the napalm disposed of at the most state-of-the-art commercial hazardous waste incineration facilities which are carefully monitored and held to the highest regulatory standards. While disposing of napalm in cement kilns may be more cost effective to the Navy, it is not the safest alternative available to the Navy. I would encourage the Navy to reconsider its proposal to dispose of To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use. See also: Dispose napalm at cement kilns. Thank you for your consideration on this important issue. Very truly yours, /s/ James J. Florio -0- Note to Editors: Contact the Association for Responsible Thermal Treatment regarding the Navy's proposal. ARTT ARTT, n.pr See asymmetry/range of motion alteration/tissue texture alteration/tenderness. represents the majority of the commercial hazardous waste incineration industry in the U.S. and supports the use of advanced technology operated under strict rules and regulations to manage the nation's toxic waste toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It usually is the product of industry or commerce, but comes also from residential use, agriculture, the military, medical facilities, radioactive sources, and disposal challenge. CONTACT: Association for Responsible Thermal Treatment Tom Blank, 202-842-3600 |
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