Broga incinerator a chemical bomb

reelpower

Broga incinerator a chemical bomb
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=13512

Thu, 23 Mar 2006


MENTION "INCINERATOR" IN Japan and chances are the name of veterinarian
Miyata Hideaki will come to the fore.


In the Land of the Rising Sun and of rising dioxin levels more than
three-quarters of the garbage, including loads of plastics, are reduced to
dust in more than 4,000 government- approved incinerators, not to
mention illegal, privately operated burners.


Dioxin gas is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) released when
plastics and other wastes containing chlorinebased chemicals are burnt.


In recent decades, dioxin pollution had grown to become a national
nervousness in Japan and the man to be credited for the paranoia is
Hideaki.


Years ago, he told the international news media that the saying "as
pure as mother's milk", no longer holds true, at least for many Japanese
mothers who live in the cities surrounded by incinerators.


Hideaki, who had first read about dioxin in a US government research
paper in the 70s, had long suspected that mother's milk might be
contaminated with dioxin.


It was only a hunch, but when he carried out tests, he found traces of
incinerator gas in the milk of lactating women! That was when he issued
a shocking scare: "I think it is safe to keep our babies away from
mother's milk" and the media went to town with it.


His terse comments were a wake-up call for the industrial nation and
since then, higher standards and tough regulations were put in place with
the aim of cutting dioxin release by 90%.


In the last few years in Malaysia, the people of Broga, Semenyih and
Kajang have been shouting themselves hoarse about the government's plans
to locate a mega incinerator in their midst.


In a media statement three years ago, DAP National Publicity Bureau
assistant secretary John Chong expressed grave concerns about the project.


He said it is highly irresponsible for the Housing and Local Government
Ministry and the state government to insist on building the
incinerator, without coming clean on the project's impact on public safety.


But all that shouting and protests from various groups and NGOs fell on
deaf ears and the project has been slated to take off.


Perhaps we need a Hideaki in our own country, but for the moment, we
could do with the "ammunition" that the Consumers Association of Penang
(CAP) has in store.


CAP president S.M. Mohd Idris told theSun, the government should
monitor and control the widespread threat of EDCs in the country.


EDCs, including dioxin and furan, are toxic chemicals that cause
anything from cancer, heart and lung diseases, liver, reproductive and
neurological disorders to birth defects and kidney damage in humans.


Idris said incinerating wastes releases EDCs such as dioxin and furan
and this is a major emerging problem in the world.


"Both dioxin and furan are some of the most hazardous chemicals known
to science.


"They were the primary components of Agent Orange and furan are also
by-products of chemical, manufacturing and combustion processes," he
said.


These poisons would leave the incinerator either as air emission or
ash, said Idris. Purifying the emission would only make the ash more
lethal.


"The more hi-tech an incinerator is, the cleaner its air emission will
be, but the resulting residue of ash will be more noxious," he warned.


Idris said instead of building incinerators, the government should look
into the use of other alternatives such as intensive waste segregation,
promoting waste minimisation, reduction in the use of non-biodegradable
materials and material recovery options such as composting and
recycling.


If the Selangor government and the Housing and Local Government
Ministry continue to throw conventional wisdom to the wind, then perhaps what
will return from the wind, will be nothing short of a "chemical
holocaust".