[Durham INC] Medical Waste Incineration at Haw River Site -- locals exposed to 24/7 toxic fumes

[Melissa Rooney]

Just wanted to make you all aware of the letter concerning medical waste burning (at the Haw River Incineration site) that appeared in today's Durham News -- the letter is cut and pasted at the bottom of this email.

Immediately below I have also included my email to Mr. Gautam Patnaik, Division of Air Quality, calling attention to this problem and requesting a public hearing before the incineration permit is renewed.

Please feel free to copy my letter/email and send it in your name to Mr. Patnaik as well.

Thanks!
Melissa (Rooney)



----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
To: gautam.patnaik at ncdenr.gov
Sent: Wed, March 10, 2010 1:13:16 PM
Subject: Stericycle Haw River Title V Permit -- public hearing needed


After reading the article in today's Durham News (cut and pasted below), I am writing to emphatically request that the state hold public hearings on Stericycle's permit renewal. Given the health risks that accompany the inhalation of incinerated medical waste, and the availability of safer, non-incineration technologies, the state should be very careful in its deliberation and decision regarding the continuation of incineration practices at Stericycle Haw River. If the current permit is renewed, residents in this area will be exposed to toxic fumes until 2014 -- as the article below states, "that is too much time to wait for cleaner air."

Thank you for your sincere consideration of this very serious issue,
Melissa Rooney

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melissa Rooney, Ph.D.
301 Spring Garden Drive
Durham, NC 27713
mmr121570 at yahoo.com
919.599.0952



_______________________________




Letter: 
Published: Mar 10, 2010 02:00 AM
Modified: Mar 10, 2010 12:14 AM


Durham News, Viewpoints

Medical waste burning into our lungs

Few people are aware that two of the country's largest medical waste incinerators burn 24/7 in our community. At Stericycle's Haw River incinerators, 26.3 million pounds of medical waste burned in 2008-09. Waste from 20 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico filled the air in surrounding counties.


Medical waste is an old technology, producing toxic emissions including dioxins, mercury, lead and acid gases. It aggravates our lungs, contributes to heart problems, and puts young children and pregnant mothers at special high risk.

Non-incineration technologies pose much less risk. Stericycle has one of these facilities, an autoclave in Concord, N.C. It has the capacity to handle a large percent of medical waste that currently goes to its Haw River incinerators.

Instead, Stericycle's Title V incinerator permit is up for renewal right now, even though its current permit expired in May 2007. The renewal would come just ahead of the state's adoption of new EPA standards that mandate stricter emissions standards.

But the EPA's new rules won't be in place in N.C. until October. Renewing the permit now means Stericycle can continue to operate under the old rules until 2014. That is too much time to wait for cleaner air.

The state may hold a public hearing on Stericycle's permit renewal if citizens show enough interest. Referencing the Stericycle Haw River Title V Permit, please write to Mr. Gautam Patnaik, Division of Air Quality, 1641 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1641 or gautam.patnaik at ncdenr.gov

Carolyn Cole
Chapel Hill
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