Burning medical waste adds dioxin to Sacto Valley

from Greenaction;

Stop the InEnTec Medical Waste Plasma Arc Facility!

Do you want medical waste shipped to
your community from far and wide?

InEnTec wants to build a commercial medical waste facility in Red Bluff. Inentec would use a plasma arc technology that heats the medical waste and burns the waste gases, emitting pollution including dioxin into the air. Under a loophole in state law, InEnTec would likely be allowed to treat some non-medical waste such as guns, counterfeit money and drugs.

In December the Tehama County Planning Commission issued a conditional use permit for the proposed facility without an environmental impact report – and without considering very important information. The truth about hazardous emissions was never discussed in the permit process.

In July the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District approved the permit with no public hearings, no public comment period and no Environmental Impact Report. A local citizens group and Greenaction have appealed the permit and need your support for this effort.

While Inentec officials have claimed their technology is “pollution-free” and does not produce dioxins, their own tests show the technology does emit hazardous pollutants into the air, including dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to science.

Studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and respected scientific bodies confirm that dioxin is super-toxic in minute doses of exposure. Dioxin exposure can cause cancer, reproductive, developmental, immunological and other serious ill health effects. Dioxin is a persistent, bioaccumulative toxic, yet this was never considered by the Planning Commission or Air District.

Inentec’s website used to claim that their commercial systems are being successfully used, but in reality serious equipment problems occurred at the two commercial facilities using Inentec’s plasma arc technology. A company called Asia Pacific Environmental Technology operates a facility in Kapolei, Hawaii using Inentec’s plasma arc technology. Inentec’s plasma arc equipment at the Hawaii plant has had repeated operational problems. It has been shut down for long periods of time, including a recent eight month shutdown due to “refractory damage” in the plasma arc system.

Inentec’s website also claimed that Allied Technology Group (ATG) successfully operated a waste treatment facility in Richland, Washington using IET technology, but the truth is that this facility was closed due to financial and operational problems related to the plasma arc.


Red Bluff & Tehama County Community Alert

Protect Red Bluff & Tehama County!

Call the Board of Supervisors, the Air District and the Planning Commission
and tell them what you think!

Board of Supervisors (530) 527-4655
Air District (530) 527-3717
Planning Commission (530) 527-2200

See Also:

Document: Appeal of Inentec permit

Red Bluff Daily News, 10/12/05: Citizens send loud message to county

Red Bluff Daily News, 10/11/05: EDITORIAL: County should require EIR on InEnTec project

Red Bluff Daily News, 9/10/05: InEnTec appeal date set

Red Bluff Daily News, 9/9/05: InEnTec opponents air their concerns

Red Bluff Daily News, 7/12/05: S.F. group calls for more thorough review of InEnTec

For more information, contact:

Greenaction
(415) 248-5010


http://www.greenaction.org/incinerators/redbluff/factsheet.shtml