[GreenYes Archives] -
[Thread Index] -
[Date Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]
Source: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Posted by: Public <http://www.peer.org/> Employees for Environmental Responsibility - archive <http://www.ems.org/nws/index.php?author=12> Posted on: Sep 02, 2005 @ 10:09 am Press Release For Immediate Release: Friday, September 2, 2005 Contact: TJ Johnson (360) 528-2110; Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337 BURIED STUDY ON WASHINGTON LANDFILL MERCURY FINALLY SURFACES Ecology Allowed Landfill Operators to Select Sites for Mercury Testing Olympia â A long-suppressed Washington Department of Ecology study on the nature and extent of mercury contamination in state landfills is finally seeing the light of day. Released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the 2003 report finds that mercury concentrations are âwide rangingâ in sampled sites and calls for additional testing that has never occurred. âEcology has been sitting on this report for two years while critical policy decisions about mercury were debated,â stated Washington PEER Director TJ Johnson, noting that the report would have aided the Legislatureâs consideration of a mercury switch removal bill and the public comments on Ecologyâs Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics strategy. âMore disturbingly, Ecology has not followed through on even the timid recommendations made by its own study.â PEER has been quite critical of Ecologyâs mercury study because the agency â â Sampled only those sites that volunteered to participate in the study, despite clear legal authority to sample any site suspected of contributing mercury to the environment â Made illegal confidentiality agreements with the landfills that volunteered to be sampled. On advice of the state Attorney General, Ecology later retracted the agreements, but the final report does not identify any sampled sites by name; and â Participating landfills were offered advance review of the findings, while other parties, including Ecologyâs own Mercury Advisory Committee, were not. Even though Ecology spent approximately $50,000 of taxpayer dollars on the report, it has still, more than two years after its July 2003 completion, yet to be officially released. Concerned employees from the Department of Ecology contacted Washington PEER to complain that the agency was refusing to create clear guidance as to the circumstances under which it will exclude regulated sites from scientific studies as well as to when confidentiality will be offered to the regulated community. In addition, Ecology scientists are reluctant to raise challenges for fear of being targeted by management. âIn the Department of Ecology, employees cannot voice honest scientific opinions without fear of retribution,â Johnson added. âTransparency in environmental regulation is one area where Ecology has lots of room to improve. How can Ecology ensure the protection of public health when their best scientists are not given the opportunity to weigh in on important public policy issues?â ### Read the July <http://www.peer.org/docs/wa/05_2_9_landfillstudy.pdf> 20, 2005 Washington PEER letter critiquing the study See the <http://www.peer.org/docs/wa/05_2_9_zehmresponse.pdf> Department of Ecology response to Washington PEER View the July <http://www.peer.org/docs/wa/05_2_9_mercuryreport.pdf> 2003 report, entitled Determination of Total Dimethyl Mercury in Raw Landfill Gas with Site Screening for Elemental Mercury at Eight Washington State Landfills for the Washington State Department of Ecology http://www.ems.org/nws/2005/09/02/buried_study_on_ |
[GreenYes Archives] -
[Date Index] -
[Thread Index]
[Date Prev] - [Date Next] - [Thread Prev] - [Thread Next]