[greenyes] Alert 403: Minner administration still protecting DuPont's Dioxin Pile--calls needed

[Alan Muller <amuller@no.address>]

Green Delaware Alert #403
   (please post/forward)

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Governor of Delaware still protecting DuPont "Dioxin Pile"

DuPont refuses to answer questions but Hearing Officer Robert Haynes 
refuses to keep the record open.

Calls to Governor Minner needed TODAY:
1.800.292.9570

April 6, 2005 The story of the DuPont Edge Moor plant and it's "waste pile 
from Hell" is one of the most extreme example of negligence by Delaware 
environmental officials Green Delaware has seen.

The Minner administration want to let this 540 thousand ton toxic waste 
pile stay forever on the banks of the Delaware River in order to save 
DuPont money.

DNREC officials claim that dioxin in the pile is not a concern at all, 
although the Edge Moor plant is by far the largest dioxin source in the 
entire US and DuPont admits the pile contains over 300 pounds of dioxin, 
the most harmful organic substance known.

DNREC officials aren't concerned about radioactivity either, although 
DuPont has admitted, in response to questions from Green Delaware, that the 
pile contains over 100 thousand pounds of radioactive uranium and thorium.

At hearings early in March, Green Delaware asked DuPont if other 
radioactive materials were in the pile.  DuPont admitted that many other 
radioactives are in the pile, and that the pile will be radioactive for 
"billions of years."

We asked for a complete inventory of radioactive materials in the pile.  We 
want to know the amounts of each radioactive substance in the pile, how 
radioactive it is, and how long the radioactivity will last (the "half 
life").  How can the dangers posed by the pile be evaluated without this 
basic information?

At this point DNREC Hearing Officer Robert Haynes began shouting, possibly 
to create a disruption to protect DuPont.  But we stood firm and insisted 
on a written response.

Per usual, DuPont never responded. We called Haynes on April 5, 2005,  to 
see if DuPont had sent a response to DNREC.  They had not.  We asked Haynes 
to keep the "record"?scheduled to close on April 8, 2005--open until DuPont 
has provided an adequate response and the public has had an opportunity to 
respond.  We also pointed out that we had never been notified that hearing 
transcripts were available, and requested them.

Haynes responded in an emailed letter dated April 6, 2005.  Attached was a 
letter from DuPont dated April 5, 2005, addressed to Haynes (not copied to 
anyone else).  The letter contains a general discussion of radioactivity 
but NO SPECIFIC INFO AT ALL about the Dioxin Pile.

Nevertheless, Haynes wrote: "I consider this a satisfactory response to 
your request ...keeping the public record open even longer is not justified 
at this time."

Obviously, we have more of the collusion and bad faith that has pervaded 
this matter.

DuPont's Dioxin Pile has been represented by "Governor" Mike Parkowski, big 
Minner supporter and Chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission and the 
Delaware River and Bay Authority.

ACTION:

Please contact Governor Minner (DNREC Secretary Hughes is out sick) and ask 
that THE PUBLIC RECORD BE KEPT OPEN UNTIL:

o       DUPONT HAS GIVEN A SATISFACTORY RESPONSE TO ALL QUESTIONS;
o       THE PUBLIC HAS HAD A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO DUPONT; AND
o       THE PUBLIC HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE TRANSCRIPT.

These requests are just basic fairness and should be happening 
automatically.  Dozens of citizens gave up several evenings to participate 
in these hearings....Green Delaware and many others are already trying to 
do the work DNREC should have done in the first place and we continue to 
encounter obstruction and bad faith.

Governor Minner: 1.800.292.9570, leeann.walling@no.address

Robert Haynes can be contacted at 1.302.739.4403, Robert.Haynes@no.address

PLEASE MAKE THESE CALLS TODAY IF POSSIBLE--THE RECORD IS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE 
TOMORROW

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