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Westates Carbon Hazardous Waste Facility On The Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation Join tribal members in calling for an end to dumping toxic waste on their reservation!
Tribal Members & Greenaction Oppose Westates/US Filter hazardous waste facility at Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) reservation. Read Terrain Magazine article on how U.S. EPA violates environmental justice, desecrates sacred sites, and sides with polluters! 8/9/03 Read Mountain View Voice Story about USEPA finally issuing notice of violations against Westates/US Filter hazardous waste facility - tribal members and Greenaction to keep the pressure on toxic polluter and EPA. 5/16/03 Read great story in Mountain View Voice newspaper on toxic waste from Superfund site being sent to Westates/US Filter hazardous waste facility on Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation -- and please support tribal members and Greenaction in fight to close this polluting plant down!
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Fact Sheet: Toxic Pollution at CRIT Westates Carbon/U.S. Filter operates a commercial hazardous waste facility on the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation. Westates stores and treats contaminated carbon filters which are considered hazardous waste by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. These contaminated carbon filters come from industrial facilities and Superfund toxic sites. Westates Emits Toxic Chemicals Into The Air, Not Just "Steam" U.S. EPA has confirmed that Westates emits toxic contaminants into the air. Westates heats the toxic-contaminated carbon filters in a furnace, resulting in toxic chemicals and other pollutants being emitted into the air of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Westates officials have told tribal members and employees that they emit only steam from their stacks: unfortunately that is not true. Westates own records confirm they emit the following hazardous chemicals and pollutants into the air of the Colorado River Indian Tribes:
These pollutants can harm public health and the environment Westates emits dioxin into our air, one of the most toxic chemicals known to science. Dioxin is extremely toxic at even low levels of exposure, and has been linked to cancer, birth defects, immune disorders and other illnesses. CRIT already suffers from high rates of cancer. Westates discharges wastewater contaminated with toxic pollutants through a pipeline to the Colorado River Sewage System Joint Venture. The treated water - still containing pollutants - is then released into an irrigation canal that flows to the Colorado River. Westates is next to a sacred mountain and interferes with spiritual pathways Tribal members have informed the U.S. EPA that the Westates hazardous waste facility is next to a sacred mountain, and interferes with spiritual pathways - but EPA ignores these concerns. Westates needs a new federal hazardous waste permit (RCRA Part B permit) from the U.S. EPA and approval from the CRIT tribal council to continue operations Westates is applying to U.S. EPA for new permits to operate their hazardous waste facility at CRIT. The U.S. EPA considers Westates a hazardous waste facility which must receive a permit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to continue operating. The EPA has allowed this polluter to operate on "interim status" without proper permits since it starting operating over a decade ago. Westates also needs written approval from the CRIT tribal government. The Tribal Council is beginning to study if the facility poses a risk to our health and environment. Federal government sends hazardous wastes from across the country to CRIT! The U.S. EPA sends hazardous
waste to the Westates facility at CRIT from toxic-contaminated sites
around the country, including "Superfund" sites that are some
of the most toxic in the U.S.. Conflict of interest in environmental review documents The company that prepared the "Supplement to Final Environmental Assessment" (Rust Environment and Infrastructure) for the facility in February 1996 should not have been allowed to perform the study as they had a direct financial interest in its conclusions. Rust was a sister company of Wheelabrator who owned the facility at the time, and Rust and Wheelabrator were subsidiaries of Waste Management - a direct conflict of interest. This conflict of interest raises serious questions about the integrity of the study that claimed the facility was safe. This fact sheet prepared by the Mohave Cultural Preservation Program and Greenaction. |