IES Breaks Off Negotiations With Greenaction and Coalition! New Protests Planned!

August 31, 2001

The following letter was sent to IES today. IES General Manager Richard Stryker called Greenaction minutes later to inform us that he would no longer be speak with us and our coalition.

It is clear that IES intends on continuing waste incineration over the objections of the community. It is also clear that we are united in our efforts to stop IES from incinerating waste, and united in our demand that they replace the incinerators with non-incineration technologies that will protect jobs at the plant while protecting community health.

For more information, contact:

Bradley Angel Greenaction

(415) 248-5010

Coalition Letter to IES Demanding Zero Dioxin Now!

COALITION FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

August 31, 2001

Richard Stryker
General Manager
Integrated Environmental Systems
499 High St.
Oakland CA 94601

Dear Mr. Stryker:

The Coalition for Healthy Communities & Environmental Justice has broadly convened more than once to discuss our meeting with you on August 21, 2001.

It is clear that IES's position is that you will continue burning significant volumes of waste. The Coalition's position is that all burning should be stopped immediately. The only issues to negotiate are how to implement a no-burn policy at IES; and how to manage the transition to safer, non-incineration technologies.

The California Medical Waste Management Act does not specify incineration as the only treatment technology for any fraction of the medical waste stream. And given that alternatives are available, a no-burn policy is reasonable. We will not accept a reduction in incineration when it is possible to totally eliminate it.

It is clear that the incinerators cannot operate safely. For example, we note the incident that occurred on the morning of Wednesday, August 22, 2001 when a particularly noxious odor was emitted from your plant. Even workers from surrounding plants were complaining. You admitted yourself that this was a problem. The fact that the BAAQAD did not hold IES accountable for this event and ignored the community's concern is another reason the Coalition does not trust that IES will operate this plant safely in the future.

Emissions of dioxin and other toxins such as heavy metals are unacceptable to both the community as well as to your own workers. Due to our recent experiences, we cannot rely on any partial agreement of reduction to be protective of public and environmental health. In addition, reduction in the amount of material burned will not necessarily result in an equivalent reduction of poisons emitted.

The Coalition and the community's demands are:

1. Immediate elimination of all incineration. Additional capacity for non-incineration technologies, such as autoclaves and microwaves, should be immediately installed on High Street.
2. No waste will be shipped from IES to another incinerator.
3. No layoffs or other reductions in workforce caused by changes in technologies. Jobs will be transitioned from the incinerators to non-combustion technologies at the site that utilize Best Available Control Technology (BACT).
4. These changes in technology utilized will be incorporated into all relevant IES permits, including Title V of the Clean Air Act, California Department of Health Services Offsite Treatment Facility Permit, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Operating Permit, and all water permits.
5. Agreement to these demands must be in a form enforceable in an appropriate court.

We anticipate a response to these demands by the close of business on September 4, 2001. We request a meeting with you on Tuesday, September 4 to discuss this in person. The Coalition's contacts are Bradley Angel of Greenaction (415 248-5010) or Mamta Sahgal at the Center for Environmental
Health (510 594-9864).

Signed on behalf of the Coalition for Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice