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San Francisco Chronicle Tuesday, August 14, 2001
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Medical incinerator expected to lower waste burning 25% would be cut now and 70% in a year By Janine DeFao Oakland -- An East Oakland medical waste incinerator, under fire from environmentalists who say it emits dangerous toxic substances, will reduce the amount of waste it burns by 70 percent over the next year, officials are expected to announce today. Integrated Environmental Systems, the state's only remaining commercial medical waste incinerator, plans to step up its use of alternate technology to dispose of syringes, gauze and other waste discarded by hospitals and medical businesses. "We've been pushing them," said Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who brokered the deal and whose district includes the High Street incinerator. "I have the responsibility of representing my district and our community, and at the same time looking at the jobs that would be affected by a shutdown." A spokesman for Integrated Environmental Systems called the decision to reduce incineration "good business practice." "We understand this is the way industry is going, that this is something that's important to the community and needs to be done," said Jay Silverberg. Under the agreement, the company would immediately cut the amount it burns by 25 percent, reach a 50 percent reduction by the end of the year and 70 percent by next August. The company is now allowed to burn 12 million pounds of waste a year. The incinerator, in operation since 1982, has been the scene of frequent protests by environmental and community groups that say its emissions include cancer-causing dioxin and other dangerous compounds. Last week, three people were arrested as they tried to block trucks entering and leaving the incinerator, situated in an industrial strip off Interstate 880 but within a mile of many homes and schools. Bradley Angel, executive director of San Francisco's Greenaction, said yesterday that a coalition of environmental and community groups fighting the incinerator will oppose any agreement that does not eliminate incineration. "Nobody is saying this has to happen tomorrow," Angel said. "But people are not going to tolerate the continued unnecessary emissions into our air when it's dangerous and there are alternatives." Integrated Environmental Systems maintains that emissions from the incinerator are below limits set by the state and federal governments, but the company has been looking to get rid of more waste without burning it. It has a small microwave unit at the Oakland incinerator and a steam-sterilization plant in Southern California. State law requires that some types of medical waste, including tissue samples and chemotherapy waste, be burned. But they account for only 3 to 5 percent of all medical waste. Still, Silverberg said, many of the company's clients request incineration. He said the company is working with hospitals and others to reduce overall waste and the amount burned. ©2001 San Francisco Chronicle |
