A publication of Work On Waste USA, Inc., 82 Judson, Canton,
NY 13617 315-379-9200 January 17, 1991
TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA: RESIDENTS DEFEAT BASF PROPOSED HAZARDOUS
WASTE INCINERATOR AND LANDFILL.
It took two years
for residents to defeat a hazardous waste rotary kiln incinerator
proposed by BASF, the second largest chemical company in
the world. BASF wanted to burn the wastes produced from
33 of their plants located in 14 states, which would have included
wastes from the manufacture of paints, herbicides and chemicals.
The proposed site, 1500 acres, was originally part of a federal
prison farm which was bought by the county (Vigo) from the Government
Services Administration. The site is near the Wabash River, 10
miles from Terre Haute, near a railroad site, two major highways,
and a federal prison. The surrounding area is primarily suburbs
and less than one mile from the Hoosier Elementary School. The
major proponents were the Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Growth
& Progress, the County Commissioners, as well as Mayor Pete
Chalos of Terre Haute. BASF used the public relations
firm of Fleischman Hillard, from Kansas, MO, to sell the
project. (Fleischman Hillard is a sponsor of National Public
Radio). The citizens group, Environmental Rights Coalition,
challenged in a law suit that the Government Services Administration
should have done an Environmental Impact Statement before they
sold the land to the county. The County and the federal GSA called
the lawsuit frivolous, but the Judge set a preliminary hearing
date for September 26, 1990. When the hearing date was set, BASF
withdrew their proposal in the first week of Sept. The three
County Commissioners have filed a malicious lawsuit asking for
punitive damages from the officers of the Environmental Rights
Coalition in July 1990. The group put their emphasis on educating
the community with lectures and demonstrations, collecting over
6,000 petitions. They raised more than $150,000 over two years
time, primarily for legal fees, advertisements and educational
materials. BASF promised to provide 300 jobs. The public
hearing on the proposal had 33 hours of testimony against the
proposal, with approx 500 people attending. The Countys
5-member economic development commissioner offered $5 million
to help develop the site. For more information contact Harold
Cox, RR 23, Box 223, Terre Haute, INN 47802. Tel: 812-898-2227.
SOUTH CAROLINA: WORLDS LARGEST PROPOSED SOLID WASTE
INCINEATOR, 19,600 TONS PER DAY, PROPOSED AT SITE OF HALF-COMPLETED
NUCLEAR POWER STATION.
This 2,200 acre site near Blacksburg
in Cherokee County, houses the half-completed Cherokee Nuclear
Power Plant. The site was sold by the utility, Duke Power,
to film maker Earle Owensby (who produced the move The Abyss
which was filmed at this location). Duke Power is estimated to
have put appox. $500 million into developing this site from 1977-1983
before abandoning the project. Though Duke Power sold the 2,200
acre property, they did not sell the railroad spur to the property
--they had offered the railroad spur to the County in 1983 for
nothing, but the County rejected the offer. Now, the railroad
spur is the turning point in this issue. The spur is off
the Southern Railway line, which runs from New York to
New Orleans. The option to buy the site is held by the firm Consolidated
Minerals Inc., out of Leesburg, Fl, which is wholly owned
by F. Browne Gregg. (According to The Lake Sentinel,
FL, report of 1-28-90, F. Browne Gregg is estimated
to have made $6 million dollars in a private deal with Ogden
Martin. Ogden Martin got the contract (which never
went out to bid) to build Lake Countys, FL, 528 tpd incinerator-
see also Waste Not #88). The Cherokee County Council voted
6-1 against the proposal on January 8, 1991. The Governor, Carroll
Campbell, and State Senator Harvey Peeler have also come out in
opposition to the proposal. The proposal is for a refuse derived
fuel rotary kiln incinerator, that would import waste from other
states, and would recycle 500,000 tons of steel a year, recycle
plastics at a proposed on-site manufacturing plant to make PVC
pipe, and recycle aluminum. The company has mentioned offering
a rebate for in-state waste. Residents first learned about the
proposal from a local newspaper report on November 21. The county
has no zoning or land use planning. Residents are opposed to
the proposal because of garbage importation. The proponents of
the project to date are: the editor of the local paper, The
Gaffney Ledger, realtors and one county commissioner. Consolidated
Minerals Inc. (CSI) have hired the public relations
firm of Chernoff, Silver & Assoc. of Columbia, SC.
CSI local representatives are C. Bailey Williams and Carrol
Lunderstadt. The population of Cherokee County is approximately
45,000. Gaffney, a city approx 8 miles northwest of the site
has a population of approx. 17,000. Blacksburg, 4 miles northeast
of the site has a population of aprox 2-3,000. North Carolina
is approx. 8 miles from the site. For more information contact
Jim Mijanovich, Citizens for a Clean County, PO Box 1696,
Gaffney, SC 29342. Tel: 803-487-5990.
NOVA SCOTIA:
Proposals to build 2 hazardous waste (PCB)
incinerators, a tire incinerator, 2 large solid waste incinerators,
and a medical waste incinerator. As much as 90% of the waste
to be barged from the northeast U.S.
All these proposals are being introduced by maverick entrepreneur
Dr. Clarence Ekstrand of Surety Environmental Inc. of
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in a joint venture with Zurn Industries
of Erie, Pennsylvania. IT Technologies are also involved.
This has created a whirlwind of opposition by residents who first
learned of the proposals in December 1990. Three incinerators
are proposed for Liverpool: (1) a 3,000 municipal waste incinerator;
(2) a hazardous waste incinerator; (3) and a tire incinerator.
In Windsor, there is a proposal for a medical waste incinerator.
In Yarmouth there is a proposal for an 1,800 tpd municipal waste
incinerator to burn paper based products from the New England
area. In January the Maritime Fishermmens Union
stated its opposition to any transportation of hazardous materials
over their fishing grounds. (The Martimes include the provinces
of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island). There
is a proposal for a transfer station in Shelbourne. The principal
industries in Nova Scotia are fishing and tourism. According
to research done by residents in Nova Scotia, Dr. Ekstrand
was involved in several business ventures before going bankrupt
in 1984. Surety Environmental was formed in 1988 by Dr.
Ekstrand, and Surety Medi-Waste Inc. was formed in 1989.
They said they were trading on Alberta and Nova Scotia stock
exchanges, but they are not registered in either place. Surety
Environmental was sold to Accord Capitol Co. in 1989.
Accord is trying to sell Surety back to Ekstrand.
A consultant to Ekstrand is the former Mayor of Swan Hills in
Alberta, Canada, where Zurn was involved in building a
hazardous waste incinerator. For more information contact
Caroline Brown, Nova Scotians for a Clean Environment, PO
Box 134, Arcadia, Nova Scotia BOW 1BO, tel: 902-663-2632, or
Stephanie Wilson at 902-354-4329. Some Background on
Zurn Industries: 4,300 employees. Subsidiaries: Cosco
Fire Protection, Inc., Environmental Energy Co., Firetrol Protection
Systems, Inc., HL Capital Corp., Lynx Golf Inc., National Energy
Production Corp., NEPCO Constructors Inc., Nuevo Camino Constructors
Co., Operational Energy Corp., Permtek Ltd., Permuitt Co. Inc.,
Sharyn Steam Inc., Zurn Constructors Inc., Zurn Export Inc. Officers
(as of 1990): George H. Schofield, Chairman & CEO (salary
$535,000); Donald F. Fessler, Exec. VP (salary $268,000); Richard
J. Nanula, Exec VP (salary $284,541); William A. Freeman, Sr.
VP (salary $301,000); David H. Lund, Sr. VP and Legal Counsel;
James A. Zurn, Sr. VP; John E. Rutzler, VP & Controller; Joseph
E. Sharbaugh, Treasurer. Directors: Alton S. Cartwright,
James A. Zurn, Edward J. Campbell, Juanita Kreps, David W. Wallace,
Kenneth S. Axelson, Albert F. Duval, George H. Schofield.
UPDATE ON MOBILE, ARIZONA:
After the 5-7-90
police attack and arrest of citizens at the public hearing on
the ENSCO proposal to build 3 hazardous waste incinerators
and 7 hazardous waste landfills in Mobile, another public hearing
was held on June 20 in Phoenix. Over 4,000 people attended, which
led to two days of hearings of unanimous condemnation of incineration
and importation of waste. Ensco has continued construction
at the site. The five citizens charged with misdemeanor charges
were acquitted in September after a 2 day trial held in Gilabend,
despite having 10 policemen testify against them. The current
Arizona Governor, Rose Mofford (who replaced Evan Mecham after
his impeachment) is rumored to be involved in secret negotiations
with Ensco to permit one incinerator and high waste import
fees. Mofford did not run for Governor in the November election.
The election was a virtual tie, and a run-off election between
the two gubernatorial candidates --who have both come out against
the incinerator proposal-- is to take place Feb. 26. Residents
fear the State will issue a permit to Ensco before the
Feb. 26th run-off election. For more information contact Don't
Waste Arizona Coalition, telephone 602-245-1222.
WASTE NOT # 134 A publication of Work on Waste USA, published
48 times a year. Annual rates are: Groups & Non-Profits
$50; Individual $40; Students & Seniors $35;
Consultants & For-Profits $125; Canadians $US45;
Overseas $65. Editors: Ellen & Paul Connett, 82 Judson
Street, Canton, NY 13617. Tel: 315-379-9200. Fax: 315-379-0448.