unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/06/89)
COALITIONS SAY TONS OF TOXIC CHEMICALS BLANKET PHILADELPHIA
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October 2, 1989
PHILADELPHIA (UPI) -- The Delaware Valley Toxic Coalition said
Thursday industries in the five county Philadelphia area spewed
out more than 100 million pounds of toxic chemical waste in 1987,
but less than a third went to treatment or disposal facilities.
The coalition, joined by the Clean Air Council and other
environmental groups, said 28 million pounds of chemicals go into
the air, 28 million pounds into the sewers, three million pounds
into the waterways and 12 million pounds directly onto land not
designed to take them. About 32 million pounds is sent to waste
treatment and disposal facilities.
At a news conference outside the Allied Signal Co. in
Philadelphia's Bridesburg section, the coalition said the toxic
chemicals are being dumped in heavily populated areas, not just
in rural areas.
Gregg Schirm, the coalition's executive director, said, "The
largest releases of toxics in the air occurred not in the far
reaches of the suburbs or in rural areas but in the most densely
populated urbanized areas."
The Bridesburg and Port Richmond sections of Philadelphia get
about 3.5 million pounds a year, with similar amounts dumped in
Bristol and Fairless Hills, both in Bucks County and in Marcus
Hook, in Delaware County, he said.
Allied Signal was chosen for the demonstration site because the
coalition said it emits about 2 million pounds of toxic chemicals
a year into the air. However, company officials said the amount
is only about 1.7 million pounds.
Schirm said, "The fact is that most if not all air toxic
emissions from local plants are legal. They do not violate any
environmental regulation because there are practically no
regulations."
The group said stronger federal regulations are needed, and an
increase in the number of toxic air pollutants under
Environmental Protection Agency classifications. At this time
there are only seven.
The group also acknowledged the pledge of the Rohm and Haas
plant to reduce toxic releases over 80 percent over the next six
years.
"We will be monitoring the progress at Rohm and Haas and urge
other companies to follow their example," Schrim said.
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