Rutland Daily Herald from Rutland, Vermont • 16

16 RUTLAND DAILY HERALD, TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 6, 1988 State Hazardous Waste Gets Attention Board Decision Irks Managers Of Golf Courses threshold at which the waste is closely regulated. International Business Machines Corp. in Essex Junction is the state's largest single generator 2,209 tons produced in 1987, according to state documents. By comparison, the smaller regulated businesses are typically dry cleaners, which generate slightly more than one ton of mostly solvent wastes each year. In between are a variety of businesses ranging from machine shops to hospitals to power companies.

Hazardous waste is the term used to describe materials that exhibit dangerous characteristics. They may, for example, easily catch fire, or be strongly corrosive such as acids. Hazardous waste often poses toxic risks, such as cancer and more acute diseases, to humans. In 1987 Vermont industries shipped their waste to 20 states and Canada, state records show. Half of it 6,100 tons went to four states: New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Kentucky.

Although he acknowledged that a Vermont hazardous waste facility is fikely to be politically volatile, Parenteau said the issue would force Vermonters to be more supportive of hazardous materials generated by locailndustries. "The best way to deal with hazardous waste is not to create it," said Parenteau. Vermont's largest industrial trade group agrees. "You now have grave responsibility for what you use, so it behooves the business community to keep working to use less and less toxic chemicals, where possible, said Peter Foote, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Vermont. State regulators working on the plan en-courage AIV, which represents 600 manufacturers, and other industry trade groups to participate in drafting the proposal.

Parenteau called hazardous waste reduction "the classic happy marriage between industry and government." Businesses save money in disposal costs and the state gets a cleaner environment. The cost of properly disposing of a 66-gallon drum of hazardous waste can run up to S500, one state official said. Waste reduction can be accomplished by switching to less hazardous materials in an industrial process, altering production schemes, or recycling waste. For example, one companys unwanted by-products might be another's raw materials. "The less that's generated, the less the average citizen, the plant worker and the environment are exposed to, said Gary Gulka, chief of the state hazardous waste management section.

Gulka's section actually has two plans to draft: The state plan is a requirement of Vermonts fledgling solid waste law, Act 78. A separate but related plan must be furnished to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by next October. The federal plan, mandated with the 1986 reauthorization of the Superfund toxic waste cleanup program, requires each state to demonstrate to the EPA the capacity to handle the hazardous waste its industries generate over the next 20 years. The disposal options for Vermont may rely on interstate or regional agreements.

Gulka's section also keeps tabs on businesses that pollute, and he said planning hazardous waste disposal will help avert the toxic waste sites of the future. Said Gulka: "We've already got our hands full from mismanagement." By BRYAN PFEIFFER WATERBURY A law that awoke Vermonters to the high coat of trash disposal is now forcing the state to cope with industry's nastiest garbage hazardous waste. Vermont businesses generate 10,000 tons of regulated hazardous waste each year 36 pounds for each Vermonter all of which is shipped out of state to disposal facilities throughout the East. By Jan. 1, 1990, the Agency of Natural Resources is required to submit to the Legislature a plan with strategies to minimize generation of the wastes.

In addition, the plan will gauge the need for a hazardous waste treatment and storage facility in Vermont, the siting of which would likely be a highly emotional and politically charged issue. "1 think it's irresponsible for Vermont to export its hazardous waste problem," said Patrick Parenteau, environmental conservation commissioner. But he said transporting waste out of state may continue to be the best and most economical option. There simply isn't enough hazardous waste generated in Vermont to make a facility economically feasible to the private sector, he said. Nevertheless, an in-state site would be considered in the plan because Vermont could join with other New England states to make it possible, said Parenteau.

Also, Vermont must be prepared with a solution in the event that out-of-state disposal facilities decide no longer to accept Vermont's hazardous waste. The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that about 150 com- Eanies generate more than 220 pounds of azardous waste each month the By SUSAN HARLOW Southern Vermont Bureau The people who operate Vermont's golf courses say that a state Environmental Board decision has twisted public perception of how golf courses are managed. The board rejected an ap-ilication last month by the terman Hollow ski touring center in Huntington for an 18-hole golf course because, among other reasons, the board believed pesticide from the course would have polluted local water supplies. The decision is almost certain to discourage new golf courses from being built, said Michael O'Connor, environmental chairman for the Vermont Golf Course Superintendents Association, which has 64 members. O'Connor said that golf courses that are carefully managed do not threaten the environment, nor are golf courses heavy pesticide users.

He said the board's decision seemed to ignore the fact that the Btate Departments of Health and Agriculture had reviewed Sherman Hollow's management plan and approved it. Our conclusion is that the Environmental Board did not fully understand the progr; which Sherman Holl presented," he said. O'Connor said Sherman Hollow had submitted the most comprehensive environmental protection plan in the country. Yet the Environmental Board misused the Act 260 process by ignoring the expertise of state agencies, he said. Jan' S.

Eastman; acting chairman of the Environmental Board, said she could not comment on the allegations because both Sherman Hollow and the town of Huntington have asked the board to reconsider its decision. However, Robin Cook-Hubner, pesticide project coordinator for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said Sherman Hollow had failed to submit adequate information to the En-t vironmental Board. We felt that, given evidence before the board, the board made a very good decly Cook-Hubner said. The reaction has been want to step growth. But that just wasn't the case.

It isn't aV growth issues it's a pollu-i tion issue." The Environmental decision noted that tion Sherman Hollow submit-i. ted did not include the kinds of fertilizers that it planned to use on the golf course. Nor Health and Agriculture Departments say they woitkl.v perform any ongoing review, of Sherman Hollows use jof, pesticides. b' The Agriculture ment would do spot inspec-, tions, as it does currently golf courses, and would cer-J" tify chemicals if asked by the However, it ha limited staff to do that, th'e decision said. The' only time the.

Department reviews pesticide use on golf courses is when it might affect public water sup--plies and health, the boards, noted. Neither the Department el-Agriculture nor the ment of Health involvement, could prevent contamination', of groundwater from this prKJ ject, the board said in tai decision. But OConnor said the dec? sion could have dire implies-3' tions for the future of golf Vermont. Some applications for proposed golf courses have been withdrawn by developers discouraged by the process and unwilling UA spend the massive amounts 6f 1 money involved, OConndr said. Were very concernecf? because of all of a sudden theres things out there that Jj haye gone haywire, he said, Hazard at Barre Dump Assessed Barre plant about three years at the landfill is not known, ago.

records with the Department of the expoxy, Shepard said. Environmental Conservation In addition to soil sampling show that part of Sprague's directly from the landfill, sedi-waste stream included solvents ment samples will be taken from such as methylene chloride, the brook. The testing is being 'You have to recognize that any landfill could be a hazardous waste site because industries used them to dispose of done by a Bedford, Mass, firm, NUS which has been hired to do site assessments of several potential hazardous waste sites in Vermont. Results from the tests, which are not expected for several weeks, should help determine whether there are hazardous substances in the landfill. Shepard said that thal information would help state officials rank the site and determine whether or not it qualifies for federal money to assist in the cleanup.

Currently, Vermont has two hazardous waste sites that qualify for Superfund money: tne Pine Street barge canal barge canal in waste and there were no regulations (in Vermont) against that until 1980," Shepard said. There are 106 sites in Vermont that have been identified as a potential hazardous waste sites. Thirty include former or currently operating landfills, Shepard said. Of the total, 21 have had a site inspection similar to that conducted at the Farwell Street site Monday, he said. In a preliminary assessment of the site, state environmental officials classified the Farwell Street dump a medium prior-ty for site inspection because of the likelihood of hazardous waste disposal the proximity of Gunners Brook and the presence nearby of a considerable population base." Specific wastes dumped at the Farwell Street site were not well documented.

But Shepard said interviews with former Sprague Electric employees indicated that liquid industrial wastes were trucked to the landfill and dumped on the ground. Although the exact content of the wastes purportedly dumped i 1 a and trichloroethylene, which are believed to be toxic. Additionally, drums containing an orange powder, identified as an epoxy coating, were dumped at the landfill and can be seen at the north end of the property, Shepard said. According to state records, Sprague told state and local officials that much of its waste was disposed of out of state and that the firm did not use PCBs at its Barre plant. PCBs, technically known as polychlorinated biphenyls, are groups of compounds generally used as insulators on electric transformers and are believed to be toxic.

Drinking water does not appear to be threatened because Barre city is served by a municipal water supply that is not affected by the dump. However, after the landfill was closed, there were several complaints about leachate polluting Gunners Brook, staining the water orange, state records said. The orange color is presumed to be from iron in the leachate the Springfield and if landfi WANTED: PEOPLE IN PAIN Pain comes under napies: arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, pulled muscles, strain etc. Chiropractors are the pain relief specialists for back pain and more! If you nave pain, call for an appointment now. There is no charge for your initial consultation.

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Cyr, Chiropractic Physician 245 Stratton Road Rutland, Vermont 05701 802775-696 1 SITTING PRETTY WING CHAIR 199 Queen Anne Wing Chair with reversible seat cushion covered in velvet or mini print upholstery. Hy-WAY, Imiissii ll 4 Cnti iwtUwd 771-370 Vermont Copier Sales Service MINOLTA PHOTOCOPIERS Peter Welch 165 Woodstock Avenue, Rutland 775-0688 By BETH HOLTZMAN BARRE Soil and water samples were taken from the former Farwell Street dump in Barre Monday to determine Whether the site contains hazardous waste and if so, what kind and how much. The sampling was done as part of a hazardous waste identification and cleanup effort mandated by the federal Superfund program and operated by the yermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Similar tests either have been Or will be done at roughly 100 pther sites in Vermont. The former Farwell Street landfill is owned by the city of and located on a 14-acre Earcel of land near the northern order of the city.

It was used for at least 27 years before it was closed in 1974. A portion of the site has been capped and is used as a softball field. The dump has been identified as a potential hazardous waste site, primarily because of indications that the Sprague Electric Co. plant disposed ofin-dustrial wastes there, said David Shepard of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Sprague, which manufactured electric capacitors, closed its Leopold Out Of Running In Burlington By DEBBIE BOOKCHIN BURLINGTON City Treasurer Jonathan Leopold said Monday he would not run for mayor.

Leopold, who had been considering challenging Peter Clavelle for the Progressive Coalition nomination, also said he would not endorse Clavelle. Clavelle is the director of community and economic development for the city. Leopold said he had decided to stay out of politics entirely this year. It was really a family decision. We felt it was time to take a break from politics, Leopold said.

Leopold said he anticipated leaving his post once Mayor Bernard Sanders steps down. Leopold declined to elaborate on his reasons for not supporting Clavelle's candidacy. Other Progressive Coalition members nave expressed concern that Clavelle is development oriented and does not share the Sanders agenda as closely as they would like. Leopold, who left a high-ranking position in Massachusetts state government to join the Sanders team in 1981, has been the principal architect of Burlington budgets for the past eight years, budgets that saw city government become involved in supporting arts, youth and womens programs, sister ci-. ty relationships and a variety of other innovative projects.

Leopold did not rule out staying on if appointed as city treasurer after Sanders departure but said he thought it was unlikely because it requires a strong political commitment. Aside from campaign pledges, the city budget is the single most important political statement of an administration, Leopold noted. He said he couid stay on and just crunch numbers but that's not what it takes to run a city." Freemans Brings Color to Your anderson hickey 2 DRAWER fj) FILE 18 deep non-suspension MFG List Price $53.45 sale499' It lets you make copies from business card to letter size Toner Cartridge EXTRA 5JSs.oosaie499m im Canon S-15 PORTABLE TYPEWRITER All Leather ATTACHES in stock Reg. $395.00 SALEM8995 20 bOFF An Exquisite Emerald A stunning Surrounded with Diamond Sapphire Marquise cut Ruby Diamond Cluster ring set in 18 karat $3,000 baquette diamonds set in 18 karat $10,000 Ring set in 18 karat $4,450 Rubbermaid QUICK STACK DESKTRAYS (Ask tor Colors) Reg. S4 60 sale249 QUS Diskette STORAGETRAYS Hold up to 50 diskettes 3V or 5', SALE 6M GLOBE Task Chair Adjustable seat and back with pneumatic height adjustment MFG List $154.50 Our price $109.81 sais'94 Get your FREE 1989 McAulifft Office Products Catalog, available at a store near you, or call in Vermont 1 -800-642-5131 or 1 -800-451 -3456 outside Vermont.

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