The Paris News from Paris, Texas • Page 6

The Paris News, June 5,1989 7A Recycling expert: Disposable diapers cause problems CD Nebraska bans non-biodegradable fliaper sales EDITOR'S NOTE: The disposable diaper, that grand convenience for new parents, now looms as 'an environmental threat. Each 'year, landfills bury 16 billion of them, loaded with chemicals and human waste and neatly wrapped in impermeable plastic. They may remain intact indefinitely. The first story in a two-part project, "Dirty Diapers," reports on the problems of disposable diapers in America's waste stream. Tomorrow's story examines the $3.5 billion diaper industry and the growing pressure on it to make changes.

By The Associated Press Snigger if you will, but Carl Lehrburger sees nothing funny about disposable diapers in the garbage. "Once people get over the frivo- Ipusness of the subject, they will to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the problem," said Lehrburger, an Albany, N.Y., recycling expert who crusades against what he calls single-use diapers. Lehrburger warns that products with such comforting names as Pampers, Huggies and Luvs are ecological booby traps, clogging the nation's landfills with an unhealthy legacy of indestructible, urine- soaked, feces-bearing, plastic-and- paper time capsules. "Our job is to potty train society in terms of how we handle our waste," he said. Toss-away diapers transformed infant care when they were introduced 27 years ago.

An onerous How Disposable Diapers Work Absorbent Layer Filled with wood-pulp or acrylic polymer crystals that can absorb up to 80 times their weight in moisture. I Liner Holds absorbent layer in place and prevents moisture from flowing back to baby's skin Elastic Gathers Fit snug around baby's legs to prevent leakage Plastic Liner Keeps moisture inside diaper task became easier, cleaner and less time-consuming. Families with infants and young children could travel with ease. An entire generation has matured never Knowing the pricks of diaper pins or odor of diaper pails. But now the -wonder product is under scrutiny for what happens after it leaves baby's bottom.

Last month Nebraska banned the sale of non-biodegradable diapers, effective in 1993. Lawmakers have debated disposable diapers in Iowa, Oregon and Washington. Although landfill managers and environmental officials worry more about heavy metals and other toxic wastes leaking into ground water, there is a growing awareness that disposable diapers contribute mightily to what is known in the PJC honors students 'Paris Junior College students who were honored for academic achievement during the spring semester at Paris Junior College have been announced by Mary Griffith, vice president for instructional affairs. Students making the president's honor list are: Kristi Lea Anthony of Paris. Amy Beth 8al- lard of PallonvJIte, Jimmy Don Blundoll ol Klondike, Brenda Carol Weir Boles of Winnsboro.

Martha E. Randell Bridges of Paris. Roben Myrick Browning of Paris, Ivan Lydetl Bullard ol Deport, Christopher D. Carter of Cooper, Km D. Clark of Bogata, Anneties DewiHe of Sulphur Sue Emily of Blossom, Aaron M.

Fonrier ol Cooper. Richard Lynn Gann ol Sawyer. Susan Wesson Hawley of Sulphur Springs, Amy Suzanne Henderson ol Burleson. Carla June Higglns of Clarksville. Jeannelte M.

Holland of Paris, Jeanne Marie JacK Kraft ol Paris, Steven Craig Ladd of Pattonville, Kalrina Lapinsha ol Poland, Barbara A. McCracken of Delroil, James Edwin Nicholson Paris, Ashraf Sharif Nimer of Arlington, Laurie Anne Norman of Parts, Melissa Norrell ol Powderty, Joanie Lynn Preslon ol Paris. ElJsa M. Proctor ol Blossom. Adnan Z.

Salah of Paris, Penny Diane Lewis Sansom of Paris, An.in.ony Barren Sawyer ol Paris, Diana E. Toeppe Scott of Paris. Judy Fletcher Simpson ol Sulphur Springs, UndaSue Kendall Snowden ol Greenville, Frances Palmer Swaim ol Paris, Sherry Moody Swinford ol Dike. Lester Grant Taylor ol Paris, Christine K. Tobin ol Paris.

Caria Ruth Blanchard Ward ol Paris, Donald Evans Wat- son ol Cooper, Cynthia D. Weaver ot Howceny, Rebecca Ann White ol Bogata, Gary Lee Wilson of Partonville, and Angela Dawn Woolston of Paris. Students making the vice president's list are: Tammle Lorelta Ivy Bates Blossom. Thomas Phillip Bates ol Arlington, Jeffrey M- Baxley of Sulphur Springs, Mallhew Ray Bange of Austin, Gwendolyn Black ot Paris, Charles Ervin Britt ol Clarksville, Danny Shane Burieson ol Paris, Cindy Lynn Carico ol Paris, Krisli Joy Cawley ol Bogata, Carolyn J. CooK of Midland, Peter J.

Davis of Australia, Barry Lynn Elsom ol Paris, Tina Elaine Moore Ensey ol Paris, Randy Wayne Gill en of Enloe. Marsha Lane Hatley Gonyaw Paris, Cathy Lee Hall Goodrum ol Powderty, Richard E. Greerof Clarksville, Kenneth Shane Halcomb ol Paris, Amanda Annette Harris of Kendi Lee Hensel of Albert Hotl ol Boswell. Richard Ray Holland ol Paris, Kristi Marie Hott ot Mission, Eugene Hinton Jackson ot Paris, Mark Jay Jeffries Paris, Dartena M. Kast ol Commerce.

Mark Timothy Lowry of Scurry, Jamie Denisa Malone ol Wolfe City, Tanya D. Man- ol Detroit, Alice Ja Bethell Mattox ol Paris, Amy Lynn McCoy ol Sherman, Darren W. Mdntire ol Paris, Paul Melton ol Paris. Clinton Tood Merida ol Hugo, Linda Sue Biggs Monk ol Ivanhoe, James E. Myles ol Paris.

Michael Ray Payne of Sawyer. Tamara Jean Porterfield ol Paris, Tonya Lynn Roberts Reed ol ClarksviUe, Douglas Wayne Reid ol Paris. Pete A. Schleicher ot Enid, Gretchen Renee Shannon ol Paris, Kenneth James Shirley of Grand Prairie, Michelle Simpson of Paris, Andrew Russell Spurgeon ol Paris, Sharon Ann Steele of Paris, Stellpllug ol Paris, Peggy J. McKnight Stephens ol Paris, Karen Carr Wagner ot Paris, Joseph Lance Watklns of Paris, Judi E.

TMmore Wheeler Powderty. Leslie Dee Whitley of Detroit, anc Dan Allen Woodall ol Paltonvtlle. Paris Municipal Band Concerts Under The Direction Of FLOYD WEGER EACH FRIDAY EVENING AT 8:30 June 9th tllTU Jllly 14th on the lawn at Bywalers Park June 9-16-23-Jnly 7 Noyse Stadium-July 3 Weger Fine Arts Center (Paris High School) July 14 Get the family together, bring your lawn chairs enjoy the concerts New Whatameal THE NEW WHATAMEAL INCLUDES: A WHATABURGER, ONION RINGS, MEDIUM SOFT DRINK, APPLE OR LEMON TURNOVER. Enjoy A Complete Meal ALL FOR ONLY Save Offer Expires 6-18-89 PLEASE PRESENT COUPON WHEN ORDERING WHATABURCfR HOT, FRfSH AND MAPITO OROHt R. Domlnguez garbage trade as the "waste stream." Best estimates say disposables account for a relatively small 1 percent to 2 percent of the nation's refuse each year.

But disposables can be disposed of only by burning or burial. As a greater percentage of discarded paper, plastic, bottles and cans is recycled, the problems posed by disposable diapers will become more significant. "I wouldn't put diapers right at the top of my priority list. I'm more worried about car batteries. But we are concerned about them," said Edward Klein, deputy director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Municipal Waste Program.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions about them." Challenges to disposable diapers spring not only from selfless concern about the environment. Lehrburger's research is financed by a cotton diaper industry campaigning to recapture its market. The sponsors of the Nebraska law noted that since biodegradable diapers use plastic made from cornstarch, what might be good for the environment might also be good for corn fanners. Nevertheless, the disposable diaper presents several specific problems of contamination and decomposition. The main environmental worry is numerical.

More than 16 billion used diapers went from nurseries to landfills last year. Two billion more were incinerated. By volume, 16 billion used diapers would blanket 25 football fields and reach 30 stories high. If measured by approximate weight, that many diapers could fill up the wandering garbage barge of 1987 every six hours for 322 consecutive days. The diaper industry says the 18 billion diaper total amounts to half of 1 percent of the 160 million tons of garbage accumulated last year.

Lehrburger puts it around 2 percent of the total and says that would make diapers the third largest single product in the American trash pile, behind newspapers and containers for food and beverages. "When you have a product that has a life of maybe a few hours and ends up constituting -2 percent of our municipal solid waste, it is not an insignificant number," he said. Another problem is that disposable diapers cannot be recycled, for reasons less obvious than what babies deposit in them. While 60 percent of a disposable diaper is wood pulp and fluff that would normally decompose easily, this is enclosed in an armor of plastic that can keep it intact indefinitely. "Disposable diapers are a combination of paper fiber and plastic and human waste, so that is a difficult product to deal with," said Jay Shephard, a supervisor in the Washington state Department of Ecology.

In addition, the "ultra" absorbent disposable diapers contain "acrylic absorbers," crystals of an oil-based polymer that can absorb up to 80 times their weight in moisture. The chemical crystals turn into a thick gel when wet. The same material was used in ultra-absorbent tampons, which were suspected of causing toxic shock syndrome. Tests performed by the Centers for Disease Control, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Pood and Drug Administration found no evidence connecting the diapers and toxic shock.

A third factor is the contents of used diapers. Beyond the regular diseases carried in human waste, babies' feces carry intestinal viruses that cause polio, hepatitis and meningitis. "If they get into the ground water they could contaminate the water supply," said Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist who studies groundwater contamination. "Whether or not that has happened, no one really knows." No immediate solution to the diaper dilemma seems clear. Several smaller companies are marketing biodegradable diapers using cornstarch-based plastics that break down faster than a regular plastic shell.

But not many hold out hope for that as a solution. "Once these are buried in a landfill, they don't really degrade" because of the lack of oxygen and light, said Neil Seldman, a waste FW Stockyards landmark for sale management expert with the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, a think tank for municipal governments based in Washington. Seldman sees a time soon when municipalities and states may add fees and taxes to the cost of disposable diapers. That has already been done in some places with styr- ofoam products, to pay the cost of handling specialized trash. "We're going to see a widening disparity in the cost of reusable and disposable products," he said.

But others believe the disposable diaper, used by more than 80 percent of the nation's parents, has too strong a constituency to challenge. "You don't want mad mothers. That's the political reality of it," said Bruce Walker, managing of the recycling program in Portland, Ore. Washington state has given $150,000 to a pilot project that will test ways to sterilize used diapers, then strip them into their plastic and paper components tor recycling. State legislator Georgette Valle said she supported the project grant precisely because toss-away diapers are such a popular product.

"I recognize the fact that parents want to use (disposable diapers), so we have to something to get them out of the landfill," she said. Lehrburger, whose work has been sponsored by the National Association of Diaper Services and Di- Dee Service Inc. of Syracuse, N.Y., talks of taxing disposables and subsidizing the cotton diaper industry. But he thinks the best way to deal- with disposables is education, a role he sees falling on hospitals and day-care centers that now use disposables. "It comes down to changing public attitudes," he said.

"Once they learn the consequences, there is a perception ori the part of consumers that their lifestyles are having an effect on the environment." History buffs trying to save Exchange Building By The Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas The Livestock Exchange Building, once dubbed "The Wall Street of the West" for its high-dollar cattle hasn't changed a h'ck since in 1903, and a group of Stockyards history buffs want to keep it that way. Owners of the Exchange Building say it's outlived its usefulness and have put it on the market. The 300-member North Fort Worth Historical Society want to take it off. They're trying to raise a $500,000 down payment. "A new owner could pretty much do what they wanted with their own property," society president Sue McCafferty told the Dallas Times Herald.

"And with no Livestock Exchange Building, there'd be no Stockyards. They'd be eone." A spokesman for New York- based Canal Capital Corp. said the asking price will be at least $3 million. The group faces a mid-August deadline to raise the money, an amount they hope is enough to strike a preliminary deal toward a final purchase. Canal Capital purchased the building and much of the surrounding Stockyards property during War II.

The Exchange Building has remained virtually; unchanged since its dedication in 1903. Ms. McCafferty said if the property goes to another buyer, there are no controls in place to prevent demolition of the building, despite its designation as part of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. "We're not just talking about nostalgia; we're talking about the economy of Fort Worth," Ms. McCafferty said.

Despite extensive renovations to the Stockyards, the Exchange Building and adjacent Cowtown Coliseum are the only genuine turn-of-the-century structures still in use in the district. If they are lost, the district could lose its historic status, the designation that makes the area eligible for a series of state and federal grant programs, she said. Earth's gravity field is so weak that when you pick up a rock, your muscles are easily overcoming the pull bf the planet's entire 616 sextillion tons. CINEMARK THEATflES We Honor All Competitors Coupons Advertised Offers! BUFFET Mon. Wed.

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