Dumping Plan
Raises Red Flags

The situation with using waste products from the Omya corporation in remediation efforts at the Elizabeth Mine in Strafford is similar in many ways to International Paper Company wanting to use old tires as fuel at their plant in Ticonderoga N.Y. In both cases the concept of using a waste product for a productive purpose is appealing. Unfortunately, both waste products also have the potential for creating unintended problems. This was seen in the test burn at the Ticonderoga plant which was shut down after monitoring showed unacceptable levels of particulates being spewed out into the air.

Omya's chemically contaminated waste have been found to mobilize arsenic. These tests were conducted by an independent laboratory as part of an ongoing federal lawsuit filed by the Vermont Law School’s Environmental and Natural Resource Law Clinic on behalf of neighbors to the Omya plant in Florence Vermont.

Omya's own studies of their wastes have been discredited in a legislatively mandate study for poor procedures, methodology and not testing for metals.

The final report of the three year study on Omya's waste and their effect on the environment is due to the legislature this January. This report will be the first comprehensive independent review of the over 100,000 tons of waste this muti-national corporation is currently dumping in unlined quarries each year in Vermont.

Despite Mr. Hamilton of Omya's assurances in a recent letter, there is good reason to be concerned about bringing the chemically contaminated Omya waste to Strafford.

Given the role of the State and the EPA in not informing the local Selectboards or Community Advisory Group about potential problems with the waste before planning to bring 200 tons of the material here this Spring, there is also the need for independent monitoring should the now postponed project be given a green light in the future.

If Omya truly wants to be a good corporate citizen, they need to spend less time on public relations spin and more time and money on competent independent analysis and monitoring as well as proper handling of their waste products. Communication with the community should not only be on the potential positive aspects but also on honestly addressing the potential problems with the use of these chemically contaminated wastes.

John Freitag

South Strafford