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Fact Sheet on a Little Known Piece of Pork Barrel-Don’t Get
Carpet Burns in
the Dance of Legislation
Division A, Title VIII, Miscellaneous, Sec. 801 of the House
Energy Bill, HR 4, ("Waste Reduction and Use of Alternatives") is a direct
government subsidy to a single private researcher at a single university in Georgia
whose work is undermining real recycling of carpet waste and adding to dangerous air
emissions from cement kilns.
It is a waste of taxpayer’s money and bad environmental
policy.
PURE SPECIAL-INTEREST PORK
Section 801 was submitted by Rep. Nathan Deal of Georgia.
Rep. Deal represents Dalton, Georgia, where 44% of the world’s carpets are now made. Rep. Deal has
been candid about the fact that it was written for one researcher at Georgia Tech, Dr. Matthew Realff. For the
past two years, Dr. Realff has been getting paid by private industry to do exactly the kind of research
requested by Section 801.
UNDERMINES RECYCLING PACT BETWEEN INDUSTRY, STATES & EPA
Section 801 undermines the recent Carpet Recycling Pact
between the carpet industry,15 States and the EPA. Signed in January 2002, this national precedent-setting
agreement calls for recycling 40% of carpet waste in 10 years. This pact discourages kiln burning of carpet
and encourages real recycling. No cement plants are currently burning carpet, and the pact has capped kiln
burning to a maximum of only about 4% of the current volume. Even this small amount of kiln burning is to be
phased out at the end of the pact’s 10-year life.
INCREASES DANGEROUS AIR POLLUTION FROM CEMENT KILNS
Section 801 increases dangerous air pollution from cement
kilns. According to the EPA, cement kilns are already the third largest source of dioxin pollution in the
country. Burning carpets in them will only make things worse because burning any petroleum-based, or chlorine-based
product such as carpeting will produce dioxins.
At a 2001 carpet industry meeting, EPA and state
environmental officials stated that: "There are reasonable emission and toxicity concerns about
burning carpet that need to be addressed. Perhaps the greatest concern is related to carpet containing
chlorine, e.g. PVC backed carpet, which has the potential to produce dioxins when subjected to
combustion. (Additionally, there are some recent studies that show concern over flame retardants and the
potential to form brominated dioxins in a combustion environment.)"
In addition to dioxins, the mercury loading of post-consumer
carpet is highly variable and the high nitrogen content of nylon carpeting increases Nitrogen Oxide
emissions.
CARPET AND CEMENT INDUSTRIES ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR THIS
Section 801 transfers the funding of Dr. Realff’s solitary
research from industry to the public dole. Dr. Realff is in the second year of a three-year study of carpet
burning in cement kilns, paid in large part by the cement and carpet industries. The project’s name is the
"Regional Fiber Recycling System Design and Implementation Incorporating Cement Production Facilities." In its first
year, Dr. Realff received over $66,000 in cash and more than that in in-kind contributions from the
likes of Blue Circle Cement, LaFarge and Milliken. If this research is already being funded by industry, why do
taxpayers now have to pick up the tab?
Right now, as a small piece of the larger energy bill, the fate of Section 801 is being considered by a "Conference Committee" of Congress.
CONTACT THESE SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM TO VOTE AGAINST KEEPING SECTION 801 IN THE ENERGY BILL – NO CARPET BURNING IN KILNS
(sample
letter)
Senator Max Baucus,
Montana
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2651
Fax: (202) 228-3687
Senator Joesph Lieberman,
Conn.
706 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4041
Senator Harry Reid, Nevada
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3542
Fax: 202-224-7327
Senator Jeff Bingaman, New
Mexico
703 Hart Senate Office Bldg
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Senator Jay Rockefeller,
W. Virginia
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6472
Fax: (202) 224-7665
Senator Fritz Hollings,
South Carolina
125 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6121
Fax: (202) 224-4293
Rep. Edward Markey, Mass.
2108 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2836
Senator James Jeffords,
Vermont
728 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5141
Rep. Henry Waxman
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3976
Sen. John F. Kerry, Mass.
304 Russell Building, 3rd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20512
Phone: (202) 224-2742
Fax: (202) 224-8525
e-mail:
john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
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