January/February 1997

As local physicians practicing in communities "downwind" of a cement plant that burns hazardous wastes, we agree that prudent public health policy demands stricter standards for how and whether cement plants should be allowed to burn such wastes near heavily-populated areas. Perhaps we also need to ask if they should be allowed to burn these kinds of wastes at all.

Too little is known about the continued long-term health consequences of exposures to the kinds of toxins released by the burning of hazardous waste - especially in a facility not originally built for waste disposal. We should always be very conservative about the kinds of substances we introduce into our bodies - whether it's a harmful drug or harmful air pollution. Many of us believe we have already seen patients' health adversely affected by the burning of hazardous waste in a cement plant and other local air pollution.

The most recent science makes a convincing link between increasing air pollution levels and decreasing public health. It also concludes that there does not appear to be "safe" exposure levels for humans of some pollutants - pollutants emitted in large quantities when hazardous waste is commercially burned in cement plants. EPA scientists have recently stated that current air standards are not protective. One of the most important public health measures that can be taken by government is in helping to reduce exposure to harmful air pollution, pollution which results in more deaths every year in the U.S than auto accidents.

We wholeheartedly support the legislation being sponsored by Representative Jones that would tighten the public health and safety standards for cement plants burning hazardous waste and create a buffer zone for the location of these plants in heavily-populated areas. In the name of sound public health policy, we urge all our state elected officials to also voice their strong support of Rep. Jones' bill.