[Greenpeace Press Release from Environet -- Redistribute Freely]
LAKE & ASHTABULA COUNTIES KEY TO GREAT LAKES TOXIC BATTLE
ASHTABULA, Ohio July 30, 1991 (GP) -- Greenpeace called Lake and Ashtabula counties "key" in the nation's battle to reduce toxic waste at a public forum on toxics issues held tonight at Ashtabula's Lakeshore Park. "Ashtabula and the surrounding area has been used as the nation's dumping ground for too long," said Beth Newman of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign. She identified U.S. Representative Dennis Eckert's role in crafting federal hazardous waste law as "critical" to ending toxic poisoning in Ohio.
Greenpeace visited the Ashtabula with its campaign bus, the Terrapin as part of its ten-week Zero Discharge tour of the Great Lakes. The Terrapin and a Greenpeace boat, the Moby Dick, are visiting 40 Great Lakes communities this summer to raise awareness about the problems of toxic pollution in the Great Lakes.
"Eckert is naturally sensitive to the concerns of his voters," says Beth Newman of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign. "People in Northeast Ohio should know that their voices are very important in protecting their own communities and in influencing national policy on toxic waste."
Dennis Eckert sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington. This committee writes national environmental laws such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as Superfund.
The Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the law which regulates most hazardous wastes in the United States and is up for reauthorization this year. Greenpeace supports a ten year moratorium on all new incineration permits, both for hazardous and municipal waste incinerators and for mandated reduction of toxic waste generation and is calling for a ban on new incinerators in or near the Great Lakes basin.
"As long as cheap and easy disposal is available, dirty industry will never get serious about reducing its toxic waste," said Newman. Greenpeace is calling on Representative Eckert to co-sponsor a bill being introduced by Rep. Kostmayer (D-Pennsylvania) that would achieve many of these goals.
Eckert can also play a prominent role on a particularly controversial proposed change in the Superfund law, Newman said. Under Title X of the Banking Reform Act, Congress is attempting to remove all liability for toxic contamination from the nation's banks who finance these sites. House Rule 1450 has been introduced by Representative John LaFalce (D- NY). This change would, along with existing exemptions, completely absolve banks of blame for financing even the dirtiest of businesses. Furthermore, the new exemptions proposed under Title X would mean that, if a contaminated property were foreclosed on by a bank, the "first time purchaser" would have no obligation to clean up past toxic contamination from the former owner. As the bank would also be exempt from responsibility, the clean-up of contaminated properties would fall directly on the nation's taxpayers. Greenpeace is encouraging citizens of Lake and Ashtabula counties to call and write Eckert to oppose Title X of the Banking Reform Act.
The Moby Dick and Terrapin will be in Cleveland from July 31 to August 4. The tour will conclude on September 28 in Traverse City at the International Joint Commission (IJC) meeting. The IJC is responsible for monitoring progress on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In addition to calling for a ban on new incinerators in or near the Great Lakes basin, Greenpeace is calling for a ban on the use of chlorine in the pulp and paper industry and establishing a system of sunset permits for industrial processes which use or produce persistent toxic substances.
