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劇毒煤灰堆置失序 美環團要政府防堵

2010年02月26日
摘譯自2010年2月24日ENS美國華府報導,謝雯凱編譯,蔡麗伶審校

美國「環境正義計畫」(Environmental Integrity Project)與「地球正義」事務所(Earthjustice)24日發表報告,指認出31個分布在14州的煤灰廢棄物堆置場址。煤灰廢棄物含有砷、鎘、鉛、硒與其他有毒金屬,可致使人類產生癌症與神經傷害,並毒害魚類與野生生物。

這份報告內容所依據的實情資料,源自於各州機構檔案中的監控數據與其他資訊。兩個團體表示,這些實情資料顯示美國亟須立即訂定燃煤廢棄物處置的聯邦法規,目前這些廢棄物並未受到規範。

2008年12月田納西河谷管理局發生極為慘重的金士頓(Kingston)發電廠煤灰外溢意外,美國環保署隨後便公佈了70個煤灰堆置場址,再加上這批新指認出的另外31個,總計達101個。

參與這次研究報告的羅素‧博爾丁(J. Russell Boulding)說:「這100個左右的環境公害現在已證據充分,但僅僅是冰山一角。」博爾丁是印第安納州布朗明頓(Bloomington)博爾丁土壤水文顧問公司的老闆。

博爾丁質疑說:「我們與這些公害交手經驗是,假如可獲得燃煤廢棄物處理地區附近的地表水與地下水水質數據的話,你將會發現有汙染。究竟外頭還有幾百處以上的公害場址,等著我們去指認呢?」

這批31處場址中,有25處仍在進行燃煤廢棄物處理。而有19處場址內發現到相當高濃度的砷,砷是一種潛在的人類致癌物質。

報告中至少26處場址的汙染程度超過一個或一個以上的國家主要飲用水標準。

有15處場址,污染已經擴散到場址外,且其污染程度超過飲用水或地表水水質標準。報告另指出,其他的16處場址顯示出場內嚴重污染的實證。

現階段,尚未有任何聯邦法規針對煤灰與其他燃煤廢棄物進行規範。

由前環保署執行律師組成的「環境正義計畫」組織,以及非營利性質的公共利益法律事務所「地球正義」發表這份報告,意在敦促歐巴馬政府著手規範燃煤廢棄物。

公害並不限於田納西河谷管理局金士頓發電廠破堤外溢的溼式灰塘(煤灰儲存池),該次溢出超過10億加侖的煤灰污泥,在外溢之後14個月仍在清理。

至少有13處這份報告所記錄到遭污染的場址,與乾式處理有關,包括2處製成結構物基礎(structural fill)的地方,這2處被廣告宣稱為對煤灰做「可獲益的再利用」。

而另一方面, 報告裡的31處燃煤廢棄物場址絕大多數位於低收入戶多於國家中間值的社區,使得低收入社區擔負起不成比例的健康風險。

報告指出,120處煤炭生產的縣郡,有118個有類似的高貧窮率,而這裡的燃煤廢棄物被堆置在曲折、監管不周嚴的礦坑中,通常會直接接觸到地下水。

請點選此處(PDF下載),可閱覽這份報告「失去控制:煤灰廢棄場址日漸增加的損害」。

Groups ID Toxic Coal Ash Sites in 14 States, Demand Regulations
WASHINGTON, DC, February 24, 2010 (ENS)

Two environmental groups today identified 31 sites in 14 states contaminated with coal-ash waste containing arsenic, cadmium, lead, selenium, and other toxic metals that can cause cancer and neurological damage to humans and poison fish and wildlife.

The report from the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice released today relies on facts compiled from monitoring data and other information in the files of state agencies. The groups say these facts demand immediate federal regulation of coal combustion waste disposal, which is currently unregulated.

The newly identified coal combustion waste sites are in addition to the 70 sites identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the wake of the disastrous Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill at the Kingston power plant in December 2008 - bringing the total to 101.

"The 100 some damage cases that are now well documented are just the tip of the iceberg," said J. Russell Boulding, principal, Boulding Soil-Water Consulting, Bloomington, Indiana, who contributed to the report.

"Our experience in compiling these damage cases is that if there are data available on surface and groundwater quality in the vicinity of a CCW disposal area, you will find contamination. How many hundreds more damaged sites are out there waiting to be identified?" Boulding asked.

Active coal combustion waste disposal is still occurring at 25 out of the 31 sites.

Arsenic, a potent human carcinogen, has been found at 19 of 31 sites at extremely high levels.

At least 26 the sites report contamination that exceeds one or more primary drinking water standards.

At 15 of the sites, contamination has already migrated offsite at levels that exceed drinking water or surface water quality standards. The remaining 16 sites show evidence of severe onsite pollution, the report states.

Currently, ash and other coal combustion wastes are not subject to any federal regulations.

The Environmental Integrity Project, composed of former EPA enforcement attorneys, and Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, issued this report to prod the Obama administration into regulating coal combustion wastes.

The damage is not limited to the type of wet ash pond that broke at TVA's Kingston plant, spilling more than a billion gallons of ashy sludge that is still being cleaned up 14 months after the spill.

No fewer than 13 of the contaminated sites documented in the EIP/Earthjustice report involved dry disposal, including two structural fills that were advertised as "beneficial reuse" of coal ash.

Low-income communities are burdened with a disproportionate share of the health risks from disposal of coal combustion waste. A majority of the 31 sites in this report are located in communities that have more low-income families than the national median.

Similar high poverty rates are found in 118 of the 120 coal-producing counties, where coal combustion wastes increasingly are being disposed in unlined, under-regulated mines, often in direct contact with groundwater, the report states.

Click here to view the report, "Out of Control: Mounting Damages From Coal Ash Waste Sites."

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.