Environmental Justice
and Chemical Weapons Disposal
Environmental justice is the idea that all people deserve the equal right to clean and safe air, water, land and food regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, religion, or any other factor.
The People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit defines Environmental Justice in this way: "Environmental justice demands mutual respect for all life and protection of all life from environmental hazards, poison, toxins, and liabilities caused directly or indirectly by industrial development, production and waste. Environmental justice affirms ecological unity and the interdependence of the diversity of all life, and the fundamental right of all life to be free from ecological destruction."*
In recognition of the environmental problems faced by communities of color and low income, President Clinton passed Executive Order 12898 on February 11, 1994. It says, "each Federal Agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations in the United States and its territories ."
Polluters tend to dump on communities least able to defend themselves.
Studies show that the majority of hazardous waste sites in the U.S. are located in low income communities and communities of color. Likewise, the majority of U.S. chemical weapons are stored in low income communities and communities of color which have long histories of toxic contamination. Citizens are already suffering the health effects of poisons in their environment. Plans to incinerate chemical weapons and release hundreds of chemicals such as dioxins, PCBs, and low levels of nerve and mustard agent into these communities will add to already existing health problems.
The Army's chemical weapons incineration program continues a pattern of environmental injustice in communities that have already suffered more than their share of pollution.**
On Kalama Island: the Army built its first experimental incinerator in the Pacific on Kalama Island (also called Johnston Atoll). The entire Pacific region has historically been an expendable zone for the U.S. military. Kalama Island has been used by the military for the past 60
years for all kinds of toxic activities including biological warfare studies, nuclear testing, missile testing, anti-satellite weapon deployment and chemical weapons storage. The Johnston Atoll incinerator is now more than 550% over budget and years behind schedule. Currently, the Army is seeking a ten-year incinerator permit extension.
In Tooele, Utah: the second incinerator was built thirty miles from Salt Lake City, and nearby smaller communities including the Goshute's Skull Valley Reservation. "Outdoor Magazine" has named the Mormon community of Tooele County the most polluted place in the country, with several hazardous waste incinerators and the number one toxic air polluter in the U.S., MagCorp, which spews out 25 tons of chlorine each year. For more than 50 years the military has used Tooele County as a testing, development and storage area for its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. From 1950 to 1970 approximately 2.5 trillion doses of nerve agent were released in experiments and tests. In 1968 a nerve agent release caused the death of 6,000 sheep in nearby Skull Valley. A citizen-initiated study shows that community health is suffering with higher than average rates of Multiple Sclerosis, cancers, miscarriages and other health problems. The Army continues to burn chemical weapons in Tooele County despite a history of accidents, leaks, fires, shutdowns, worker exposures and other dangerous mishaps.
In Hermiston, Oregon: construction of a chemical weapons incinerator has begun on land that the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ceded to the United States in 1855. The Tribe maintains the right to fish, hunt and gather medicinal plants on this land. The residents of Hermiston are already downwind of the Hanford Nuclear Plant and many suffer health consequences.
In Anniston, Alabama: an incinerator permit was recently issued and construction has begun. Anniston is 44% African American with one out of four people living below the poverty level. The community has experienced a long history of toxic neglect. The Army's 1994 toxic release inventory listed Anniston as its second most polluting Depot, having emitted more than 581,000 pounds of toxic chemicals that year alone. In addition, the African-American communities of Cobbtown and Sweet Valley have suffered from PBC poisoning from a neighboring Monsanto plant. Community members have sued Monsanto for these health abuses.
In Pine Bluff, Arkansas: the Army hopes to begin incinerator construction soon. Pine Bluff is 53% African American, with approximiately one in three people living below the poverty level. Pine Bluff is home to two dioxin-emitting paper mills and 27 toxics-releasing industries. In 1993, industry released 721,364 pounds of chemicals into the air, land and water of Pine Bluff, including 1,000 pounds of chlorine, 21,005 pounds of chlorine dioxide, and 69,000 pounds of chloroform, just to name a few. In addition, the Army in 1995 listed Pine Bluff
Arsenal as its number one source of toxic emissions in the country. Further pollution due to incineration of chemical weapons will only compound existing problems.
Safe chemical weapons disposal technologies are available!
As a result of years of citizen protests, several closed-loop technologies are now available for chemical weapons disposal. Closed-loop technologies can contain chemical agent and other toxic by-products until they are certified as safe for release into the environment. In Maryland and Indiana, incineration has been abandoned in favor of closed-loop technologies. Incineration has temporarily been halted in Kentucky and Colorado while alternative technologies are investigated. President Clinton has vowed to make alternatives to incineration the "highest priority" of the disposal program.
A Congressionally-mandated alternative technologies program, called the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) is giving several technology companies the opportunity to demonstrate their capability to safely destroy chemical weapons. The technologies that pass demonstrations may be applicable to all chemical weapons stockpiles.
Safe technologies should be made available for all communities, not just those with the most political clout.
Despite the availability of safer technologies through the ACWA program, incineration is moving forward in Arkansas, Alabama and Oregon. In addition, chemical weapons incinerators in Utah and the Pacific continue to burn despite numerous leaks, accidents and other serious problems. To ensure Environmental Justice at chemical weapons stockpile sites is to abandon incineration and deploy safe, closed-loop disposal technologies.
Support the movement for Environmental Justice in the chemical weapons disposal program!
For more information on how to support Environmental Justice, contact the Chemical Weapons Working Group at (606) 986-0868.
* From "Principles of Environmental Justice" from The People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. ** Statistics from "Chemical Weapons Disposal and Environmental Justice," by Dr. Suzanne Marshall, Ph.D.
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