East Oregonian
August 25, 2003
Public being deceived by incinerator
Category: Opinion
Last Modified: 12:08:05 AM on 8/26/03
Archived: 12:08:05 AM on 8/26/03
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Publication: East Oregonian
Publication Date: 8/25/03
Page and Section: 4 A
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public being deceived by incinerator
I am writing a rebuttal to "Phony Flap" (E.O. July 15) in which the E.O.
champions the "best ever built" Umatilla Chemical incinerator.
Hans Christian Anderson could not have envisioned the Army's majestic chemical
weapons incinerator when he wrote The Emperors New Clothes. However, the
parallels are compelling.
In Anderson's classic the Emperor cares nothing for the welfare of the people.
His only concern is his appearance. Two swindlers easily convince him they
could weave a garment that only a fool would not recognize fit for a king.
The swindlers bilk the king for a fortune weaving a masterpiece of deception.
The king's overseers, the Prime Minister and the Master of the Imperial Wardrobe,
inspect the magnificent illusion and each not wanting to appear a fool report
positively about the swindler's progress. In due season the King is fitted
for a royal parade with the swindler's masterpiece to the raves of his administration.
The illusion is shattered by a simple child who boldly proclaims the king
is naked. The king realizes he is naked yet he is too proud to admit the
obvious and the parade of deception continues.
If we were to cast parts for the Emperors New Clothes II, I would chose the
Army for the part of the Emperor. The government contractors would play the
part of the master weavers. The Environmental Quality Commission and DEQ
would play the role of Prime Minister and Master of the Imperial Wardrobe.
The Royal Administration would be played by the local elected officials.
The grassroot citizens organization G.A.S.P. would play the part of the child.
Can I substantuate my analogy with facts and documentation? In the beginning
the citizens of eastern Oregon were sold the masterpiece of incineration
because there was no alternative mature technology capable of destroying
chemical weapons. Remember Mayor Harkenrider touting the National Research
Council's documentation that incineration was the only available technology?
Now that half of the eight chemical weapons stockpiles have rejected incineration
in favor of neutralization, that argument has been exposed as governmental
deception and manipulation.
The government argument that incineration is the only mature technology for
destruction of agent-containing munitions has also been exposed as deception
by the Army's decision to destroy agent containing munitions at Pueblo Army
Depot. The truth rises to the surface but the parade of deceptions continues.
The argument that incineration is a proven technology is a masterful illusion.
Incineration and cleanup at Johnson Atoll is still mired in controversy,
requiring over twice the predicted time-table and five times the predicted
cost. In Utah, incineration is a disaster. The incinerator shut down in July
2002 for eight months after a serious worker exposure. After three more shut
downs the plant has been down 40 percent of the time since restarting in
April of 2003.
The "state of the art" Umatilla Depot incinerator has under- gone literally
hundreds of permit modifications to the point the product no longer resembles
the mature, no expense spared, best ever built model the citizens of the
Pacific Northwest bought into.
For example, the state of the art brine reduction area, corner- stone of
the Army's spare no cost scientific perfection, no longer exists at Umatilla.
Gone with the magicians wand of deception as the technology never existed.
All the toxic waste streams will now be shipped around America while the
DEQ and EQC look the other way. This will be monumental because the Army
and regulatory agencies have conveniently omitted to inform the public that
the incinerator creates between 10 and 25 times as much toxic waste as it
allegedly burns.
In like manner the dunnage incinerator and carbon filters have never been
scientifically demonstrated as proven mature technology and they have been
modified for experimentaion at Umatilla. Incineration is a dinosaur.
"The Dow Chemical Company clearly recognizes the trend away from incineration
due to current and regulatory changes ... and the difficulty in permitting
new capacity." (May of '99)
I have only exposed the tip of smokestack. The question is will the parade
of deception continue as the Army's incinerator is exposed as naked? The
Emperors New Clothes II, should it ever make the big time, will have a long
and destructive showing.
--------
Stuart Dick lives in Pendleton.