Tire burning sparks local dissent

Author: Polly Johnson

On Jan. 11, at the Universalist Unitarian Church on Cross St. in Middlebury, the citizens' groups Moms for Safe Milk and People for Less Pollution convened at a community meeting to discuss the impending decision of the paper company, International Paper, to burn tire-derived fuel at their Ticonderoga plant in New York.

The meeting was well-attended by parents, local physicians, health experts and concerned citizens worried about the effects that the burning would have on the people and land of Vermont.

International Paper, a paper mill that describes itself on its Web site as a "diversified, global company with manufacturing operations in the western hemisphere, Europe, Asia and Africa," has proposed replacing much of their current fuel source with fuel created from shredded tires. This proposal has health experts and physicians as well as local citizens extremely concerned about the detrimental health effects that would ensue. The most compelling issue is the effect of the toxic pollutants on the health of children.

People for Less Pollution is an Addison County citizen's group that has continued to educate citizens on the harmful effects of the pollutants from International Paper, while Moms for Safe Milk works to keep children safe from harmful toxins and pollutants.

Tensions between Vermonters and the International Paper plant in Ticonderoga have long been high due to conflicting environmental opinions and ideas about what is safe for the community. Vermonters have claimed to see the negative effects from the mill, which have included pollution blown in by westerly winds, and pollution dumped into the lakes shared by New York and Vermont, most notably Lake Champlain. Tire burning has the potential to emit such toxic metals as mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium and arsenic, as well as carcinogenic dioxin. These chemicals have been linked to birth defects and a wide variety of human illnesses.

Doctors in attendance on Jan. 11 included Dr. Pierre Angier, a physician from South Burlington, and Dr. Jack Mayer, a pediatrician from Middlebury. Other notable attendees included Jeff Wennberg, the commissioner of Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation, Joanna Colwell, of Moms for Safe Milk, Kevin Leske, the assistant to the State Attorney General, State Representatives David Sharpe, Steve Maier and Willem Jewett and poet and Associate Professor of English Gary Margolis.

Speaking of the possible effects of toxins on children's health, Mayer said, "Children are uniquely susceptible to the toxic effects of the pollutants that will be released by International Paper Company should they be allowed to burn tire derived fuel. These organic chemicals and heavy metals are toxins with known effects on learning and behavior in children."

The conflicting interests date back to 1925, when the Ticonderoga plant was officially opened as a paper mill. In the 1970s, lawsuits erupted as citizens became increasingly aware of the dangerous effects of the pollutants emanating from the plant and making their way into Lake Champlain and the air. In 1996, the plant test burned tires without informing Vermont, and finally in 2003, International Paper formally applied for a permit to test burn tires.

With high hopes for their efforts, Colwell of Moms for Safe Milk remarked, "The very least International Paper should do is to install an Electrostatic Precipitator on the boiler that would burn tires, to ensure that our children are not exposed to more toxins. We're counting on Governor Douglas to protect our communities. Real family values means keeping our children safe from dangerous pollution."