Vermonters battle tire-burn proposal

Author: Katherine N. Doorley

"Grandmas for Clean Air" and "Roast Coffee, Not Tires" were two of the many slogans displayed on the signs of protesters who gathered earlier this year to combat an International Paper Company proposal calling for a test-burn of shredded tires at its Ticonderoga plant. Vermont residents, in particular those of Addison County, are up in arms over the threat to clean air they believe the test-burn poses. Many of these proposal opponents have been active all summer and fall in fighting the test-burn, and are currently working to schedule informational meetings and additional protest events.

The issue of a test-burn first surfaced in 2003 when the Vermont Public Interest Group (VPIRG) released a study of the health and environmental effects of a 1997 test-burn about which neither Vermont residents nor state officials were notified. At the time, International Paper was still considering applying for a permit to test-burn the tires. This past February, the company finally submitted an official permit request to the state of New York.

New York officials returned the permit application in March on the grounds that it was incomplete, and International Paper resubmitted the application in July. Finally, on Oct. 12, the New York Environmental Agency gave the permit tentative approval.

In order for International Paper to receive a final permit, it must pass a 75-day public comment period - which will end on Dec. 9 - as well as hold a public meeting and pass a review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pending approval, the tire-burn tests could begin as early as January 2006.

International Paper wishes to test-burn tires in an ongoing attempt to lower its fuel costs at the Ticonderoga plant. Currently, the plant's boilers run on oil and natural gas-based fuels, both of which are painfully expensive at the moment. According to International Paper officials, replacing 10 percent of the company's current fuel with tires would save the company $3.5 to 4 million annually. The company has appointed a private contractor to monitor the emissions during the test-burn to ensure that it complies with air-quality standards. If it does not, the contractor will propose changes to either the plant's infrastructure or the burn procedures to bring the process into compliance.

However, given that some serious health and environmental externalities are associated with tire burning, there has been a great deal of opposition from International Paper's neighbors across the water in Vermont. Tires contain several known carcinogens such as benzene, as well as other hazardous elements such as zinc, which opponents of the tire-burn argue cannot be removed from the resultant fumes using International Paper's current air-purifying system. In addition, the tires will be replacing petroleum-based fuel, which, while expensive, is a comparatively clean source of energy.

Governor Jim Douglas and Vermont environmental officials have formally stated their opposition to the test-burn. In a letter to New York Governor George Pataki, Douglas argued, "International Paper's reliance on the dated and excessively generous standards established under their permit ignores the legitimate human health concerns repeatedly expressed by Vermonters. The existing permit is not adequately protective of Vermont's air quality."

In addition to the governor's action, Addison County residents have been quite vocal in their opposition to the test-burn. People for Less Pollution, Moms for Safe Milk and the VPIRG have all joined in the fight against the Ticonderoga permit. People for Less Pollution argues that if International Paper proceeds with the plan it should install an Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP), an anti-pollution device that traps over 90 percent of fine particulate matter, as compared to the 73 percent that International Paper's current filtering device eliminates. David Carlson, a member of People for Less Pollution, said, "If you're going to burn tires you should at least do it safely, and even the EPA recommends using an ESP."

Among the strongest arguments against the tire-burn is the risk presented by the particulate matter that will be released with the smoke from the 72 tons of shredded tires that International Paper plans to burn. "One problem with the fine particulate matter is that it carries dioxins like benzene that don't burn," cautioned Carlson. "It's like breathing a lot of cigarette smoke - these particles can go deep into your lungs and lodge in your blood stream." Carlson also noted that children are particularly vulnerable to the particulate matter given that they inhale 50 percent more air per body weight than adults. Thus, despite the fact that the particulate emissions will not exceed EPA standards, they could still harm children, as the standards were set up for adults.

In response to the concerns of Vermont residents, International Paper officials note that "an essential part of our business strategy is to make products in a safe and healthful workplace, to manage natural resources wisely and to continually improve our environmental performance. We are committed to removing the conditions and behaviors that cause personal injury or environmental impact." According to International Paper, the emissions from the test-burn will fall within allowable emissions standards imposed by both U.S. and New York environmental standards.

Douglas and the residents of Addison County plan to continue their fight, including driving several school buses to the open comment meetings in New York to press their case against the tire-burn. The official comment period ends in December and it is only then that Vermont residents will learn whether their quest to preserve the local air quality has been successful.