Op-Ed: State Remains Sovereign: Brooks-Belching Pollutes Oregon Air

Rotoclaving is a step forward in autoclaving allowing steam to properly reach all waste, a system used throughout parts of Europe, where many steps are taken to reduce pollutants Photo Courtesy: eurowaste.20m.com

(Salem) - Recent statements --private, internal and public-- by the Marion County Commissioners make clear their intention to UNCAP the already-belching Brooks incinerator: When infectious hospital wastes from other states are offered the Brooks incinerator remains ready-and-willing.

Their decision to "table" immediate action after the flawed Sears analysis --summarizing also-flawed group process of SWMAC-- was a foregone conclusion. Only time and incident-surround are now left unstated. Disclosure that the rational cap set for Brooks volume has never even been approached, much less multiplied by out-of-state demand, was simply ignored once disclosure was forced.

To clarify the current situation for all-involved here now --including the Governor's staff and office clearly bearing overall responsibilities for public health and safety-- may I suggest a statement for immediate BOC consideration?

Here is `The Statement": `There are no current plans by the BOC, and there will be none in the future, to open up the Brooks operation for more infectious hospital waste shipments from any source, in-state or from other states. `No new or extended contracts are under negotiation and none will be set up or pursued." Marion County Commissioners, by _________________

That should immediately eliminate any necessity to go above BOC to protect Oregon air from impacts sure to arrive. It avoids the inevitable `head-on confrontation" questioning the state's responsibility and power to take any protective action demanded.

If (by any malign chance) the BOC intention is still in doubt, highlighted by arrival of the first California-contract shipment, this statement --or refusal to endorse it-- should nail down what we now face, guiding further action, legal or elective.

That`s what must now be done to make sure BOC does NOT succeed in its misplaced lack of concern for a pressing problem in Oregon today: Befouling of air, water, land and thus our Oregon society by unwise, continuing `disposal".