PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Laura Olah, CSWAB (608)643-3124

Asbestos Disposal at Badger Challenged

MERRIMAC, WI – Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB) is challenging a precedent-setting proposal to compact uncovered asbestos-containing wastes at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant landfill. The community-based organization is concerned that proposed changes are not practiced at any other Wisconsin landfill and may pose unnecessary and excessive risks to human health and the environment.

On November 8, the Army proposed eliminating the daily soil cover requirement at the landfill and utilizing instead the episodic application of landfill leachate water to meet the “no visible emissions” standard for asbestos – a permit modification that was approved in a January 17 letter from the WDNR.

The WDNR’s letter also cited concerns that the Army’s equipment was not providing sufficient compaction of landfill materials and ordered the facility to secure a larger machine. Not having the appropriate compaction equipment, they said, could result in excessive void space in the landfill and increase the long term operation and maintenance costs. Additionally, differential settlement could compromise the integrity of the final landfill cap.

The WDNR approval stipulated compaction of asbestos-containing materials sufficient to break up the waste. Asbestos-cement pipe or siding, for example, becomes a "regulated asbestos containing material" (RACM) when it has a high probability of becoming or has become crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder. According to the American Lung Association, people who are exposed to asbestos fibers for just a short period of time (few weeks) or even to a small amount may be at risk for mesothelioma – a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdominal organs, and heart.

The Army subsequently appealed the decision and has entered into negotiations with the WDNR. On Thursday March 8, the WDNR met with Badger officials to discuss operations at the landfill – a facility that is expected to ultimately be transferred to the state. The construction and demolition landfill was established in 2004 to accept wastes generated from the decontamination and demolition of hundreds of unwanted buildings and structures at the closing 7,400-acre base.

In accordance with the previous WDNR plan approval, the Army was required to apply 3 feet of daily soil cover before compaction of wastes that are contaminated with asbestos. The soil cover assures that both workers and nearby residents are protected from fugitive dust and fibers that are released when asbestos wastes are crushed or crumbled. In lieu of soil, the Army recently began utilizing ground-up wood wastes as cover material. The wood chips could constitute as much as 90% of the remaining waste that will enter the landfill, Army officials said.

For now, it appears that the WDNR will not require the compaction of asbestos-containing wastes without soil or shredded wood cover however compaction requirements and other related issues remain undecided. Negotiations with the Army are expected to continue. In the interim, the Army has agreed to submit a formal “asbestos waste management plan” to the WDNR.

CSWAB has also asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to formally review proposed permit modifications for the landfill. The EPA is authorized to enforce the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and other federal environmental laws.

In a related matter, the Army has announced plans to demolish approximately 30 buildings that contain asbestos utilizing a spray of water to reduce fugitive emissions. Normally asbestos abatement (removal) occurs before demolition however structural engineers who have examined these buildings have found that they are in danger of imminent collapse and are unsafe to enter.

An approval is not required for wet demolition of these buildings however the WDNR has the authority to conduct site inspections and assure compliance with asbestos regulations, officials said. The total number of buildings that may be demolished in this manner is pending.

CSWAB was first organized in 1990 when groundwater contamination from Badger was discovered in nearby private drinking water wells and is now recognized as a national leader on military toxins issues. For more information, visit their website at www.cswab.org.

END

Laura Olah, Executive Director

Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger

E12629 Weigand's Bay South

Merrimac, WI 53561

(608)643-3124

Email: info@cswab.org

Website: www.cswab.org