Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 1985, Page 31

Description:	Miscellaneous, etc.Decree isdebated,approvedThe continuing debate over the removalof PCBs produced bytheBloomington Westinghouse plant reached itsfinal stages April 11,1985, when the MonroeCounty Council andBoard ofCommissionersapproved the construction of an incineratorwhich would removetheharmful chemical.The agreement,known as a consentdecree, is a negotiationbetween the city ofBloomington, the Stateof Indiana, the UnitedStates EnvironmentalProtection Agency andWestinghouse. It wouldrequire Westinghouseto build an incineratorwhich would burn thetoxic material.As of early May,1985, the decree stillneeded approval fromseveral federal agenciesand highercommissions.In late 1984,questions were raised inBloomington regardingthe safety of polutantscalled polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs).Scientists found thechemical, which hasbeen produced atWestinghouse for over30 years, to becritically harmful.The chemical foundin electrical capacitorsand transformers stillremains in this formacross the country and,according to scientists,has slowly worked itsway into the foodchain.Examination ofworkers at theWestinghouse plantrevealed startlinginformation about theharm of PCBs. Cases inwhich persons boneshad dissolved anddeveloped cancer werelinked to PCBs, andone person had thehighest percentage ofPCBs per part everrecorded.City Chemist DavidSchalk became quiteconcerned about thepollutants and startedserious probes into theproblem. Soon after hisinvestigation, Schalkwas fired. Despiteclaims of fraud andgovernmental ordersthat Schalk bereinstated, he was notrehired. It is believedSchalk was fired for hisoutspoken attitudeabout the dangers ofPCBs and refused tocomply with city policy.Faced with anobvious problem,Bloomington examinedthe possibility ofincinerating the PCBs.Rather than solve theproblem, however, itcreated more.The incineration ofPCBs (which producesharmful furans anddioxins that causecancer and were used inchemical warfare inVietnam) angeredcitizens who did notwant the added dangerof the incinerator,although experts in theremoval of PCBsadvised thatincineration is a saferalternative.Among the citizensagainst the incineratorwas Bloomington Southsophomore RhondaHanna. Hanna liveswithin a five-mileradius of a potentiallydangerous PCB sitenext to Dillman Road.Hanna becameconcerned whenproposals for theincinerator began.Hanna was alarmed bythe potential harmfuleffects of PCBs:possible harm topregnant women, lungdisease due to dioxinsthat incineratorsrelease, and decreasedproperty value nearPCB waste sites.Its so exploratory, Icant see why they areputting it in such aresidential area,Hanna remarked.I think the decisionwas taken in haste,she added, referring tothe City councils 8-1vote March 20, whichpaved the way for theconsent decree to buildan incinerator. She saidshe would not mind theincinerator if the Cityof Bloomington wouldguarantee monthlyinspections of theincinerator. If this wereto happen, there wouldbe no problems, shesaid.They just donthave enoughinformation in theconsent decree for it tobe passed, sheconcluded.Student Life 31
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/2198
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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