GALWAY for a SAFE ENVIRONMENT
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Wednesday, May 17th , 2000
Galway for a Safe Environment Residents for Responsible Waste Management Wednesday, May 17th, 2000 US EPA UPGRADES DIOXIN TO "HUMAN CARCINOGEN" THE "DARTH VADER" OF CHEMICALS ESTIMATES OF 100 CANCER DEATHS PER DAY IN US CONNACHT DRAFT WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN MUST BE WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATLEY The Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan must be immediately withdrawn, as a new US EPA report has concluded that the dioxins produced by Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators are "human carcinogens". The call was made this afternoon by Galway for a Safe Environment following the report in this morning's Washington Post newspaper. The group has also called for all proposals to build incinerators anywhere in Ireland to be withdrawn. This morning's Washington Post reports that the US Environmental Protection Agency have concluded for the first time that dioxin is a "human carcinogen". The chemical is called the "Darth Vader" of chemicals in the report, because it affects so many systems of the body. Up to 100 cancer deaths per day in the United States are being attributed to dioxin as a result of the report. The report can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com Spokesman for Galway for a Safe Environment, Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh said that "no councillor in their right mind anywhere in Ireland was now going to vote to emit a cancer-causing chemical into the Irish Environment, especially when Ireland has the lowest levels of dioxins in our food in the industrialised world". Galway for a Safe Environment has also called on the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Noel Dempsey, to reverse his statement of April 11th last that incineration was a safe technology, and to stop all proposals to introduce incineration into Ireland. "This report will set off world-wide concerns about the levels of dioxins in the food chain, and Irish farmers are now sitting on a goldmine - the most dioxin-free food in the world - but not if the proposals to build Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators all over the country go ahead", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh.. "We are calling on Mr. PJ Rudden, of MC O'Sullivan & Co., authors of the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan, to do the decent thing and withdraw the plan, before local councillors reject it. Mr. Rudden came to Galway last Sunday night and told us that incineration was safe and dioxins were nothing to worry about", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh. "If the plan is not withdrawn, we will be calling on members of Galway County Council and Corporation to reject the plan in its entirety, at the earliest opportunity", concluded Dr. Ó Brádaigh. Confirmation: Conchúr Ó Brádaigh 087-2830452 / 091-799223 Áine Suttle 091-581047 <!-- HTML Markup endspan --> </td> </tr> </table> <a name=bottom></a> </body> </html>