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E-News Letter - Volume 4, Issue
#6, 02/13/04
EPA/DNREC
Create International Environmental
Crisis
EPA/DNREC ship toxic cancer causing
chlorobenzene waste from Metachem to Mexico creating an
international crisis and causing demonstrations in
Mexico
The sign says: “Toxic chlorobenzene wastes cause
cancer, damages liver, kidneys and nervous system…we don’t
want them…”; and neither does anyone
else.
SUMMARY
In a bold secretive move EPA/DNREC
shipped toxic waste from Metachem plant to rogue manufacturer,
Chlorobencenos S.A., in Mexico to continue the dangerous
manufacture and subsequent use in herbicides used for food
production continuing the contamination of the food supply
with the human cancer causing dioxin. This is an unprecedented
move since Metachem, the only producer was shut down after
years of protection by EPA/DNREC not enforcing environmental
laws. Now the EPA/DNREC are moving “free” raw material and
cleaning equipment at US taxpayer’s expense, $13 million,
increasing daily to establish a new base of operation just
across the border in Mexico complete with Metachem executives
for operation as consultants. A new era of exploitation now
begins with Mexican population.
DETAILS
Shipment
of Metachem chemicals (toxic waste) to Mexico by USEPA and
Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
reveals the involvement and participation of these regulatory
agencies in the greatest international environmental scandal
in history. Thanks to the astute and thorough reporting by
Jeff Montgomery of the News Journal followed by the attentive
reporting of Javier Garza of the El Heraldo de Mexico and the
expiration of a federal gag order on me the story which
previously could only be revealed to the regulatory agencies,
which it was, now being made public. The story, as for
EPA/DNREC includes coverup, lies and deceit; data
manipulation, fraudulent claims and faked studies and as for
the public, it is a story of pain, suffering, anger, betrayal
and rage; of birth defects, infant mortality, cancer, diabetes
and many other uncertainties about health problems. The
seriousness is the United States government through EPA/DNREC
has precipitated the crisis, not Metachem, the bankrupt
company.
The On Site Coordinator (OSC) is not only
lying to the press, he is lying to both Mexico and US
officials while the politicians are solaced by these lies,
activists have every right to be upset.
Three tankcars
of chemical waste were shipped to Mexico illegally (in
violation of the Basel Treaty) and a remaining 17 additional
cars are planned for shipment. Each of the three tankcars
shipped contained very different material which requires
considerable risky recycling or destruction. The material has
no commercial value as it was shipped to Mexico free of
charge, freight prepaid, truly a waste. The material was
falsely identified as an intermediate or finished product. By
no stretch of the imagination can the material be either. This
material was produced by a process noted for the formation of
deadly dioxins. EPA/DNREC analysis are not creditable because
the instrumentation used does not have the resolution to make
accurate determination and insufficient samples were taken of
the deadly toxins at the required levels. Furthermore, the one
tankcar of para-dichlorobenzene is not merely off spec, it is
contaminated with ethylene glycol resulting from sloppy
operation of the equipment. The tankcar of
ortho-dichlorobenzene it is made by the same process which
produces the dioxin and it is contaminated with “Therminol
66”, a Monsanto trade name for hydrogenated biphenyl .
Previous complaints were filed on shipments of
ortho-dichlorobenzene from this location which wasn’t tested
for dioxins shipped by Griffin (50% owned by DuPont) to Brazil
to be used in Propanil, a rice herbicide. Brazil is the major
supplier of rice to the United States and analysis was needed
to insure consumer protection from the presence of these
deadly toxins in rice.
The third tankcar, and the
remainder (17 cars) contain “mother liquor” a mixture of
chlorobenzenes which must be recycled extensively and reacted
at the risk of further production of dioxins and PCBs. The
implication that Chlorobencenos S.A. is the largest deodorant
blocker in Mexico is merely a divisionary tactic because none
of this material could be used safely in para-dichlorobenzene
deodorant blocks. In fact, very little of the material could
be used for manufacture of deodorant blocks. A more lucrative
market and that which the material is likely to be used is
further chlorination of this mess to produce “dirty 1,2,4
trichlorobenzene (TCB) highly dioxin contaminated” previously
supplied by Metachem to B.A.S.F., the current producer of
Banvel the most widely used grain herbicide. Since the closing
of Metachem, the international price for the ’dirty TCB’ has
increased some six fold because of the lack of
availability.
The danger in the dioxin contaminated
1,2,4 trichlorobenzene used as a solvent in the “Banvel”
herbicide is systemic migration of the toxin within the plant
producing contaminated grain, thereby contaminating the entire
food supply through direct grain usage and grain used in
animal feeds. The EPA/DNREC became involved in the scandal
starting with Metachem and has continued at the expense of the
US taxpayer’s health and money, now extended to Mexico for
even greater problems.
The scandal evolved when
Metachem purchased the production facility from Standard
Chlorine including a large stockpile of waste
tetrachlorobenzene (TTCB) (including dioxins and PCBs) which
previously had been the feedstock for “Agent Orange”. The
phase out of Agent Orange resulting from cancer, diabetes and
metabolic health problems in Vietnam, eliminated all demand
for TTCB.
Standard Chlorine was the only US producer of
1,2,4 TCB, a widely used solvent by Sandoz for the production
of Banvel herbicide. However, the process used by Standard
Chlorine produced ? lb. of TTCB to each lb. of TCB produced.
Since there was a great demand for 1,2,4 TCB and no demand for
the co-product TTCB, Sandoz paid Standard Chlorine to dispose
of the waste TTCB. However, Standard took the payment and
never disposed of the waste TTCB allowing it to continue to
accumulate. EPA/DNREC were aware of this
arrangement.
This material was supplied by Standard
Chlorine to Unison Transformer Services ( a joint company
formed by Union Carbide and McGraw Edison for PCB transformer
retrofit) and other electrical service contractors, i.e.
General Electric. However once this material was discovered
contaminated with dioxins, agreement was reached with EPA that
the material would be destroyed at the end of its life cycle.
The material instead was brought back by Metachem and sold to
Sandoz for use in Banvel. Sandoz had created a growing demand
for 1,2,4, TCB in the herbicide Banvel.
Metachem’s
purchase of Standard Chlorine included the large stockpile of
TTCB as well as the waste from Europe. Sandoz sold the Banvel
herbicide manufacture to the German company B.A.S.F. thereby
increasing the demand for 1,2,4 TCB. B.A.S.F. seeking a
cheaper supply source of 1,2,4 TCB, stopped the payment for
disposal that Sandoz had previously been paying. Metachem
attempted to produce 1,2,4 TCB from the large stockpile of
TTCB but were unsuccessful and partially led to their
demise.
EPA/DNREC had through the years failed to
enforce environmental laws against Metachem but became
actively involved in May of 2002 when Metachem abruptly closed
the plant literally overnight with vessels and containment
systems loaded with in process chemical. EPA/DNREC took
control when Metachem declared bankruptcy.
EPA/DNREC
hired, through their contractor Tetra Tech, former Metachem
personnel to continue operations necessary for safety. They
not only hired operating personnel, they hired either directly
or through Tetra Tech the former management executives
including the CEO of Metachem. Secret negotiations conducted
with the bankruptcy courts provided supplies and raw material
free under the bankruptcy law forcing any payment 30 days
before bankruptcy to be returned. With this “free” supply of
goods and service EPA/DNREC in conjunction with now partners
continued the operation with taxpayer’s
money.
EPA/DNREC started a massive program to empty
tankcars into storage tanks. Suddenly in mid-summer, just
after the Delaware legislature went out of session for the
year they began a 24/7 (24 hours daily/ 7 days a week)
Chlorobenzene Removal and Separation Project (CR/SP).
EPA/DNREC said this emergency action was necessary because of
tank leaks allegedly due to acidic reactor mass which was
pumped into the tanks to empty the process equipment. Had
corrosion been the problem simple neutralization would have
been satisfactory. The TTCBs were separated and the acidic
mother liquor retained for further reaction on delivery to
Mexico. Obviously the OSC and DNREC lied.
The mother
liquor was extracted from the solids (TTCB, PCBs and dioxins)
as had previously been done by both Standard Chlorine and
Metachem. The solids are still waiting taxpayer financed
disposal or just desertion by EPA/DNREC. The mother liquor
extracted is the chemical destined for Mexico still acidic and
requiring further chlorination. Chlorinated benzenes
particularly the tri and tetrachlorobenzenes are known
precursors to form dioxin, a known human carcinogen in tiny
amounts and have displayed an alarming presence in the food
supply.
Additionally Standard Chlorine imported waste
material recovered from Lindane, thought to be banned from
world production, known to be contaminated with dioxins
designated as tech. TCB. This material was supplied to
Standard Chlorine by the French company of Rhone Poulenc until
Metachem acquired Standard Chlorine.
Huge quantities
(shiploads) of European waste designated as technical tris
(TCB) were deserted in the storage facility in Texas and
allowed to be sold at any price to pay storage fees. This was
cheap recovered European waste furnished by Standard Rhone(SR)
a joint company 50% Standard Chlorine – 50% Rhone Poulenc,
furnished to Metachem to be used in the B.A.S.F. Banvel
formulation. With the bankruptcy of Metachem, this material
has never been accounted for by EPA/DNREC. Perhaps it is
already in Mexico.
The continued chlorination and
extraction of this mother liquor will generate the same
problems as experienced in Delaware except the TTCB and other
waste generated can be disposed in cement kilns thereby
showering the Mexican population with PCBs and dioxins. Cement
kilns in the US are among the top five industries regulated
for dioxins.
The 1,2,4 TCB generated will be used and
mixed with the Lindane recovered waste TCB from Romania
already being processed by Chlorobencenos to supply
approximately 35% of B.A.S.F.’s demand. 65% of B.A.S.F.’s
demand is clean TCB (no dioxins) furnished by Bayer of
Germany. The herbicide will be used on grain both inside and
out of the US contaminating the food supply.
This is a
bold move by EPA/DNREC to cover up their activity by
exploiting the US taxpayer’s financially and the Mexican
people both in health deterioration and financial problems
from the hazards created by exposure to these deadly
toxins.
The OSC and DNREC representatives have lied to
US and Mexican officials. The consultant member of the
delegation to Mexico was a former executive of Metachem
involved in the reuse of other waste material who had
unsuccessfully lobbied the US industry through the Synthetic
Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) for a
higher dioxin tolerance in products.
Statements by the
OSC and DNREC management demonstrate a criminal disregard for
public safety in the US and Mexico as well as a lack of
knowledge of the industry, their statement that “the shipment
of this material to Mexico is good that it reduces the amount
of new chemicals produced by other factories” is ignorant and
irresponsible. First chlorobenzenes are safely manufactured by
responsible manufacturers with proper handling and application
published in international standards, all ignored by
EPA/DNREC. Metachem was the only producer of the chemicals
involved. The mishandling by Metachem before bankruptcy and
EPA/DNREC after takeover has been irresponsible, involving
much community exposure by spills and attempted open air
unsuccessful flaking of the hot TTCB-PCBs-dioxin
material.
The Delaware area is over burdened with
health problems i.e. cancer, diabetes, infant mortality and
various metabolic problems associated with the exposure to
these chemicals.
The equipment being cleaned and
dismantled is currently being offered for sale. The Mexican
company has evaluated and will probably purchase some or all
the equipment at a bargain price, or better EPA/DNREC may give
it to them as they have done with the toxic
waste..
There remains hundreds of millions of dollars
clean up here in Delaware as well as six thousand tons (4000-1
_ ton plastic containers) of tetraclorobenzene laced with
dioxins and so highly contaminated with PCBs that the material
must be qualified a PCB. Combined with the health problems the
people of Mexico have every right to shutdown Chlorobencenos
S.A. factory because it apparently is operating similar to
that of Metachem and they are willing to accept the concerned
material that no US company would touch because of the
danger.
The responsible approach is to destroy this
material and close world producers operating this dangerous
processing. Perhaps the only positive aspects in the revealed
involvement of EPA/DNREC in this international scandal is the
revelation of the presence of another rogue manufacturer,
Chlorobencenos, using the same processing and free raw
material (toxins) from Metachem to endanger the neighboring
community and to supply cancer causing chemical for use on
food products. These people must be
stopped.
Respectfully submitted by
James G.
Bryant
PEACE
Green Delaware and Delaware Common
Cause are leading the way, as usual, in working to expose this
atrocity and end the practice of shipping our waste to
Mexico.
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