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RE: E-M:/ Out of state trash/Granholm/waste incineration

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Enviro-Mich message from Larry Nooden <ldnum@umich.edu>
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The question of possible toxics in the trash combusted in Sweden is something that people there are very aware of/concerned about, and my impression from family members (nonchemists) there is that they have gotten that under control in recent times.

The residual contaminants in the Baltic are probably older. As far as wind-born contaminants are concerned, most of that falling onto the S half of Sweden anyhow comes up from Germany and central Europe. Several decades ago, Germany paid enormous reparations for the acid rain that killed fish in Sweden, and huge fallouts of nitrogen (8 kg/ha) are still occurring in a relatively low N environment. I would have to check my weather maps at home, but I believe the prevailing winds further north (i.e., the Gulf of Bothnia) come from the east (that's why they were hit so hard by the Chernoble fallout).


--On Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:34 AM -0400 "Rohrer, Thomas K" <rohre1tk@cmich.edu> wrote:

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Enviro-Mich message from "Rohrer, Thomas K" <rohre1tk@cmich.edu>
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Chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans in biota and sediments of the Gulf
of Bothnia (downwind from Sweden) are similar to what is seen in Saginaw
Bay.  See Kjell Lundgren's doctoral dissertation

http://www.diva-portal.org/umu/theses/abstract.xsql?dbid=24


and the published scientific literature from the early 80's to present.

Review article in Chemosphere is here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V74-4MV19PX-4&;
_user=1349914&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2007&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=
d&view=c&_acct=C000052406&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1349914&md5=41
1c028f87822c61c1795bc78982af13



--TR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas K. Rohrer, Asst. Prof. & Director
Environmental Studies Program
318 Brooks Hall
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant  MI  48859
U. S. A.

Ph. (989) 774-4409
email = tom.rohrer@cmich.edu

CMU Environmental Studies Program information is available at:

http://www.cst.cmich.edu/units/env/


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can
change the world: indeed it is the only thing that ever has!
-- Margaret Meade

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even
though sometimes checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor
spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much.....because they live in
that gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
~~ Teddy Roosevelt

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hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle
that."

~~Thomas Edison, 1931


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-----Original Message-----
From: owner-enviro-mich@great-lakes.net
[mailto:owner-enviro-mich@great-lakes.net] On Behalf Of Larry Nooden
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:21 AM
To: enviro-mich@great-lakes.net
Subject: Re: E-M:/ Out of state trash/Granholm/waste incineration

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Enviro-Mich message from Larry Nooden <ldnum@umich.edu>
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Governor Granholm was in Sweden this summer, and I am sure she was
impressed with their handling of wastes (e.g., extracting energy);
however,  there is a key difference.  Our wastes are loaded with plastics
and other  things that yield toxic products when combusted.

Many US plastic products, especially those offgas volatile toxins, were
banned in Europe a year or so ago.

It is arrogant to think we can not learn from them.

--On Wednesday, August 29, 2007 1:20 AM -0400 "Alex J. Sagady &
Associates"  <ajs@sagady.com> wrote:

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Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>
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On Michigan Public Radio Tuesday evening it was mentioned about
how Governor Granholm thinks out of state trash coming into Michigan
can be turned into an advantage for Michigan because is can be subjected
to waste-to-energy treatment like in Sweden.

Assuming this was a correct rendition of what she said, I've really
got to wonder about the kind of advice Granholm has been getting.

Is it possible that Granholm is/was totally oblivious to the entire
Detroit Incinerator debacle?   From the standpoint of airborne toxicants,
trash combustion is one of the worst fuels you can use.   And the
economics of trash to energy have also been fairly disastrous for
Detroit.   Why would other states pay high tipping fees at MSW
incinerators when they can dump more cheaply in Michigan landfills?


==========================================
Alex J. Sagady & Associates        http://www.sagady.com

Environmental Enforcement, Permit/Technical Review, Public Policy,
Expert Witness Review and Litigation Investigation on Air, Water and
Waste/Community Environmental and Resource Protection
Prospectus at:  http://www.sagady.com/sagady.pdf

657 Spartan Avenue,  East Lansing, MI  48823
(517) 332-6971; (517) 332-8987 (fax); ajs@sagady.com
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Larry D. Noodén, Professor Emeritus    Ph. 734-764-4436
1270 Natural Sci. Bldg.                FAX 734-647-0884
Biology Dept.                              734-763-0544
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048  http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/~ldnum/


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