The Cupertino Courier

Kaiser hasn't quit anything

By Joyce M. Eden

Thank you for your ongoing coverage of the tire-burning issue at Kaiser Cement. The article in the Sept. 24 issue of The Courier was well written. However, the headline of the article and a subsequent article gave the community an incorrect impression. Kaiser has not quit on their plan to burn tires.

While the validity and intensity of the community's opposition to tire burning has resulted in Kaiser's putting on hold its application for a permit to burn tires, it is clear that Kaiser still intends to burn tires as soon as the cement industry can smooth the path. This is confirmed by the comments of Stewart Smith (vice president, Kaiser Cement) in the Sept. 24 article: "The company may one day be mandated to burn tires if, for instance, the state legislature passed a law requiring waste tires to be burned in existing kilns."

As he knows, and you now know, this is one of the strategies that cement industry lobbyists are currently pursuing.

Kaiser Cement had been hoping to dissipate community opposition before they applied for the permit. Since they were not able to do so, they are now counting on the cement industry's lobbying power to push a policy through the California Integrated Waste Management Board that encourages burning tires in cement kilns. If this policy were to be approved, Kaiser would undoubtedly apply for a permit.

The fight to keep Kaiser Cement (already the largest point-source polluter in Santa Clara County, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District) from emitting additional toxic pollution into our air continues, but the main battleground is now in Sacramento.

The waste management board's analysis for its meeting of Oct. 22 stated that one of the primary barriers to the use of tires as a fuel is public opposition.

The analysis mentions that the cement kilns in Davenport and Mojave and at Kaiser Cement have all encountered such barriers--that is, opposition by communities unwilling to have their health compromised so their local cement kiln can increase profits. So what is the board's reaction to this opposition?

* The waste management board will use taxpayer dollars to fund testing of tire burning.

* They will mount an organized effort, again with our tax dollars, through "workshops" to help the industry convince citizens that tire burning is OK; it's just a little more pollution.

Notice that none of these actions does anything to limit additional pollution, let alone reduce the current hazardous emissions. On the contrary, tire burning increases pollution. Although tire chips make up just 10 percent of their fuel, it results in the following increases: 600 percent lead, 12 percent benzene, 6 percent NOx, 14 percent mercury, 30 percent dioxin, and 17 percent small particulate emissions. The community should not be lulled into complacency. The waste management board will hold a hearing on this policy, which would override our right to decide what goes into our lungs. Many communities in California, including ours, have managed through the democratic process to prevent this from happening thus far. However, the waste management board is proposing to be an advocate and cheerleader for tire burning and to spend tax dollars to further that end.

Tire-derived fuel causes preventable pollution and is a waste of valuable resources. Reducing, reusing and recycling are the '90s way to utilize used tires.

For more information, call the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition at 287-6707.

Joyce M Eden is a member of the West Valley Citizens' Airwatch.

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