EAST LIVERPOOL Incinerator passes environmental test

The company is calling on the federal government to reform an ombudsman program.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
EAST LIVERPOOL -- A hazardous waste incinerator has passed its annual performance test.
"People can be assured that our performance is protective of the environment," Fred Sigg, vice president and general manager of Von Roll Waste Technologies Industries, said at a news conference Friday.
Environmental regulations require WTI to test yearly to verify the facility is operating in accordance with the conditions set forth in its permit.
The test includes sampling gases collected from the plant's stack and analyzing them to ensure they're not polluting the environment.
History: WTI opened its riverside plant in December 1992. It destroys 60,000 tons of industrial and household waste a year.
The plant has undergone years of protest. Activists claim that it's polluting the air and surrounding area, including nearby homes and an elementary school.
WTI has repeatedly denied those claims.
Report: In response to persistent complaints from WTI opponents, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ombudsman Robert Martin examined an array of regulatory issues affecting the plant. Several months ago, he issued a report recommending the incinerator be shut down for six months to allow for environmental testing.
The EPA ordered the testing, which could go on indefinitely, but did not shut down the facility.
During the news conference, Sigg called for reform of the ombudsman program.
Criticism: Tests conducted so far as a result of Martin's report show that WTI is not harming the environment, Sigg said.
He also criticized the report, saying "it does not represent a search for truth."
WTI believes the ombudsman office is a good idea, Sigg added. "But to have value and to be credible, that office needs to be staffed with people who are technically competent and who adhere to a process that is fair and yields to sound conclusions," he said.
A U.S EPA spokesman was unavailable for comment.