Arguments against Holcim tire-burning plan are many

By Luke Omohundro

Like the vast majority of physicians in the area, I am very concerned about the local health effects of burning tires at the Holcim cement kiln near Three Forks. At present, the Gallatin Valley is a clean, healthy place to live. Local fish, deer, elk and other wild game can be consumed without concern about pollutants. We can provide our children with locally produced milk products, wheat products, beef, and lamb without fear of contaminants. The vast majority of the local economy is in some way linked to the beauty and cleanliness of the surrounding area. As physicians we do not routinely screen children for lead toxicity because local levels are low. All this may soon change.

The Montana DEQ has just approved a permit that allows Holcim to burn 1,137,539 waste tires per year (more than 3,000 tires/day) directly upwind of the Gallatin Valley. Tire burning is known to produce a variety of toxic pollutants including heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury and chromium and extremely hazardous organic compounds like furans, PCB's, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins.

Chronic exposure to lead, mercury, or arsenic causes a variety of health problems including nerve toxicity, kidney failure, gastrointestinal ulceration, developmental delay, and attention problems, especially in children. Arsenic and chromium are known to cause cancer. PCB's cause impaired cognitive development in children. Dioxins accumulate in fats like breast milk and cow's milk and easily cross the placenta in pregnancy. Of note, over 35 percent of Montana's milk is produced in the Gallatin Valley. Dioxin acts more like a hormone in that it affects many different tissues in the body. The end result is that it causes birth defects, developmental delay, immune suppression, autoimmune disease, and a variety of cancers. There are 18 studies that show the carcinogenic effects of dioxins.

Any one of these pollutants is dangerous enough alone, but burning tires at the Holcim cement plant would produce all of them directly upwind of the Gallatin Valley. Children are at particular risk from these compounds. In a study of "22,458 children dying from leukemia or cancer aged 0-15 years, in England, Wales, and Scotland, between 1953 and 1980" the findings were ominous. The study concludes that "Childhood cancers are geographically associated with two main types of industrial atmospheric effluent namely: (1) petroleum derived volatiles and (2) kiln and furnace smoke and gases, and effluents from internal combustion engines." The study specifically implicates cement kiln effluent as an example of this type of industrial hazard. Furthermore, it should be clear that burning tires creates petroleum-derived volatiles.

The Holcim cement kiln is not designed to burn tires. It does not have a secondary combustion chamber like a waste incinerator and therefore would have very dirty, incomplete combustion. Even at peak performance the kiln would have high levels of toxic emissions. Making matters worse, the Holcim plant is antiquated and prone to mechanical failures. The facility is already exceeding its permitted emission limits. From Jan. 1 through mid November, the plant reported at least 440 hours or 18 solid days of uncontrolled emissions. This accounts for nearly 6 percent of their total operating time. The EPA considers 5 percent to be a serious problem. Allowing this facility to burn waste tires would be extremely dangerous, with grave implications for human health.

Montana does not have a waste tire problem. In fact, there are not even enough waste tires in the state to fuel the Holcim kiln. Holcim would need to import waste tires from other states, making the Gallatin Valley a regional waste incineration site.

Swiss-owned Holcim has stated that burning tires in their kiln will reduce plant operating costs by approximately $200,000. This pales in comparison to financial and emotional costs of treating one child with leukemia. I, for one, do not want my child or my patients to be exposed to this hazard.

As residents, parents and health care providers, Bozeman area physicians are very concerned about this issue. Approximately 70 Gallatin Valley physicians representing the vast majority of area doctors have signed a petition that strongly opposes tire burning at the Holcim cement kiln. Concerned citizens should attend the public hearing at Manhattan Public School April 29 at 7 p.m. Please let the officials in Helena know that you, too, oppose tire burning in Holcim's Trident cement kiln. We are now in the public comment period. Send your comments to: Don Vidrine, Air and Waste Management Bureau, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901

Luke Omohundro, M.D., writes on behalf of Montanans Against Toxic Burning.

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