October 11, 2000

Matthews, NC can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that on Friday the BMWNC medical waste incinerator has temporarily shut down.

We ask that the environmental community join with BREDL and POOH in asking the Mecklenburg County Health Director and the NC Division of Health to step in and permanently close this health threat. 

Prisoners Of Our Homes (POOH), a chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League is pleased but cautious. "We shouldn't have to live in a cloud of toxic fumes," stated Geneva Johnson, President of POOH.  Ms. Johnson went on to say, "This incinerator should not be allowed to reopen. It is time Mecklenburg County stopped protecting this polluting industry and protect the citizens." 

For over 10 years BREDL and POOH have requested closure. We have documented visual emissions, flames from the stacks, presented half burned gauze and waste for testing, and appeared before county and town boards.  "It is a shame that it took a major accident to get the attention of officials. Yet, citizens have suffered injuries daily from this monstrosity and been ignored," stated, Denise Lee, BREDL community organizer.

BMWNC was issued a notice of violation September 1, 2000, for numerous problems from using improper procedures to poor maintenance.  Out of 12 trailers containing medical waste, 11 were out of compliance with regulations.  Wastewater containing residual ash was running into the gravel parking lot.

On September 27, 2000, a worker with BMWNC was critically injured when he was crushed inside the incinerator.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the incident.  It has been since this accident that problems with corrosion and poorly maintained equipment have been reported by inspectors with the Mecklenburg EPD.  BREDL contends that the corrosion problems did not just occur since this accident, but that inspectors previously choose or failed to perform adequate inspections.  In my opinion the Mecklenburg EPD should be held as responsible for the man's injuries as BMWNC.

Numerous violations of BMWNC's permit were found during an inspection on October 6, 2000.  The Mecklenburg County DEP ordered the closing of the medical waste incinerator. In a press release Mr. John Barry, Director of Mecklenburg Department of Environmental Protection informed the public that there are no plans to assess any civil penalties against BMWNC at this time.  This is unacceptable.  This company has shown a concerted effort to sidestep safety and environmental regulations repeatedly.  They should be permanently shutdown and fined.  Mecklenburg County officials told the Charlotte Observer they would have sought a court order had Schoonmaker, owner of BMWNC, refused to close.  Too little too late.

BMWNC began operation in 1986.  They incinerate medical waste from approximately 12 states.  Since 1989 citizens living near the incinerator have complained of smoke, odors, and burning eyes and noses. 

Air monitoring tests done surrounding the incinerator have been set up to be Inconclusive by Design.  These tests by the Mecklenburg DEP and the NC Division of Air Quality have been used to claim there is no threat to human health. Yet, in a letter dated July 21, 2000, an Epidemiologist from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health stated, "...any evaluation of this data does not in any technical sense describe the air quality around Matthews or Stallings and would only be representative of the area immediately around each site."  The letter went on to show concern about the lack of data on dioxins, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). According to the epidemiologist, an increased cancer risk may be evident based on the reported concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, benzene and carbon tetrachloride, for a long-term standpoint.

Only about 15 percent of hospital waste requires disinfecting prior to disposal, incineration is not necessary for disinfection. There are alternatives, which reduce the risk to the public and the environment.  But, as long as we have State and Local agencies ignoring the problems and masking the detrimental affects of incineration with bad science, things will never improve.

BREDL is a member of Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition with 250 member organizations in 17 countries representing hospitals, health care professionals, environmental advocates, organizations of health-impacted individuals, religious organizations, student groups and labor unions.  It focuses on encouraging health care institutions to stop using products made with PVC plastic and mercury that release dioxin, mercury and other toxic substances into the environment when they are burned as waste. It's mission is to transform the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm by eliminating pollution in health care practices without compromising safety or care.


Denise Lee, BREDL community organizer