Sen. Sabina Perez has expressed her "strong
opposition" to an open burning/open detonation permit at Andersen Air
Force Base and is requesting the administrator of the Guam Environmental
Protection Agency to prohibit open burning of waste ordnance materials, and for
the agency to deny the military an open burning permit.
The senator submitted the letter after an information
hearing last week on issues and concerns related to open burning and detonation
operations.
"The draft permit would allow the release of hazardous
chemicals such as lead, which has been banned in Guam since 1990, and highly
carcinogenic substances such as strontium and uranium. Dioxin, which is an
endocrine disruptor, carcinogenic in small quantities, and a persistent organic
pollutant, has been known to be released as part of the emissions and has been
detected in soils at OB/OD sites," Perez's letter stated.
The senator also urged the agency to conduct environmental
impact studies before processing the permit application, facilitate and require
the use of alternative technology in the disposal of ordnance, strengthen
groundwater monitoring and air emissions detection, and to reopen the public
comment period on the permit application, in addition to other requests.
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