Daga David Bond, The Guardian, Maris 25, 2021
Oba shine mafi dadewa ba, sinadarai masu guba marasa lalacewa da mutane suka sani - Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), wanda shine PFAS “sinadarin har abada” - ana kona shi a asirce kusa da al'ummomin da ba su da galihu a Amurka. Mutanen da ke bayan wannan aiki na fasa? Ba wani bane face sojojin Amurka.
As sabon bayanan da Kwalejin Bennington ta buga a wannan makon takardun, sojojin Amurka sun ba da umarnin kona ɓoye na sama da fam miliyan 20 na sharar AFFF da sharar AFFF tsakanin 2016-2020. Wannan duk da cewa babu wata hujja da ke nuna cewa ƙonewa da gaske yana lalata waɗannan sinadarai na roba. A zahiri, akwai kyakkyawan dalili da za ayi imani da cewa ƙona AFFF kawai yana fitar da waɗannan gubobi cikin iska da kuma zuwa ga al'ummomin da ke kusa, gonaki, da hanyoyin ruwa. Pentagon tana gudanar da gwaji mai guba kuma ya sanya lafiyar miliyoyin Amurkawa a matsayin batutuwan gwajin ba da sani ba.
AFFF ta ƙirƙiri kuma ta haɓaka ta Armedungiyar Sojojin Amurka. An gabatar dashi a lokacin Yaƙin Vietnam don yaƙi da gobarar mai akan jiragen ruwa da na iska, AFFF shine ɗan whiz ɗan injiniyar kimiyyar sinadarai wanda ya ƙirƙira haɗin kwayar halittar roba mai ƙarfi fiye da kowane abu da aka sani a yanayi. Da zarar an ƙera, wannan haɗin carbon-fluorine kusan baza a iya lalacewa ba. Toin yarda ya zama mai, wannan haɗin haɗin gwal yana da ƙarfi da haɓaka har ma da mafi ƙarancin infernos.
Kusan daga lokacin da suka fara amfani da AFFF, sojoji sun tara worrisome shaida game da dorewar muhalli na mahaɗan carbon-fluorine, na su dangantaka da abubuwa masu rai, da tasirin su ga lafiyar dan adam. Yayinda Sojojin Amurka suka zama manyan masu amfani da AFFF a duniya, tambayoyin damuwa game da abin da ke faruwa bayan an kawar da wutar gefe. Sansanonin sojan Amurka a gida da kasashen waje sun karfafa feshin lalatawar AFFF a cikin atisaye na yau da kullun yayin da aka fada wa masu kashe gobara cewa lafiya kamar sabulu.
Sinadarin gurɓataccen gurɓataccen sinadarai, wanda yanzu aka sanya shi a matsayin mahaɗan kwayoyi masu ƙoshin lafiya (PFAS), suna mai da hankali a yau kamar yadda suke rura wutar rikicin muhalli da ba a taɓa gani ba. Bayan ɗan gajeren lokacin amfani mai amfani, mahaɗan PFAS sun kasance cikin haɗuwa da rayuwa tare da motsi na motsi, ƙarancin azaba, da kuma madawwamiyar mutuwa. Kamar yadda muka sani yanzu, bayyanarwa zuwa gano adadin waɗannan “har abada sunadarai”Yana da alaƙa da ƙarfi ga rundunar cututtukan daji, cututtukan ci gaba, lalacewar rigakafi, da rashin haihuwa. Hakanan an danganta fallasa tsananta cututtukan Covid-19 da kuma ya raunana ingancin allurar.
daga Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Amurka to Colorado Springs, Colorado, a cikin shekaru goma da suka gabata sun ga al'ummomin da ke kusa da sansanin soja suna farkawa zuwa mummunan mafarkin cutar PFAS a cikin ruwa, ƙasarsu da jininsu. "Taswirar shafuka na cutar PFAS a Amurka, Ma'aikatar Tsaro ta fito a matsayin babbar gudummawa ga wannan mummunan jerin," in ji Dave Andrews na Workingungiyar Aikin Muhalli (EWG).
A binciken farko da tayi game da sansanonin soji a watan Disambar 2016, Sojojin sun gano Shafukan 393 na cutar AFFF a cikin Amurka, gami da shafuka 126 inda mahaɗan PFAS suka kutsa cikin ruwan shan jama'a. (Ma'aikatar Tsaro tana da shirye-shiryen gyara a karamin yanki na wadannan rukunin yanar gizon.) A cikin shekarar 2019, DOD ya yarda da cewa wadannan lambobin “ƙidaya. ” Shahararren Taswirar Workingungiyar Mahalli na gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen gurɓataccen muhalli ya sanya adadi na yanzu na wuraren ƙazantar da sojoji 704, lambar da ke ci gaba da ƙaruwa.
Kamar yadda yiwuwar alhaki. Yayinda wasu jihohi ke shigar da kara game da masana'antar AFFF, zanan yatsun Sojojin Amurka suna duk wuraren da aka aikata laifin. Lokacin da masana kimiyya na tarayya suka yunƙuro don buga cikakken nazarin ilmin sunadarai mai guba na AFFF a cikin 2018, jami'an DOD sun kira wannan ilimin kimiyya “dangantakar jama'a ta kwana”Kuma yayi kokarin murkushe binciken.
Bayan wuce gona da iri na imel na cikin gida, sojoji har yanzu suna da adadi mai yawa na AFFF. Kamar yadda EPA da jihohi a kewayen Amurka suka fara ayyanawa AFFF wani abu ne mai haɗari, Rukunin sojojin na AFFF sun fara ƙarawa har zuwa aikin binrin samaniya akan takaddun soja. Wataƙila tunanin Gwamnatin Jirgin sama ta gabatar da lokacin dacewa, Pentagon ta yanke shawarar kunna wutar matsalar ta AFFF a cikin 2016.
Duk da tsananin juriya na AFFF ga wuta, ƙonewa a hankali ya zama hanyar da sojoji suka fi so don kula da AFFF. "Mun san cewa wannan zai zama aiki mai tsada, tunda yana nufin za mu ƙone wani abu da aka ƙera don kashe gobara, ”Steve Schneider, babban jami’in kula da hadari na bangaren kayan aiki na DOD, ya ce a shekarar 2017 yayin da aikin ya fara.
Detailaya daga cikin bayanai dalla-dalla ya tsaya kan hanyar wannan babban shirin: babu wata hujja da ke nuna cewa ƙonewa yana lalata sinadarin mai guba na AFFF.
Ganin “tasirin hana tasirin harshen wuta” na haɗin carbon-fluorine, rahoton na 2020 EPA ya kammala, “Ba a fahimci yadda tasirin konewar zafin jiki yake da lalata PFAS ba. "
A cikin jagorar fasaha na 2019 don abubuwan ƙonawa, EPA ta rubuta cewa ikonmu na “lalata yanayin zafi”Na PFAS ba shi da yawa, ba a fitarda shi sosai, kuma a halin yanzu ba za a iya aiwatar da shi ba. Wani muhimmin majalisa mai kula da muhalli ya ki amincewa da kona AFFF a shekarar da ta gabata, lura da kone-kone har yanzu “yanki mai aiki na bincike. "
Ba a kuma taƙaita irin wannan jinkirin ga hukumomin kare muhalli ba. Duk da cewa tana aikewa da motocin dakon tankin AFFF ga wadanda za a kona a 2017, sojojin da kansu sun lura “ba a fasalta yanayin kimiyyar-zafin-zafin jiki na PFOS […]”(PFOS shine babban kayan PFAS a cikin AFFF), kuma“da yawa abubuwan da ake samarwa ma ba zasu iya gamsar da muhalli ba. "
Amma wannan bai hana Pentagon ci gaba da nutsuwa ƙona sinadaran ba. Yayinda sojoji ke aika AFFF zuwa ga masu kone-kone a duk fadin kasar, EPA, masu kula da jihar, da masana kimiyyar jami'a duk sun yi gargadin cewa sanya AFFF cikin matsanancin yanayin zafi zai iya haduwa mayu suna yin giya mai guba, cewa fasahar smokestack ta yanzu zata kasance bai isa a lura da hayaki mai guba ba balle kama su, kuma wancan abubuwa masu haɗari na iya yin ruwa a kewayen unguwanni. Idan aka auna nauyin da ke kanta kan lafiyar wadannan al'ummomin, Pentagon ya buga wasan.
Kamar dai sauran abubuwa a cikin Trumpararrawa, saurin gaggawa don ƙone AFFF ya bayyana kusan gaba ɗaya daga ganin jama'a. Da rahoto mara tsoro game da Sharon Lerner a sakonnin kuma karar Shari'ar Duniya game da DOD bude taga a cikin wannan matsalar a cikin shekarar 2019. Kamar yadda bayanai suka kasance a cikin al'ummomin da ke kusa da wuraren da ake kone-kone, neman ba da taimako ga ruhi ya taimaka wajen kara kaifin dabarun ayyukan gaba daya zuwa karin gani a bayyane Ohio da kuma New York.
Wannan hunturu, na yi aiki tare da kungiyoyin yan kasa da kuma masu ba da shawara na kasa don tattarawa da bugawa duk wadatar bayanan kan kona AFFF. Yayinda dalibana da ni muka tattara bayyanannen jigilar kayayyaki, muka bi diddigin bayanai game da wuraren kone-kone da al'ummomin da ke kusa, kuma muka fara neman kawunanmu game da faduwar gubar AFFF mai konewa, wannan aikin na 'yan bindiga ya sami sabuwar ma'ana: babban sakaci.
Ba wai kawai an kona AFFF ba ne da mummunar nasiha ba, amma wadanda aka kona da shara masu hadari shida wadanda suka saba da dokar tsabtace muhalli. Tun shekara ta 2017, biyu daga cikin wadanda aka ba kwangilar ba su bin ka'idojin muhalli 100% na lokacin kamar yadda EPA (Mai Tsabtace tashar jirgin ruwa a Nebraska, Tsarkakakakken Jiragen Aragonite a ciki Utah), biyu basu cika aiki da kashi 75% na lokacin ba (ƙone gidan wuta na Norlite a ciki New York, Mai sanya wuta WTI a cikin Ohio), kuma sauran biyun basu cika cika kashi 50% na lokacin ba (Reynolds Metals incinerator in Arkansas, Tsarkake Harbor incinerator a ciki Arkansas). EPA ta ba da jimlar aiwatar da ayyukan 65 a kan waɗannan ƙona wuta shida a cikin shekaru biyar da suka gabata kaɗai.
Ba wai sojoji suna tsammanin mafi kyau ba. Kodayake ta fitar da miliyoyin daloli ga masana'antar ɓarna mai haɗari don ƙona AFFF, sojoji ba su fayyace sigogin konewa ko sarrafa fitarwa ba. Sojojin sun kuma janye takamaiman takaddun abubuwan da ake buƙata na shara mai lahani, tare da lura da yarjejeniyar cewa masu ƙona wuta “so ba ana buƙatar samar da Takaddun Shaida / Rushewa. ” Lokacin da ya zama game da ƙona AFFF, Pentagon ba ya son sanin ainihin abin da ke faruwa a waɗannan ƙona wuta.
Haɗuwa da ayyukan ƙonawa mara kyau tare da cutar mai guba mai gobara, wannan matsalar ta miliyoyin daloli ba ta kawar da matsalar rundunar sojan ta AFFF ba sosai kamar yadda aka sake rarraba ta.
WTI Heritage Incinerator, wanda ya kona aƙalla fam miliyan 5 na AFFF, yana cikin rukunin Blackan Baki masu aiki a Gabashin Liverpool, Ohio. Lokacin da aka gina shi a cikin 1993, an gaya wa mazauna wannan babbar Kone wuta na iya taimakawa wajen dakatar da ficewar ayyukan masana’antu. Maimakon biyan albashi Gabas ta Liverpool ta sami mafi munin gurɓatarwa a cikin Amurka. Theananan gidaje da makarantar firamare da ke kusa sun zama gida watsi da hayaki na yau da kullun na dioxins, furans, karafa masu nauyi, kuma yanzu PFAS. Mazauna suna kiran shi menene: wariyar launin fata.
"Ba mu samu amsa ba," Alonzo Spencer gaya min. Mazauna sun fara tambayar WTI Heritage Incinerator game da AFFF a bara. Yayinda yake bayyana hauhawar cutar kansa a cikin al'ummarsa da damuwa game da "kusancin kayan aikin zuwa makarantu," Spencer bai fahimci dalilin da yasa sojoji da mai ƙona gidan wuta zasu yi ƙoƙarin ƙone AFFF ba, kuma me yasa suke ɓoye-ɓoye game da shi. "Ba su da wata hujja da za ta nuna gaskiyar abin da suke yi wa wannan al'umma," in ji shi.
An shigar da shi cikin wani yanki mai aiki a cikin Cohoes, NY, Norlite Hazardous Waste Incinerator ya ƙone aƙalla fam miliyan 2.47 na AFFF da fam miliyan 5.3 na ruwa na AFFF, wataƙila ya keta izinin lasisin aikinsu. A karkashin inuwar hayaƙin haya ne Gidan Saratoga Sites na Jama'a, rukunin bulo da ke haya a ciki inda hayaki da hayaƙi ke fitarwa a filin wasa. A cikin shekaru huɗu da suka gabata, mazauna sun gaya mani cewa fentin fentin daga motocinsu da farkawa wasu dare don jin zafi a idanunsu. Norlite, sun ce, "zub da hawaye" a cikin gidajensu. Abubuwan da za'a iya samarwa na AFFF zuwa matsanancin yanayin zafi sun hada da abubuwan amfani da hayaki mai sa hawaye a lokacin yaki.
Wurare kamar East Liverpool da Cohoes sune wuraren AFFF da zamu iya bi. An tura kusan fam miliyan 5.5 na AFFF, kashi 40% na kayan soja, zuwa wuraren “cakuda mai” inda aka cakuda shi cikin mai don amfanin masana'antu. Ba a bayyana inda man da AFFF ya ɗora ba ya ci gaba, kodayake yarjejeniyar DOD ta ƙayyade ƙonewa ya zama ƙarshen. Idan kana zaune a Amurka, mai yiyuwa ne wataƙila an ƙone shi a cikin jama'arka. Kuma, saboda AFFF “sinadari ne na har abada” wanda baya wargajewa, wannan gurɓataccen yanayi na iya zama annoba ga al'ummomi tsararraki.
Duk da cewa da yawa sun kasance ba a ganin jama'a ba, akwai kyakkyawan dalili na yin tunanin sojoji na ci gaba da ƙona AFFF. Lokaci ya wuce da za a zartar da ƙuntatawa na ƙasa game da ƙone AFFF da kuma fara bincike mai ƙarfi a cikin al'ummomin da aka ƙone AFFF.
Sunan Ma'aikatar Tsaro yana magana akan aikin soja don kare mutanenta, ba cutarwa ba. Ga dukkan alamu, Pentagon yana saka rayukan mutane cikin haɗari ta hanyar kulawa da AFFF. Al’umomin da ke shaida wannan masifar ta muhalli da farko suna neman adalci da amana. Yaushe ne gwamnatinsu za ta ji su?
- David Bond Mataimakin Darakta ne, Cibiyar Ci Gaban Ayyukan Jama'a (CAPA) a Kwalejin Bennington. Yana jagorantar “Fahimtar PFOA”Aikin kuma yana rubuta littafi akan Cutar PFAS.
