Los ntawm David Bond, tus saib xyuas, Peb Hlis 25, 2021
One ntawm cov tshuaj muaj kuab lom uas tsis zoo tshaj plaws, cov tshuaj lom uas paub txog tus txiv neej - Aqueous Film Taus Ua Npuas Ncauj (AFFF), uas yog PFAS "tshuaj lom neeg mus ib txhis" - tab tom muab zais zais ntawm cov zej zog tsis zoo hauv Tebchaws Meskas. Cov neeg nyob tom qab lub tshuab qhib pob no? Nws tsis muaj lwm yam dhau ntawm Asmeskas cov tub rog.
As cov ntaub ntawv tshiab tawm los ntawm Bennington College cov ntaub ntawv lub lim tiam no, Asmeskas cov tub rog tau yuam kom muaj qhov tshaj tawm txog 20m phaus ntawm AFFF thiab AFFF pov tseg ntawm 2016-2020. Qhov ntawd txawm hais tias tsis muaj pov thawj pom tias qhov kev tsim hluav taws xob ua rau cov khoom siv tshuaj tua kab mob no rhuav tshem. Qhov tseeb, muaj lub laj thawj zoo ntseeg tias kev hlawv AFFF tsuas yog tso cov pa phem mus rau saum huab cua thiab mus rau cov zej zog, liaj teb thiab ntug dej. Lub Pentagon tau zoo ua qhov kev sim tshuaj lom thiab tau tso npe rau kev noj qab haus huv ntawm ntau lab tus neeg Asmeskas cov neeg tsis nyiam ua cov ntawv xeem.
AFFF tau tsim thiab muaj koob npe los ntawm Tsoom Fwv Meskas Cov Tub Rog. Qhia nyob rau thaum tsov rog Nyab Laj txhawm rau tua cov roj av ntawm cov tub rog hauv nkoj thiab cov dav hlau, AFFF yog cov whiz ntawm cov chemical engineering uas ua rau muaj cov roj sib txuas hluavtaws muaj zog dua txhua yam paub hauv qhov. Ib zaug tsim, no carbon-fluorine daim ntawv cog lus yog zoo tsis puas tsuaj. Tsis kam lees ua roj, qhov no herculean daim ntawv cog lus overpowers thiab tames txawm qhov feem ntau inerniary infernos.
Yuav luag los ntawm lub sijhawm lawv tau pib siv AFFF, cov tub rog tau khaws cia cov pov thawj txhawj xeeb hais txog kev tiv thaiv ib puag ncig ntawm cov hluavtaws carbon-fluorine tebchaw, lawv affinity rau yam muaj sia, thiab lawv muaj kev cuam tshuam rau tib neeg kev noj qab haus huv. Raws li Tsoomfwv Meskas Cov Tub Rog tau yog cov neeg tau txais kev pab ntau tshaj ntawm AFFF hauv ntiaj teb, cov lus nug txog kev muaj dab tsi tshwm sim tom qab tua hluav taws. Tsoomfwv Meskas cov tub rog nyob hauv tsev thiab sab nraud tau txhawb cov dej siab ntawm AFFF los ntawm kev xyaum thaum cov neeg tua hluav taws tau qhia tias yog zoo li xab npum.
Cov pa roj carbon-fluorine hluavtaws ua hluavtaws, tam sim no tau faib ua per- thiab poly-fluorinated tebchaw (PFAS), niaj hnub no yog qhov ua rau muaj teeb meem ib puag ncig uas tsis tau pom dua. Tom qab lub sijhawm luv luv ntawm cov khoom siv tswv yim, PFAS lub tebchaw tuaj txog qhov kev ua neej nyob nrog kev rov qab mus ncig, cov kabmob lom, thiab lub cev tsis muaj kev tuag. Raws li peb tam sim no paub, kis mus rau kab nyiaj ntawm cov “tshuaj ntsuab ib txhis”Yog xav tau txuas rau ib tug tswv tsev ntawm mob qog noj hlav, kev loj hlob tsis meej, lub cev tsis ua haujlwm, thiab ntxiv lawm tshobCov. Ntsuas tau kuj tau txuas rau aggravated Covid-19 mob thiab cov tshuaj tiv thaiv tsis muaj zog.
Los ntawm Portsmouth, New Hampshire Asmeskas rau Colorado Springs, Colorado, lub xyoo caum kawg tau pom cov zej zog nyob ze cov chaw tub rog tsim kev npau suav ntawm PFAS cov dej tsis huv hauv lawv cov dej, lawv cov av thiab ntshav. "Kev teeb tsa cov chaw ntawm PFAS cov paug hauv Tebchaws Meskas, Lub Chaw Haujlwm Saib Xyuas Kev Ruaj Ntseg sawv ua qhov tseem ceeb rau daim ntawv teev npe tsis txaus ntseeg no," Dave Andrews ntawm Environmental Working Group (EWG) tau hais rau kuv.
Hauv nws daim ntawv tshuaj ntsuam thaum ntxov ntawm lub hauv paus tub rog nyob rau lub Kaum Ob Hlis 2016, Pawg Tub Rog Tub Rog tau txheeb xyuas 393 qhov chaw ntawm AFFF kis hauv Tebchaws Meskas, suav nrog 126 cov chaw uas PFAS sib txuas cov dej haus rau pej xeem. (Lub Tsev Haujlwm Saib Xyuas Kev Tiv Thaiv muaj cov phiaj xwm kho mob ntawm feem me me ntawm cov chaw ntawd.) Hauv 2019, DOD lees txais cov lej ntawd "under-suav. ” Pawg Ua Haujlwm Pab Pawg Ib Puag Ncig cov chaw muaj npe ntawm PFAS tsim kev kub ntxhov muab cov naj npawb tam sim no ntawm cov chaw qias neeg tub rog nyob ntawm 704, tus lej uas txuas ntxiv nce.
Raws li cov peev xwm thiab lub luag haujlwm. Qee lub xeev cov ntawv foob kev tiv thaiv kev lag luam ntawm AFFF, cov ntiv tes ntawm Tsoomfwv Meskas Tub Rog Tub Rog yog nyob thoob plaws qhov chaw ntawm kev ua txhaum. Thaum cov kws tshawb fawb tsoomfwv tau tshawm tawm los txhawm rau tshaj tawm cov tshuaj lom cov tshuaj lom neeg ntawm AFFF xyoo 2018, cov neeg ua haujlwm DOD hu ua qhov kev tshawb fawb "ib tug pej xeem npau suav phem”Thiab sim suppress qhov kev tshawb pom.
Tshaj rau kev rhuav tshem cov ntawv sab hauv, cov tub rog tseem nyob hauv thaj av ntawm AFFF. Raws li EPA thiab cov xeev nyob ib ncig ntawm Asmeskas pib xaiv AFFF yog ib qho khoom muaj kev phom sij, cov tub rog cov khoom siv khaws cia ntawm AFFF tau pib ntxiv rau qhov kev saib xyuas ntawm hnub qub nyob rau ntawm cov tub rog cov ntawv tshuav nyiaj. Tej zaum xav tias Trump Cov Thawj Coj tau nthuav tawm lub sijhawm zoo, Pentagon txiav txim siab tsau lawv cov teeb meem AFFF xyoo 2016.
Txawm hais tias AFFF's qhov ua tsis tau zoo rau qhov hluav taws kub, qhov kub hnyiab ntsiag to ua rau cov tub rog nyiam txoj hauv kev rau AFFF. “Peb paub tias qhov no yuav yog qhov txiaj ntsig zoo, vim nws txhais tau tias peb yuav hlawv qee yam uas tau tsim kom tso hluav taws., "Steve Schneider, tus thawj coj ntawm Cov Khoom Siv Kev Puas Tsuaj rau lub logistics tis ntawm DOD, tau hais tias hauv 2017 thaum kev ua haujlwm tau pib ua haujlwm.
Tsuas yog ib qho kev nthuav dav sawv ntawm txoj kev ntawm lub phiaj xwm loj no: tsis muaj pov thawj qhia tias kev txiav txim siab ua kom puas lub tshuaj lom ntawm AFFF.
Daim ntawv ceeb toom txog "cov nplaim hluav taws xob muaj qhov cuam tshuam zoo" ntawm cov roj carbon-fluorine daim ntawv cog lus, ib daim ntawv qhia xyoo 2020 EPA xaus lus, "Nws tsis to taub zoo npaum li cas siv hluav taws xob kub ua kom zoo siab rau kev rhuav tshem PFAS. "
Xyoo 2019 cov txheej txheem kev qhia rau qhov txua hluav taws xob, EPA sau hais tias peb qhov tseeb ntawm “thermal ua kom puas”Ntawm PFAS tsis sib luag, nyias muaj nyias, thiab tam sim no tsis tuaj yeem siv. Ib pawg neeg sib hais hauv cheeb tsam ib puag ncig tsis kam lees pom tias hlawv AFFF xyoo tas los, kev ceeb toom tsis tseemib cheeb tsam nquag tshawb fawb. "
Thiab tsis tau qhov kev ua xyem xyav hauv cov chaw haujlwm ib puag ncig. Txawm tias nws tau xa cov tsheb thauj khoom ntawm AFFF rau cov kav hluav taws xob hauv xyoo 2017, cov tub rog nws tus kheej tau sau tseg "qhov siab-chemistry ntawm PFOS […] tseem tsis tau cim”(PFOS yog PFAS qhov tseem ceeb hauv AFFF), thiab“ntau qhov tshwm sim los ntawm cov khoom lag luam yuav tseem yuav ib puag ncig tsis zoo. "
Tab sis qhov ntawd tseem tsis tau kom lub Pentagon tsis txhob mus tom ntej thiab ntsiag to hlawv tshuaj tam sim ntawd. Raws li cov tub rog tau xa AFFF mus rau qhov cub thoob tebchaws, EPA, lub xeev cov chaw tswj hwm, thiab cov kws tshawb fawb hauv tsev kawm ntawv txhua tus tau ceeb toom tias kev ua haujlwm AFFF mus rau qhov kub thiab txias heev yuav ntxim nyiam. ib tug poj dab uas ua kom tsis txhob muaj cov tshuaj lom fluorinated, kom paub txog txoj kev ua luam yeeb tshuab uas twb muaj lawm tsis txaus ntseeg saib xyuas cov pa luam yeeb tsawg cia nyob ib leeg ntes lawv, thiab uas Cov tshuaj tsis zoo yuav los nag ntawm cov zej zog ib puag ncig. Kev tawm lub luag haujlwm tawm nws txoj kev lav phib xaub tawm tsam kev noj qab haus huv ntawm cov zej zog no, lub Pentagon ntaus kom phim.
Zoo ib yam li lwm qhov hauv Trump Cov Thawj Coj, tsis ceev faj kom hlawv AFFF nthuav dav yuav luag tag tawm ntawm cov neeg saib. Tus intrepid qhia ntawm Sharon Lerner ntawm Qhov Kev Tiv Thaiv thiab Lub ntiaj teb Kev Ncaj Ncees foob DOD qhib lub qhov rais mus rau qhov tsis txaus ntseeg no nyob rau 2019. Raws li cov ntaub ntawv rov qab los rau hauv cov zej zog nyob ze rau ntawm qhov chaw tsim hluav taws xob, kev txhawb nqa cov lus txhawb nqa tau pab kom qhov kev sib tsoo ntawm kev ua haujlwm tag nrho ntxiv mus rau qhov tsis pom kev zoo nyob hauv. Ohio thiab New York.
Lub caij ntuj no no, Kuv koom nrog pab pawg neeg thiab txhawb nqa thoob tebchaws kom suav sau thiab tshaj tawm tag nrho cov ntaub ntawv muaj nyob rau ntawm cov nqes dej ntawm AFFFCov. Raws li kuv cov tub ntxhais kawm thiab kuv tau sib sau ua ke ua ke xa khoom xa tuaj, taug qab cov ntsiab lus hais txog cov chaw tsim hluav taws xob thiab cov zej zog nyob ze, thiab pib tau txais peb lub taub hau ib ncig ntawm cov kuab lom tshuaj ntawm AFFF, qhov kev ua tub rog no tau txais lub ntsiab lus tshiab: tag nrho kev tsis lees.
Tsis yog tsuas yog hlawv AFFF tsis tshua muaj qhov hais tawm, tab sis rau 2017 qhov kev tsim txom pov tseg muab pov tseg ua txhaum cai yog ib txwm ua txhaum cai ntawm ib puag ncig txoj cai. Txij li xyoo 100, ob ntawm cov neeg cog lus cog lus ua tawm tsis raug raws li qee qhov kev cai ib puag ncig XNUMX% lub sijhawm raws li EPA (Huv Harbors Cov Hluav Taws Xob hauv Nebraska, Huv Huv Si Harbors Aragonite nyob rau hauv Utah), ob qho tsis ua raws li 75% ntawm lub sijhawm (Norlite incinerator hauv New York, Cuab Yeej Cuab Tam WTI tus tsim hluav taws xob hauv Ohio), thiab ob qho tseem tshuav tawm ntawm kev ua raws 50% ntawm lub sijhawm (Reynolds Cov Ntaus Hluav Taws Xob hauv Arkansas, Huv Huv Si Harbors incinerator hauv Arkansas)). EPA tau tshaj tawm txog 65 txoj cai rau tsim nyog rau XNUMX tus neeg tsim hluav taws xob no hauv tsib lub xyoos dhau los.
Tsis tau hais tias tus tub rog tau txais qhov zoo tshaj plaws. Txawm tias nws tau muab nyiaj ntau txog lab daus las mus rau qhov lag luam phom sij los hlawv AFFF, cov tub rog tsis qhia meej hlawv cov tsis hluav taws xob lossis tsis tswj hwm kev tswj hwmCov. Cov tub rog tseem thau tawm cov ntaub ntawv pov thawj ntawm cov khib nyiab tsis zoo, sau cia hauv daim ntawv cog lus uas tsim kev kub ntxhov "yuav tsis yuav tsum muab Cov Ntawv Pov Thawj ntawm Kev Muab Pov Tseg / Kev Pov Tseg. ” Thaum nws tuaj hlawv AFFF, lub Pentagon tsis xav paub dab tsi yog tiag tiag ntawm cov cav hluav taws xob no.
Kev sib xyaw ua haujlwm nrog kev hlawv cov roj uas muaj cov tshuaj tua hluav taws uas muaj tshuaj lom ntau ntau, qhov ntau ntawm ntau lab daus las no tsis rhuav tshem cov tub rog qhov teeb meem ntawm AFFF li kev faib tawm.
WTI Cov Cuab Yeej Cuab Tam Incinerator, uas hlawv tsawg kawg 5m phaus ntawm AFFF, yog nyob hauv chav ua haujlwm Dub zej zog nyob rau sab hnub tuaj Liverpool, Ohio. Thaum nws tsim tsa thaum xyoo 1993, cov neeg nyob hauv lub tsev no tau hais qhia txog mammoth no Kev txiav txim siab tuaj yeem pab cuam cov kev khiav tawm ntawm cov haujlwmCov. Hloov chaw them nyiaj sab hnub tuaj Liverpool tau txais qee qhov kev ua phem ntau tshaj plaws hauv Asmeskas. Cov tsev me thiab cov tsev kawm theem qis ze tau ua hauv tsev appallingly niaj zaus emissions ntawm dioxins, furans, hnyav hlau, thiab tam sim no PFAS. Cov pej xeem hu nws yog dab tsi: kev ntxub ntxaug ib puag ncig.
"Peb tsis tau txais lus teb," Alonzo Spencer hais rau kuv. Cov pej xeem pib nug WTI Cov Cuab Yeej Cuab Yeej Nruab Nrab txog AFFF xyoo tas los Piav qhia txog kev muaj mob qog nqaij hlav ntau ntxiv hauv nws lub zej zog thiab txhawj xeeb txog "thaj chaw ze ntawm lub tsev kawm ntawv," Spencer tsis nkag siab vim li cas cov tub rog thiab tus nplaim taws yuav sim hlawv AFFF, thiab vim li cas lawv thiaj zais cia txog nws. Nws tau hais tias "Zoo li lawv tsis muaj kev txhawb zog ua qhov tseeb txog yam lawv ua rau lub zej zog," nws hais.
Nqa mus rau qhov chaw ua haujlwm tsis zoo nyob rau hauv cov zej zog hauv Cohoes, NY, Norlite Cov Khoom Siv Hluav Taws Xob tau hlawv tsawg kawg 2.47m phaus ntawm AFFF thiab 5.3 lab phaus ntawm AFFF dej khib nyiab, yuav ua txhaum hauv lawv cov ntawv tso cai ua haujlwm. Hauv duab ntxoov ntxoo ntawm txoj kev haus luam yeeb yog nyob hauv Saratoga Cov Chaw Zej Zog Vaj Tsev, ib qho khiab khiab nyob hauv av qhov chaw tso pa tawm mus rau qhov chaw ua si. Plaub xyoo dhau los, cov neeg nyob hauv nroog tau qhia kuv txog xim pleev xim tawm ntawm lawv lub tsheb thiab sawv qee hmo kom pom kev mob hauv lawv qhov muag. Norlite, lawv tau hais tias, "kua muag ua rau lawv" hauv lawv lub tsev. Muaj peev xwm ua tau los ntawm AFFF txog rau qhov kub thiab txias siab tshaj suav nrog wartime cov khoom xyaw ntawm tsim kua muag.
Cov chaw xws li East Liverpool thiab Cohoes yog qhov chaw kawg ntawm AFFF uas peb tuaj yeem taug qab. Qee qhov 5.5m phaus ntawm AFFF, 40% ntawm cov tub rog cov khoom siv, raug xa mus rau "cov khoom siv roj" hauv qhov chaw uas nws tau sib xyaw ua roj rau kev siv. Nws tsis meej nyob qhov twg AFFF laden roj mus tom ntej, txawm hais tias DOD daim ntawv cog lus yuav tsum teeb tsa kev txiav txim siab yuav tsum yog qhov kawg. Yog tias koj nyob hauv Tebchaws Meskas, tej zaum nws yuav muaj hlawv nyob hauv koj zej zog. Thiab, vim tias AFFF yog “tshuaj lom neeg mus ib txhis” uas tsis zom, kev ua paug muaj peev xwm yuav kis tau zej zog ntau tiam neeg.
Txawm hais tias ntau qhov tseem tsis tau tawm ntawm pej xeem saib, muaj qhov laj thawj xav tias cov tub rog tseem txuas ntxiv mus hlawv AFFF. Nws yog lub sijhawm zoo dhau los los ua kom muaj txiaj ntsig zoo ntawm lub teb chaws txwv rau kev txiav txim siab ntawm AFFF thiab pib ua qhov kev soj ntsuam zoo rau cov zej zog uas AFFF tau hlawv.
Lub npe tiag tiag ntawm Lub Chaw Haujlwm Saib Xyuas Kev Tiv Thaiv hais lus rau tub rog lub luag haujlwm los tiv thaiv, tsis txhob ua mob rau nws tus kheej. Los ntawm txhua tus account, lub Pentagon tab tom tsim kev puas tsuaj rau cov tib neeg lub neej dhau los ntawm nws txoj kev tswj hwm ntawm AFFF. Cov zej zog pom cov xwm txheej kev puas tsuaj no thawj qhov xav tau kev ncaj ncees thiab kev lees paub. Thaum twg yog lawv cov tseem hwv mloog lawv?
- David Bond yog Tus Lwm Thawj Coj, Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) ntawm Bennington College. Nws ua tus “Nkag siab PFOA”Qhov project thiab sau phau ntawv rau PFAS kev sib kis.
