WTI Waste Incinerator Back In Spotlight

Political Motives Involved, Plant GM Says

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio, Updated 8:39 p.m. EDT October 24, 2000 -- One of the world's largest waste incinerators, just over the border in East Liverpool, is under investigation but remains open.

WTI Plant: Political Pawn?

Some are questioning the timing of a report given by the ombudsman of the Environmental Protection Agency, which coincides with the presidential race.

The ombudsman's report recommends that the Von-Roll WTI plant in East Liverpool stop operations immediately and should remain shut down for six months. The EPA, however, says that it will let the plant run and continue testing.

An ombudsman investigates citizens' complaints.

Virgil Reynolds has been fighting for 20 years to get the plant out of his neighborhood. He fears that the hazardous chemicals burning at WTI are dangerous to people's health.

The WTI plant is located about 1,100 feet from an elementary school and 320 feet from the nearest neighborhood.

In 1992, Al Gore pledged in his vice presidential campaign to shut down the plant. Now, he recommends the EPA follow the ombudsman's recommendation and stop operations. Neighbors wonder why he never took action while in office.

"If he's going to be the environmental president, then I think it should be well known that he didn't keep his promise in 1992," Reynolds said.

WTI general manager Fred Sigg disagrees with most of the ombudsman's findings. He said that there's no reason why the plant should be shut down. He said that it is politically motivated and inaccurate.

"Based on those fundamental errors, the conclusions are wrong and the recommendations are groundless," he said.

Neighborhood groups said that their own environmental study of soil at the local school found high amounts of arsenic and lead. WTI said that its own studies find no problems.

"There shouldn't be political overtones involved in this, but, unfortunately, there is," Sigg said. "The fact that the ombudsman released his findings on Friday night, two weeks before the election, would indicate that."

A group of East Liverpool residents traveled to Washington, D.C., Tuesday morning to protest against the EPA's decision to let the plant run and the vice president's inaction until now.

Copyright 2000 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.