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Thousands of tons of oil-soaked debris is ending up in U.S. landfills following the cleanup of
the Gulf oil spill, according to the Associated Press.
Nearly 50,000 tons of absorbent boom, used to contain the spill, as
well as oily debris have made their way to landfills or incinerators,
federal officials told the news organisation.
Concerns have been raised over such disposal routes, including the long
length of time it could take for problems to surface and the associated
impact on groundwater if contaminants leach past liners enclosing the
decaying waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency
was reported to have said the sites meet federal regulations, are
equipped to handle the influx of waste and are being monitored closely.
Eric Schaeffer, a former head of the EPA's enforcement office, who now
heads a Washington-based legal advocacy group, was reported to have
said: "Common sense would tell you probably shouldn't keep dumping
there if there are already problems." He added: "EPA needs to be able
to say why despite the violations and discharges these are safe."
The Associated Press said that both BP and the EPA are sampling the
waste each week at the landfills, and the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard
officials alike say so far it has not turned out to be hazardous.
Kurt Pennell, an environmental engineer at Tufts University, reportedly
said that the oily waste may not be the most toxic product in the
landfills, but if the landfill isn't well controlled, that could be
"problematic".
