BURNING WASTE

The problem isn't new. America's businesses and individuals create hazardous wastes. Landfills can no longer take these wastes. But proper disposal remains essential so that these hazardous materials don't seep into water sources or other areas of public concern.

The nation's cement plants are increasingly filling this need of disposing of hazardous wastes. Lone Star Industries in Cape Girardeau is one of 24 cement plants across the U.S. that burn hazardous wastes at temperatures reaching 2,000 to 3,000 degrees in its cement kilns. Compare that to waste incineration, where the minimum temperature is 1,800 degrees.

Lone Star is one of four cement plants in Missouri licensed to burn waste. Lone Star is licensed to burn 2.4 tons of shredded rubber and more than 2,200 gallons of waste fuel each hour. Most of the materials burned comes from waste oils like that used in automobiles, paint thinners, urethane wood finish and paints and industry water wastes. The kilns also burn radiator solutions, methanol and resin substances like glue and acrylic nail polishes.

This disposal takes place under strict EPA guidelines. The company constantly tests its kiln, emissions and each load of the fuel that arrives for burning. The company doesn't burn PCBs, dioxins or banned pesticides or herbicides.

The American Lung Association recently issued a report expressing concern about hazardous waste burning in Missouri cement kilns, saying regulations aren't as strict as with incinerators. But Lone Star officials strongly disagree, saying their regulations are even more stringent.

Kiln waste burning has been closely supervised by the EPA -- not an agency with a reputation for taking hazardous wastes lightly. The region has certainly seen the EPA more heavy-handed than lackadaisical when hazardous materials are concerned. One wonders if much of the complaining has originated from incinerators that have lost business in recent years to cement plants. Heated competition has developed for the 5 million tons of liquid hazardous wastes produced annually in the U.S.

Lone Star has burned hazardous waste since 1992 with few problems. The company burned 42,145 metric tons of waste in 1995 at the Cape Girardeau plant. Recently Lone Star kilns passed testing for a 10-year permit, which the company is seeking.

The creation of Missouri's hazardous waste-burning industry has gone mostly unnoticed by the public. Some may see this as a sinister development.

Poppycock. These cement companies are performing a public service -- ridding the country of mounds of used tires and hazardous wastes while maintaining air and ground quality. Burning these wastes as fuel is certainly better than land disposal.