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Did You Know?
- According to the Federal Toxic Release Inventory, Kodak is New York's
biggest polluter releasing 7,870,480 pounds of reportable chemicals to the
environment in 1995.
- Kodak's primary contaminant, methylene chloride, is considered a
carcinogen. (Kodak reported releasing 2,560,000 pounds of methylene chloride
to the air in 1995)
- Recent fence-line monitoring found methylene chloride as high as 66 parts
per billion (ppb). New York State guidelines for methylene chloride in
ambient air are 8 ppb [New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC)] and 17 ppb (New York State
Health Department).
- A New York State Department of Health study showed a high rate of
pancreatic cancer in women, and Monroe county study showed a high rate of
childhood brain cancer in the Kodak Park area.
- Kodak operates two hazardous waste incinerators in the middle of the
Rochester community.
- A trial burn of hazardous waste incinerators, conducted by the DEC, showed
that just one of Kodak's incinerators (Building 218) spews out more dioxin
and hexavalent chromium than all of the hazardous waste
incinerators in New York State combined.
Kodak's Hazardous Waste Incinerator
- DEC's 1992 trial burn of hazardous waste incinerators in New York State
showed Kodak's incinerator had the highest releases of dioxin,
hexavalent chromium and particulates - all
public health threats.
- It is being used as a commercial hazardous waste incinerator, burning
hazardous waste from at least three other companies. Yet it is NOT permitted
as a commercial facility! In addition, DEC has allowed it to operate for
over five years without all the hazardous waste permits.
- Kodak was fined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for illegally
burning Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in this incinerator.
- There are no DEC personnel on-site to monitor the incinerator, even though
DEC's own policy requires such monitors.
- The incinerator is located in a very populated area of Rochester and in an
environmentally sensitive area (near Great Lakes water and ecosystem).
- Although Kodak contends that their risk assessment indicates that the
incinerator is protective of human health and the environment, letters from
the regulatory agencies clearly criticized Kodak's failure to evaluate all
of the chemicals of concern and failure to use intake and exposure models
deemed appropriate by the agencies.
Despite EPA studies indicating dioxin is more hazardous than
previously believed, and that chromium is a known human
carcinogen, Kodak's corporate decision is to wait to upgrade their incinerator's
pollution controls until they are forced to under the final Clean Air Act
Requirements, which may take up to 3 years or longer to ratify.
It is worth noting that in Washington D.C., Kodak has several lobbyists. Part
of their job is convincing your elected officials to weaken the standards of the
Clean Air Act so it will not be such a financial burden in a competitive global
economy.
We believe that it is reasonable for Kodak to do what other companies in New
York State have already done by:
- Upgrading their hazardous waste incinerator with pollution controls to
greatly reduce toxic emissions and particulates.
- Securing proper permits and meeting other requirements to operate a
commercial hazardous waste incinerator.
- Paying for full-time DEC oversight monitors to ensure proper management
and operation of the incinerator.
This fact sheet was produced by Citizens' Environmental
Coalition, Regional Action Group for the Environment, Empire
State Consumer Association and community members concerned about Kodak's
pollution
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