As the new home of WashPIRG's environmental work, Environment Washington can be contacted regarding this news release.
Washington State—The
Canadian mining-giant Teck Cominco continues to discharge high levels of toxic
metals into the Columbia River, according to an analysis by the Washington Public
Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). A comparison of Teck Cominco's discharges
to new 2002 data just released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
shows that the Teck Cominco smelter discharged more lead, mercury and arsenic
into the Columbia River in 2002 than the total discharges to water of these
metals from all Washington industries combined.
"We've known that,
historically, Teck Cominco used the Columbia River as a sewer," said Mo
McBroom, staff attorney at WashPIRG. "This analysis shows that despite
recent improvements at their smelter, Teck Cominco remains to this day the single
largest discharger of these toxic substances into the waters of Washington State."
The EPA released its 2002
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data today. The TRI data includes information
on releases for more than 650 toxic chemicals, and shows that the amount of
toxins released into Washington's environment in 2002 decreased slightly. However,
the EPA's data for Washington does not account for pollution flowing into the
state from outside sources. WashPIRG compared the EPA data with data compiled
by the Canadian Government and found that by far the largest source of mercury,
lead and arsenic discharges to Washington waterways in 2002 came from a single
polluter, Teck Cominco's lead smelter located on the Columbia River, just 10
miles north of the Canadian/U.S. border.
According to the 2002 TRI
data, oil refineries and pulp mills continue to be major dischargers of lead
and mercury into state waters. However, WashPIRG's analysis shows that Teck
Cominco discharged into the Columbia River 65 percent more lead, over 100 times
more arsenic, and three times more mercury than the combined total of all the
water discharges of these toxins from all Washington industries. In 2002 alone,
Teck Cominco released 4,224 pounds of lead, 1,418 pounds of arsenic and 28 pounds
of mercury directly into the Columbia. In contrast, the 2002 TRI data shows
that Washington industries cumulatively discharged to water 2,738 pound of lead,
12 pounds of arsenic and 9 pounds of mercury.
Mercury and lead are toxins
that persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body, threatening
health and development even at low levels. Ongoing exposure to arsenic may increase
a person's risk of developing cancer. The EPA recently embarked on a multi-million
dollar environmental and human health assessment of contamination in the Columbia
River caused by Teck Cominco's past operations. The company has so far refused
to cooperate with the agency.
"Teck Cominco portrays
itself as a reformed sinner that now is a good environmental steward,"
said McBroom. "But the fact remains that Teck Cominco's smelter is still
a major ongoing polluter of the Columbia River."
