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Dioxin danger and Western Sanitary Landfill

LettersDioxin danger and Western Sanitary Landfill
Heather duPlooy
Chial Road, P.O. Box 180
San Ignacio, Cayo
August 25, 2009
 
Editor AMANDALA
Dear Editor,
 
I am writing to spread awareness of the dangers that our landfills pose to human and environmental health, and to urge the public to demand that our municipal waste be safely managed. In April of 2008 I wrote to the Minister of Health, cc’ing all those that are also responsible for protecting the public from health and environmental hazards (the mayors of San Ignacio, Benque and Belize City and the Chief Environmental Officer). The letter concerned the health risks posed to Belizeans by the burning of and failure to manage our municipal waste. I received no response from any organization and the risk to our health and environment continues.
 
There is little or no control over the substances that wind up in official and unofficial landfills and dumps around the country. Our garbage is made up of everything from paints, appliances, batteries, computers, polystyrene, PVC pipes, septic waste, plastics of all kinds and many other items that contain or are made from a variety of toxic chemicals. The open burning of garbage, such as takes place at the Western Sanitary Landfill, occurs at lower temperatures than waste incinerators and is called an “incomplete burn”. Incomplete burns create dioxin laden, polluting smoke and ash into the air we breathe and that settles onto the surrounding land affecting the people, livestock, plants and wildlife exposed to it.
 
Dioxin is a cancer causing compound of chemicals created or released through several processes, including the burning of garbage. In addition to cancer, dioxin exposure is linked to decreased fertility in women, lowered sperm count in men, birth defects, skin disorders, respiratory problems, liver damage and other problems. Additionally dioxins bioaccumulate, which means that they build up in our bodies. Every day of exposure increases the dioxin levels in our bodies and the health risks associated with them. We also greatly increase our exposure by consuming meat and dairy products containing dioxin, which has accumulated in the bodies of the animals we eat, for instance from the cattle that graze on land surrounding the Western Sanitary Landfill.
 
In addition to dioxins, garbage dumps contain heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and mercury, which along with dioxins can leach into our soils and water systems from dump sites which are not properly sealed. Our Western Sanitary Landfill is situated on porous limestone and our Belize City dump is virtually on the Caribbean Sea. Studies show that populations around landfills have a greater potential to be susceptible to a variety of health problems, including respiratory ailments, many types of cancer and higher incidences of birth defects.
 
Everyday I, and many others that drive between Benque and San Ignacio, have to drive past burning waste on our way to and from work and school, increasing our exposure to toxins. Depending on the weather conditions, the smoke from the dump can drift from around the dump all the way into San Ignacio Town. Our local and national governments have the obligation to protect citizens from the harmful effects of dioxin exposure and to properly manage public waste.
 
Everyday that this situation continues increases the risks to the wellbeing of people and the environment, and so I believe that this issue needs to be addressed immediately. We need to change the way the landfills of Belize are managed by separating garbage, sealing the area from seepage, ceasing the burning of municipal waste and addressing the situation of the many unofficial dump sites in Belize. We also need water and soil testing to evaluate the levels of exposure to the surrounding communities and residents who are unwittingly exposed to harmful toxins.
 
Please, make your opinion on this matter known to your area representative, mayor and the departments of public health and the environment.
 
Sincerely,
(Signed)            Heather duPlooy
                        Concerned Citizen

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