Burning Pact Gets Final Ok

It took four years, but Spokane’s clean-air board now has a formal agreement on what can be burned in the garbage incinerator.

The Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority board approved the agreement Thursday. The Spokane City Council approved it Monday.

It bars Canadian oil field trash and out-of-county pesticide containers - highly controversial imports accepted at the trash plant from 1994 through 1997.

It allows the plant to take oil filters from cars and trucks both inside and outside Spokane County; industrial discards that aren’t dangerous waste; and other out-of-county solid waste, including shredded documents from military contractors.

The SCAPCA board proposed the agreement in 1994, after Phil Williams, the city’s former solid waste disposal chief, accepted 1,056 tons of Canadian pesticide jugs and other foreign trash for burning.

Many of the industrial discards were considered dangerous waste in Canada. SCAPCA Director Eric Skelton said they could mean higher emissions of dioxins and other harmful chemicals from the trash plant, but Williams disagreed.

The negotiations failed in 1995, largely due to Williams’ opposition, some of the participants said.

Williams was fired in November 1997 by Spokane City Manager Bill Pupo after revelations that he’d had an affair with the scientist conducting a $300,000 study of the garbage plant.

A new round of negotiations on the “special waste” flap was launched recently by Tony Grover, the Washington Department of Ecology’s new regional director. Seven city, county and state agencies were involved.

The talks were positive, Skelton said Thursday.

“Based on the spirit of cooperation and clarity we had, future disputes over solid waste issues should be few and far between,” he said.

“There’s a real willingness on Damon Taam’s part to make this work,” said Skelton, referring to the city’s new trash incinerator manager.

, DataTimes