[Pharmwaste] "Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash, but U.S. Lags"

Tue Apr 13 16:25:02 EDT 2010

Mathew:
I could not second that one more! Thanks so much for pointing this out.
What we collect at the med-take back events are a graphic reminder of
all the 'overs' you mention below.

Michelle Lauer, RN, MSN, BC 
Patient Care Coordinator - Psychiatry 
(302) 428-2117 or pager # 884-9440 

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

	-----Original Message-----
	From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Matthew
C. Mireles
	Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 2:13 PM
	To: Dennis Lucia; Deborah (DEQ)' 'DeBiasi;
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us; Sue Dayton
	Cc: Elizabeth A. Smith PhD
	Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] "Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash,
but U.S. Lags"

	I have a better idea...we need to stop believing we are that
sick.  US population consumes about 50% of the entire global
pharmaceutical production (approx $600 billion US).  Some of our samples
are showing about 40-50% of prescription medicines being thrown away
(flushed, buried, or burned).  One effective but very difficult
solutnion is to address the over-marketing, over-prescribing,
over-consuming, and over-the-top wasting in the US.  There really isn't
a cure for everything, and a true reality check might be the closest
panacea for many.

	Matthew Mireles

	Community Medical Foundation for Patient Safety

		-----Original Message----- 
		From: Dennis Lucia 
		Sent: Apr 13, 2010 1:46 PM 
		To: "Deborah (DEQ)' 'DeBiasi" ,
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us, Sue Dayton 
		Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] "Europe Finds Clean Energy in
Trash, but U.S. Lags" 

		Sue,

		Pick your poison.

		Assume 1000 #'s of pharmaceuticals to be disposed of.

		Method 1 - Flushing - 100% enters the waters
		Method 2 - landfill - Pharmaceuticals enter the leachate
- some break down - most are sent to a wastewater treatment facility
let's say 95% for the sake of conversation.  950 # to the waters
		Method 3 - incineration - controlled burn - 999+ pounds
destroyed - 1 # to filters some captured. Less than 1 # released to
environment.

		What we need are well controlled facilities that follow
regulations... :)

		Dennis J. Lucia, P.E.
		Pollution Prevention Unit
		Division of Environmental Permits
		New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
		625 Broadway  4th Fl.- SW
		Albany, NY 12233-1750
		(518) 402-9469
		Fax (518) 402-9168

		>>> "Sue Dayton" <sdayton at swcp.com> 4/13/2010 1:02 PM
>>>
		Hi Folks:

		"Dozens of filters catch pollutants, from mercury to
dioxin, that would have
		emerged from its smokestack only a decade ago?"

		Waste to energy? Sounds like a wonderful idea, but not
without compromises.
		For one, our air. 

		Our organization has a number of studies available on
WTE. For starters see:

http://www.bredl.org/pdf2/StopIncinerationBlowingSmoke.pdf

http://www.greenaction.org/incinerators/documents/IncineratorsInDisguise
Repo
		rtJune2006.pdf

http://preventcancernow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/pcn-incin51.pdf

		PowerPoint: Burning Issues in Waste Disposal: 

http://www.greenaction.org/incinerators/documents/GreenactionGAIAInciner
ator
		sInDisguise0209.pdf

		Best - 

		Sue Dayton
		Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
		North Carolina Healthy Communities Program
		PO BOX 44
		Saxapahaw, NC 27340
		(336) 525-2003
		sdayton at swcp.com

		Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about
things that matter.
		-  Martin Luther King Jr.

		-----Original Message-----
		From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
		[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On
Behalf Of DeBiasi,
		Deborah (DEQ)
		Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 9:31 AM
		To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
		Subject: [Pharmwaste] "Europe Finds Clean Energy in
Trash, but U.S. Lags"

		Good article on the Waste-to-Energy Incinerators, like
Covanta, that
		were being discussed here last week.

		"Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash, but U.S. Lags"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/science/earth/13trash.html?th&emc=th

		Deborah L. DeBiasi 
		Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov (NEW!)
		WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov 
		Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 
		Office of Water Permit Programs 
		Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET)
Program 
		PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
		www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html 
		Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 
		Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219 
		PH:         804-698-4028 
		FAX:      804-698-4032 

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