Statement Of Vermont’s Congressional Delegation
On International Paper’s Decision To Halt Trial Tire Burn
November 14, 2006

"IP's decision to abandon its test burn of tires is positive news, but we believe Vermonters should not have been subjected to these emissions in the first place. It took IP a full week of test burning to learn what we have been telling them all along: the plant needs updated equipment before it burns tires for fuel.  We remain extremely concerned that the available data suggest that pollution levels from the week-long burn approached the permitted limit and exceeded IP's expected levels.  If IP had not taken this action, the delegation was prepared to call on EPA to shut down this test burn.  The delegation will press EPA to see that all of the data from the test burn is made public.  We will continue to monitor results to ensure that the any environmental or health effects of this test are known, and that the people of the Champlain Valley are not subjected to any more trials at their expense."

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