Science Issuesfor Community Leaders

Science Issues for Community Leaders Center for Health, Environment & Justice P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA 22040-6806 703-237-2249 [email protected] www.chej.org Science Issues for Community Leaders Center of Health, Environment & Justice May 2015 Copyright 2015 by Center for Health, Environment & Justice. All rights reserved. For Permission to reprint, please contact CHEJ. Printed in the U.S.A. P.O. Box 6806 Falls Church, VA 22040-6806 703-237-2249 [email protected] www.chej.org Center for Health, Environment & Justice P.O. Box 6806 l Falls Church, VA 22040 l Phone: 703.237.2249 l Fax: 703.237.8389 l www.chej.org Mentoring a Movement Empowering People Preventing Harm About the Center for Health, Environment & Justice CHEJ mentors the movement to build healthier communities by empowering people to prevent the harm caused by chemical and toxic threats. We accomplish our work by connecting local community groups to national initiatives and corporate campaigns. CHEJ works with communities to empower groups by providing the tools, strategic vision, and encouragement they need to advocate for human health and the prevention of harm. Following her successful effort to prevent further harm for families living in contaminated Love Canal, Lois Gibbs founded CHEJ in 1981 to continue the journey. To date, CHEJ has assisted over 10,000 groups nationwide. Details on CHEJ’s efforts to help families and communities prevent harm can be found on www.chej.org. Introduction One of the more frustrating problems for someone new to the issues raised by exposures to toxic chemicals is the jargon of the technical language used to de- scribe the issues. Scientists and engineers have a language all their own and for any newcomer, this language and the concepts it explains can sometimes be as intimidating as the polluter generating the chemicals that people are exposure to. To address this problem and to take some of the mystery out of the scientific jargon, CHEJ ran a regular feature in our quarterly newsletter, Everyone’s Backyard that addressed different scientific and engineering issues. The primary author for these articles was Stephen Lester, CHEJ’s Science Director. In some cases, guest authors contributed articles. In those cases, we’ve identified the contribut- ing author. The idea was to explain in simple terms common scientific issues and concepts that come up in discussing the impacts of exposures to toxic chemicals. We’ve selected from among the best of these articles and edited them for con- sistency and readability. We hope you find them helpful as you address various scientific issues in your efforts to achieve environmental justice. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the many issues discussed in this guidebook. Table of Contents pg. 1 Chapter 1 - Using Science and Scientific Information to Evaluate Health Problems in Communities pg. 9 Chapter 2 - Landfills pg. 14 Chapter 3 - Incinerators and Other Burning Options pg. 25 Chapter 4 - Managing Hazardous and Household Waste pg. 50 Chapter 5 - Cleaning up Contaminated Sites pg. 60 Chapter 6 - Drinking Water pg. 66 Chapter 7 - Interpreting Health Risks pg. 83 Chapter 8 - Politics Center for Health, Environment & Justice | Mentoring a Movement, Empowering People, Preventing Harm P.O. Box 6806 | Falls Church, VA 22040 | Phone: 703.237.2249 | Fax: 703.237.8389 | www.chej.org Chapter 1 Using Science and Scientific Information to Evaluate Health Problems in Communities Science Lessons for Community Leaders ernment documents contamination that threat- ens people’s health, it then has to do something It is common to think that in science and tech- about it—maybe evacuate people and clean up nical information lies the answer to the many the contamination. These steps cost money the questions that people have about their prob- government doesn’t want to spend. Such action lems and how to solve them. At CHEJ, we have might also set a precedent establishing cleanup not found this to be the case. We have learned standards or unsafe exposures levels that would many lessons about science and how it is used mean spending more money at other sites. Sci- in the real world. Science and technical infor- entific data and information play a small role in mation is important and has a role in helping decisions. Political and economic considerations to achieve your community goals. Identifying are far more important. this role and learning how to use scientific and technical information is critical to the success of One reason for the low priority given scientific your group. information brings us to Lesson #2 – there are only a few answers to the many scientific ques- The most important lesson is that science and tions raise by exposures to toxic chemicals. technical information alone will not solve prob- Scientists actually know little about the health lems. It’s a common mistake to think that if you effects of exposure to combinations of chemi- hire the best scientists and engineers and make cals at low levels. As a result, when politicians solid technical arguments, the government and bureaucrats look for answers, the scientists decision-makers can be convinced you’re right. don’t have them. Those of you who have been there know it just doesn’t work that way. Lesson #3 is that scientists rarely admit they don’t know the answer to a question. Instead When the government discovers a problem, it is they introduce the concept of “risk” and begin very reluctant to determine the full extent of the a debate over what’s “acceptable.” This is best problem. The reason for this is that if the gov- illustrated when small amounts of chemicals are www.chej.org 1 [email protected] Best of Science found in drinking water. The government’s re- on the facts, but on the political and economic sponse is usually to minimize the results, stating pressures they face. that the levels are very low and within “acceptable” limits. The real issue here is that scientists Whether this is right or not is not a scientific don’t know what happens to people when they question but an ethical and moral question. It are exposed to low levels of a mixture of toxic is foolhardy to think that in this setting, science chemicals, especially when one or several are can be anything but a tool used by politicians carcinogens. This uncertainty gets lost in the and corporations to get what they want. use of “acceptable” limits, which are more opin- ion than fact. Lesson #6 is that science can be a powerful tool for community groups, but only if you recog- The most difficult lesson to learn is that scien- nize what it can tell you, what it can’t, and only tists are not objective. Scientists have their bi- if you learn how to use the information and not ases like everybody else. One of the great myths just collect it. The right information used in the of our society is that science is pure and objec- right way at the right time can be very power- tive. While this may be true in the lab, it just ful. Learning how to use scientific and technical isn’t so when science is applied in community information is an organizing skill. settings. In the lab, scientists have control over their experiments and there’s no immediate Most of us have learned these and other lessons the social impact when they report their results. This hard way, with frustration, under stress and by the control is lost in the real world, where uncertain- seat of our pants. Science and scientists are being ties and incomplete information force scientists demystified, and people are recognizing the limits of to make judgments and give opinions that have science and learning how to use technical information considerable political and economic conse- to make more informed decisions about their lives. quences. Consequently, scientists are pressured As we look toward the future, I’m optimistic that the by politicians and corporations with economic lessons learning over the years are making people stakes in the outcome to make the “right deci- less intimidated by science, more knowledgeable on sion” which is to protect their interests and not scientific issues, and better able to interpret and use the public good. These pressures often make scientific and technical information to help answer decisions very difficult, especially when there their questions and achieve their goals. are so many uncertainties. Many good scientists have given in to the pressures brought on by controversy and threatened job security. Corollaries about science in public policy settings Science and technology have failed to provide • Experts are not always right. clear answers and solutions to the hard ques- • Experts can’t solve your problems. tions about the health and environmental • Residents quickly become experts themselves; no impact of the chemicals we use. But we cannot one knows more about a community and situation abandon science. We need to learn what it can than the people directly affected. tell us and what it can’t. We need to recognize • Never let experts speak publicly in place on you. Do the role that science plays in public policy set- your own talking. ting. Lesson #5 is that we need to recognize that • Trust your instincts; rarely will you go wrong if you most bureaucrats and politicians use science follow what you know in your heart to be true and to justify their decisions which are based, not right. 2 Center for Health, Environment & Justice | Mentoring a Movement, Empowering People, Preventing Harm Use of Science CHAPTER 1 The Use of Science in Government—Don’t Bother Me with the Facts At first, I was accepted by the state officials as a one of them.

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