There may be a very good reason Browning-Ferris Industries is eager to make Alabama the nation's garbage dump. According to the April 30 financial report for the first quarter of 2002, Allied Waste Industries, Inc., which acquired BFI in 1999, is in the hole by a whopping $61.9 million based upon their loss on asset sales of $0.32 per share! Even more ominous is the fact that AW's consolidated debt was reported to be approximately $9.6 billion as of December 31, 2000!

Allied Waste Industries is the second largest waste disposal company in North America. What better way for AW to cancel its horrific debt and increase its earnings then by dumping in Alabama trash other states do not want. But why should Alabama the beautiful take the filth and refuse big metropolises like New York City generate and risk spoiling our pristine environment? People of Alabama, this is a bad idea!

When you get right down to it the reason Alabama is becoming a garbage dump for other states is that Alabama lacks the strict regulations and prohibitions other states have imposed. We need progressive waste management regulations which prohibit the import of waste, including solid waste, from other states into Alabama.

Dumping a maximum of 16,700 tons per day of out-of-state garbage in Alabama will, in time, exhaust landfills that Alabama will need in the future for its own growing population. Plus, the growing mountains of solid waste certainly will contain toxic chemicals. This includes cancer causing agents. This is because BFI accepts waste from commercial, residential and industrial customers, uses bull dozers to compact the waste, loads it into 18-wheelers, then transports it to landfills without any processing whatsoever to remove toxic agents.

You may be amazed at some of the toxic agents which end up in landfills when this crude process is used. This includes cleaning agents, insecticides, herbicides, photo processing chemicals, used motor oil and other potentially hazardous chemicals.

The only motivation for turning Alabama the beautiful into Alabama the garbage dump is money! Yet this BFI or Big Filth Industry scheme to dump your garbage in my back yard will hurt not only the environment, but the children of Alabama for generations to come!

I call upon the Alabama legislature to immediately draft and adopt laws to prohibit the import of solid waste from other states into Alabama. Plus we must adopt laws which require that all waste be processed to remove or destroy toxic agents before it is used in landfills. Only in this way can we hope to protect Alabama and keep it forever the beautiful state that it is!

Sincerely,
Terry Lynch
Date: 20 May, 2002

Do you have a beef? Send your comments, opinions, letters or other remarks to Byteland. In doing so, you agree that all submissions may be reprinted, edited and/or published without compensation or restriction whatsoever. Warning: If you send hate mail or other trash we may publish it and you agree to release Byteland.org, its agents and representative, from all liability, whatsoever, and to be totally responsible for your own statements and/or actions, including but not limited to slanderous or libelous remarks! You also agree to release Byteland.org, its agents and representatives, from any claims of slander, libel or other damages whatsoever, in regard to reprint, publication or editorial comments or usage with respect to any material you submit for publication.