From the Webb campaign, the latest idiocy by George Allen. This time, he wanted to bring in out-of-state medical waste for burning, "despite the objections of local citizens." Nice, huh? That's our George!(Arlington, VA) +óGé¼GÇ£ George Felix Allen routinely tells Virginia audiences one reason they should vote for him is that they +óGé¼+ôknow+óGé¼-¥ him.Really?
Do they know that as Governor, George Allen advocated, at the behest of a powerful corporation, a rotten scheme to import and burn out-of-state medical waste, including hospital gowns, syringes and bones, despite the objections of local residents?
Let+óGé¼Gäós tell them.
When George Allen arrived in the Governor+óGé¼Gäós Mansion in 1994, CaseLin Systems Inc. had already proposed building a medical waste incinerator in Bland County to burn up to 1,680 lbs per hour of medical waste, most of which would come from out of state. However, Bland County used statewide air pollution regulations to block construction of the proposed waste incinerator. Undeterred, CaseLin lobbied the Commonwealth and found a Governor willing to sellout the people of Bland County.By packing Virginia+óGé¼Gäós Air Pollution Control Board with two appointments who would ease statewide air pollution regulations, Allen allowed CaseLin to circumvent the appeal of residents and local officials of Bland County.
+óGé¼+ôGeorge Allen is incapable of keeping his hands clean of corporate malfeasance, and it stinks for Virginians,+óGé¼-¥ said Webb spokesperson Kristian Denny Todd.
While Bland County residents were concerned with the levels of emissions of dioxin, a harmful toxin and active ingredient in Agent Orange, Allen+óGé¼Gäós appointees tipped the Virginia+óGé¼Gäós Air Pollution Control Board to vote 3-2 in favor of a permit to allow the waste incinerator to be built. A Bland County resident complained that George Allen and the Air Pollution Control Board, +óGé¼+ôshortchanged us in this deal. They+óGé¼Gäóre pro-business; they don+óGé¼Gäót care a whole lot about the environment.+óGé¼-¥ [Virginian Pilot, 1/10/95; Richmond Times Dispatch,12/20/95]
Thankfully, however, Bland County resisted Allen+óGé¼Gäós plan to burn out-of-state medical waste. Eventually, after nine years in court, Bland County settled to buy back the proposed site for the waste incinerator from CaseLin System for $90,000 +óGé¼GÇ£ about $28,000 more than CaseLin had paid for it. [Roanoke Times, 1/29/99]