Day 010 - 11 Jul 94 - Page 49


     
     1        to do with the possibility that a package itself can in
              contact with certain types of chemicals, substances that
     2        are in a landfill, for example, tolurene (?) will dissolve
              the foam and the foam can move into what is called
     3        leeching or into the ground water through the leaking of
              this material out of the landfill.
     4
         Q.   So it may become part of some kind of chemical soup that
     5        leaks out of the landfill?
              A.  Yes.  The potential, based on the research that I have
     6        conducted, that that is definitely a possibility.  It is a
              reasonable -- I think that it is reasonable to assume that
     7        it can happen.  It is noted that it does turn up in
              hazardous waste dumps as a product, but I am not -- that
     8        is as much as I can say about that.
 
     9   Q.   So either it does not biodegrade, it stays there forever
              or, if it does, it is because it interacts with other
    10        chemicals and then could leech out into drinking -- well,
              into the water table?
    11        A.  That is right.
 
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Has there ever been any evidence of styrene
              in rivers or bore holes or anything of that kind?
    13        A.  I can state that I am aware of studies which indicate
              that it is present in hazardous waste site disposal
    14        facilities that are or were at one time solid waste
              landfills.
    15
         MR. MORRIS:  So as styrene that it would leech out or would it
    16        become something else when it interacts?
              A.  I guess I would have to say that the science on that,
    17        as far as I know, is somewhat -- in general, it would
              remain as styrene, but what else it might, what else might
    18        happen to it in the presence or interaction of other
              chemicals, I cannot say.
    19
         Q.   Is there any monitoring of landfill, in general, federal
    20        or statutory monitoring?
              A.  Yes, now landfill, solid waste landfills, are required
    21        to be monitored.  Monitoring wells are required to be
              installed.
    22
         Q.   This monitoring, firstly, would it be effective in
    23        information terms and would it be effective in terms of
              action if there were any health risks?
    24        A.  Sorry?
 
    25   Q.   Is this monitoring that is done now, is this a recent
              phenomenon, monitoring landfills? 
    26        A.  Relatively. 
  
    27   Q.   I think a witness stated that last week as well.  But if
              this monitoring that is being done, now would it be
    28        effective in terms of really knowing what the situation is
              in each landfill?
    29        A.  Well, monitoring wells are only located in specific
              locations around the landfill, and once there is something
    30        detected in a particular well, it is somewhat difficult to
              pin-point where that material came from, where leak in the

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