One of the ironies of incineration is that it does not destroy certain kinds of wastes, notably metals and radioactive particles. It simply concentrates them. Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials say they agree. PCB spills can be quite a problem because they're not easy to clean up. Such a collision and fire could release dangerous amounts of toxic ash into the air.
Accidents do happen Such a collision has never occured.
But five days ago, DOE officials discovered that some 170 barrels of the incinerator's toxic ash were mistakenly dumped in an Oak Ridge reservation landfill, rather than being transported for permanent storage. DOE officials downplayed the significance of the error, which occured over a month's time. But there is no threat to the environment or health. Environmental watchdogs are less sure. And with that, you have toxins moving into the environment.