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Toxin study from Tr ' re d'isputed By Rob Nelson Modesto Energy's parent company, Record Staff Writer commissioned the study of the State environmental officials are Tracy tire fire to provide the questioning the findings and ll the acts" about mthe dangers bers with aof tire motivation of a privately funded fires, company Vice President study that says almost 5 million Joseph Greco said. pounds of toxins were released "The purpose of the study was into the atmosphere during the to raise an awareness of how Tracy tire fire' potentially hazardous tire piles A study by the parent company can be," Greco explained. "We're of Modesto Energy L.P. said estimated 323,000 pounds of ben-an en partof the state's tire-disposal sys- tem. We just want to make sure zene, known to cause both cancer it's as efficient as it can be." and birth defects, has been spewed EPA officials said they will into the air during the 2-month- review the Reese-Chambers find- old fire fire, which is still smolder- Ings over the next few days to see ing. The report was released if the numbers add up. Wednesday, just in time for a What is of greatest concern in meeting of various environmental the consultant's report, however, is and business officials to discuss the inference that a major envi- California's tire-disposal problems. ronmental catastrophe occurred But officials from the state's outside of Tracy, Spagnole said. He Environmental Protection Agency said simply stating that hundreds wonder if the company has a sep- of thousands of pounds of cancer- arate agenda. Reese-Chambers causing agents would be released Systems Consultants, the Somis if a certain number of tires were consulting firm hired to do the burned tells only half the story. study,did not have access to any of In 'icy, coincidentally favorable the environmental data from the atmospheric conditions during the Tracy tire fire, said Jim Spagnole, a fire helped neutralize what could spokesman for the EPA. have been a major environmental The consultants took EPA disaster, officials said.Wind condi- reports detailing the amount of tions quickly sucked the toxin- toxins and carcinogens released filled smoke about 5,000 feet up from a single burning tire and into the atmosphere, scattering then multiplied it by 6 million to dan erousparticles and gases 8 million, the estimated size of before they could do any hrm. the Tracy tire pile. Little mention of that is made "While I think the world of in the Reese-Chambers report, (Modesto Energy), they're making officials said. some pretty inflammatory state- "I would never want to tell peo- ments without any of the perti- ple that a tire fire isn't a major nent data from the fire itself, concern," said Josette Merced Spagnole said. They have no Bello, a spokeswoman for the San standing to comment here." Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution The study was released just District. "But unfortunately, releas- before the first meeting of the ing a report like this has the Waste Tire Working Group, a newly potential to crtate a public panic." formed committee charged with At least a half-dozen people assessing the state's current fire-dis- called the district Wednesday ask- posal situation. Representatives from ing about toxins and carcinogens the various businesses and environ- released by the Tracy fire. Air- mental agencies with a stake in tire quality readings taken in the past disposal formed the group after few weeks are the same as or bet- recent state legislation extended the ter than those from previous status quo for how California deals years, environmental-health with discarded tires. authorities maintained. United American Energy, Energy Operations Corp., which is Please see FIRE,C4