ENERGY RECOVERY FROM SOLID WASTE: LOOKING THROUGH A DARK FURNACE SLOWLY* by Harvey Alter National Center for Resource Recovery, Inc

ERDA's companion government group, the Environmental Proportion­ ment Administration, cautioned the new energy source may be danger­ ous to the environment. A spokesman said emissions from the combustion contained unknown compounds which are likely to be dirty and toxic. Besides, the fuel contains bacteria which are known to reproduce. In reply, ERDA countered that many components of the new fuel were chemically less complex than the carcinogens and mutagens which can be derived from petroleum sources and that the ash from the new fuel was less radioactive than ash from coal. The two agencies agreed that a new research program was needed to investigate the origins and chemical reactions of waste. Each pointed out that such programs fell into their recent charge from Congress.