Coffee Clash: Styrofoam Returns to Capitol Hill
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By Danny Yadron

House Democrats continued their protest of the use of Styrofoam cups at Capitol Hill cafeterias, penning a letter to Republican leadership demanding the removal of the disposable coffee cups.

Some Democratic staff members, meantime, said they were considering brewing coffee in their offices rather than patronizing the cafeteria.

The Styrofoam cups reappeared on Capitol Hill last week, after Rep. Dan Lungren (R., Calif.), chairman of the House Administration Committee, ended the House’s three-year compost program, which included using biodegradable coffee cups in House eateries. The compost program cost taxpayers $475,000 a year, and produced negligible energy savings because of electricity used in pulping and shipping the compost off to a special facility, Mr. Lungren said.

Amid the debate over how to keep the government running for the rest of the fiscal year, Democrats have been outraged about the cups and other disposable tableware, saying it not only fills landfills but raises health and environmental threats.

“The desire to save a few pennies should never come at the expense of jeopardizing staff, members and visitors’ health,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), write. “There are significant health and environmental risks associated with Styrofoam, as well as additional costs associated with increased waste removal.”

The lawmakers say the World Health Organization’s International Association for Research of Cancer considers styrene, a main component of Styrofoam, a “possible carcinogen.”

But Styrofoam is cheap, Mr. Lungren says.

“Who’s going to pay for it?” Salley Wood, Mr. Lungren’s spokeswoman, wrote in an email. “Do they really think that taxpayers are interested in subsidizing our cups and utensils?”

Other solutions being thrown around by Democratic staffers: They might pass out anti-Styrofoam stickers to affix to reusable mugs, or put up signs with directions to the Senate cafeteria, which does not use Styrofoam.

The full text of the letter is after the jump.

Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and Chairman Lungren:

We are writing to express our deep concern with the current choice to use polystyrene products, commonly known as “styrofoam,”[1] in the House of Representatives cafeterias. While we appreciate that the CAO is working to reduce costs, there are significant health and environmental risks associated with styrofoam, as well as additional costs associated with increased waste removal. These external costs should be considered in making the decision for cafeteria products; the desire to save a few pennies should never come at the expense of jeopardizing staff, members and visitors’ health. Over 20 years ago, McDonalds and other fast food restaurants replaced polystyrene foam with recyclable and paperboard containers. More than 100 cities have also chosen to ban polystyrene foam for health and environmental reasons. Adopting the same standard is the least we can do.

We have numerous concerns about the safety of polystyrene foam products. Polystyrene foam products can leach their component chemicals into the foods and liquids they contain. Leaching of styrene and benzene is documented with nearly 40 years of scientific evidence, as are the resulting negative health impacts.[2] During the manufacturing process, acute short-term exposure to styrene can result in irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and mucous membranes as well as gastrointestinal effects.

Over time, exposure to the styrene that leaches into food and liquids can cause extensive health effects, including fatigue, headaches, hearing loss, central nervous system dysfunction, difficulty sleeping, as well as low platelet and hemoglobin values and chromosomal abnormalities.[3][4] The International Association for Research on Cancer classified styrene as a potential human carcinogen. Eliminating polystyrene-related health impacts will result in fewer lost work days and lower heath insurance costs for the House and its staff. This benefit alone should outweigh any cost savings from using polystyrene containers.

Polystyrene foam products continue to threaten public health and the environment after they are used and discarded. Polystyrene is not easily or cheaply recycled, and there are significant health and environmental impacts from the 25 million polystyrene foam cups that are thrown away per year. When disposed of in landfills, products made of polystyrene take over half a millennium to biodegrade. While in landfills, polystyrene chemicals can leach into groundwater, jeopardizing water quality. The safe incineration of polystyrene foam requires extremely high heat in specialized plants. Incineration at normal heat levels releases over 90 different hazardous chemicals, polluting the air quality of those communities surrounding the waste plants and burdening them with increased health risks and costs.

Although we strongly support efforts to reduce costs in the federal government, it is our understanding that the cafeteria operations generate profits for the House – an estimated $879,000 for 2010. Any costs associated with composting or any of the other environmentally sound options were always meant to be offset by these profits. Those of us who are concerned about the health and safety of Members, staff and visitors feel that this is certainly a worthwhile use for these proceeds.

The irresponsibility of the decision to use polystyrene foam without considering other options is all the more egregious because the cafeteria is not merely used by House members and our staffers. The health of constituents and visitors to the Hill who eat in the cafeteria will be impacted by this short-sighted decision. We urge you to bear in mind our responsibility to protect the health and welfare of the American public, now and in future generations, and to reconsider the decision to use Polystyrene foam in our cafeteria.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi had arranged for the discontinuation of the use of styrofoam cups sat Capitol Hill cafeterias. They were replaced by bio-degradable cups made from corn. New Republican leadership has decided it likes styrofoam better. Very much like when Ronald Reagan removed the solar panels from the White House.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/08/coffee-clash-styrofoam-returns-to-capitol-hill/