Questions 172-173 refer to the
following announcement. Operation of Detroit’s trash
incinerator, the largest in the nation, was halted last month, less than a year
after it was put into service. The huge plant, which was designed to change
waste into energy, had been hailed as an innovative means of putting trash to
good use. However, soon after the plan began operating, unhealthy levels of
mercury began to be detected in the air around the city. It was soon discovered
that the culprit was the new incinerator. Entire neighborhoods were threatened
by the toxins being discharged into the air. Environmental officials ordered the
plant to be shut down last week. They say it is uncertain when, or even whether,
the plant will reopen. |