Eramet news from Mar 2000 - Jun 2006
 Dr. Erin Haynes |
Florence Beidler looks through files on Eramet at the Ohio EPA office in Logan.
MARIETTA -- "The air pollution problem needs to be dealt with very soon. It cannot be swept under the rug as it has been in the past. The citizens of this county know how important jobs are to them personally and to their community but they realize that they do not have to settle for polluted air. Our citizens are sophisticated enough to understand that we can have both clean air and profitable industry at the same time. They also understand that it is up to those individuals who are representing us to see to it that we have the best of both worlds," Florence Beidler, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "As a clever effort to disguise or soften the group's agenda, the Audit does contain some interesting information about Eramet's global structure and facility processes, obtained primarily from Eramet's own websites. In large part, however, the document is severely flawed as it continues in the OCA tradition of manipulating, misinterpreting and manufacturing data to create undue concern in affected communities, thereby gaining funding for their so-called 'campaigns,'" Jeff McKinney, Environmental Manager, Eramet.
MARIETTA -- "Ohio Citizen Action went door-to-door in downtown Marietta and Harmar Hill on June 16 and June 17. Over 200 residents agreed that more work needs to be done by Eramet to clean up their pollution. Ninety-three residents of downtown Marietta and Harmar Hill wrote personal letters to Eramet Marietta CEO, Russ Craig, asking him to clean up the pollution from the plant. Fifty-two area residents signed the Neighbors for Clean Air petition asking Russ Craig to clean up the pollution and be a good neighbor," Ruth Breech, Ohio Citizen Action.
MARIETTA -- "In addition to Strickland’s stop at Plumbers and Pipefitters on Front Street the congressman met with seven members of the Neighbors For Clean Air for about an hour Saturday afternoon. 'He (Strickland) didn’t rush. The man stood there and he listened,' said Clean Air member Florence Beidler, of Nolan Circle, Marietta. The group discussed the results of their recent citizen audit of Eramet with Strickland, who asked questions and said he was very impressed by the audit. Strickland also promised to continue trying to arrange a meeting between the two parties. 'It was a really, really positive meeting,' Beidler said," Marietta Times.
Photos from June 8 meeting
MARIETTA -- "Outreach to public officials by the Neighbors For Clean Air is beginning to show results as the group has arranged a tentative meeting with Congressman Ted Strickland, D-Lisbon, and an Ohio gubernatorial candidate, Saturday... According to Ruth Breech, southern Ohio program director for Ohio Citizen Action, more than 3,800 letters have been written to the company urging them to reduce their plant emissions... The letters, citizen audit and meeting with Strickland are all part of an increased focus on community outreach over the summer months. 'This is a concerted effort on outreach. We are going to be talking and talking and talking,' Breech said," Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
Jun
2: Auditing
the air
Caroline Beidler and the Neighbors for Clean Air present
the Citizens' Audit of Eramet.
MARIETTA -- "'Since I've
moved here, I've been very sick.' Peggy Bland lives roughly two miles from the
Marietta Eramet plant. She and a group of concerned Neighbors for Clean Air have
allied with Ohio Citizen Action to outline their concerns with the valley's
air. Southern Ohio Citizen Action Director Ruth Breech says, 'We really felt we
needed to put it in one document that everyone could understand, whether you're
a citizen, an engineer at the plant , or an EPA regulator.' That document released
Thursday is called the Citizens'
Audit of Eramet Marietta," Andrea Wilcox, WTAP News.
MARIETTA -- "Neighbors for Clean Air and Ohio Citizen Action today released a citizens' audit of the Eramet Marietta plant, as a part of their 'good neighbor campaign' focused on Eramet Marietta. The 26 page report, prompted by decades of citizen complaints about pollution from the company, details Eramet's operations, processes and financials... Ruth Breech, southern Ohio Program Director for Ohio Citizen Action says, 'Eramet can reduce their pollution, run their business more efficiently and be a good neighbor. It's a win-win situation: we've seen other plants throughout Ohio do this. If they can run a cleaner operation on Europe, they can do it here,'" press release, Neighbors for Clean Air and Ohio Citizen Action, 23 Kb doc.
- Citizens' audit of Eramet Marietta, 633 Kb pdf.
Release of Citizens' Audit of Eramet Marietta, detailed report of Eramet operations
MARIETTA -- "Neighbors for Clean Air and Ohio Citizen Action are working on a good neighbor campaign focused to get Eramet to reduce their pollution. The Citizens' Audit reports all available info to citizens about the plant. The Audit covers pollution, permits, regulators, business, history of citizen involvement and ground breaking information on Eramet's operations in Europe compared to Ohio," Ruth Breech, Ohio Citizen Action.
MARIETTA -- "Washington County is not a healthy place to take a breath. Carbon monoxide emissions: among the worst in the nation. Nitrogen oxide emissions: among the worst in the nation. Sulfur Dioxide emissions: among the worst in the nation. In fact, Washington County ranks number one in the country for potential health risks from industrial air pollution, according to a 2005 Associated Press analysis of government records... The Eramet Marietta metal refinery, the largest emitter of pollutants in Washington County, released 550,000 pounds of manganese in 2000," Brandon Donelson-Sims, The Marcolian, published April 21.
Doing good for the environment and economy is possible
MARIETTA -- "I think we all would agree that the goal is a clean and healthy environment. Pollution and the environment are not issues isolated to the Washington and Wood counties’ region... Clean environment or strong economy? Clean air or jobs? Do we have to make a choice? Environmental issues are complex and challenging... We don't have to make a choice between economic growth and environmental preservation. We can - and should - do both," Charlotte Keim, Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
Apr 30: Expose
pollution cover-up
PARKERSBURG -- "Everyone is hush-hush. We’re not supposed to mention the real problems in our area. I think we would all agree we need to be able to breathe air, that life-giving force, without which we could not live. Just as important is clean air, so that we will not become diseased and die before our time. Stacks and piles of data are not needed to realize that the air in this valley is toxic. All you have to do is go outside and breathe when the wind blows the poisonous stuff your unlucky direction," Vicki Dils, letter to the editor, Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
PARKERSBURG -- "Everyone is hush-hush. We’re not supposed to mention the real problems in our area. I think we would all agree we need to be able to breathe air, that life-giving force, without which we could not live. Just as important is clean air, so that we will not become diseased and die before our time. Stacks and piles of data are not needed to realize that the air in this valley is toxic. All you have to do is go outside and breathe when the wind blows the poisonous stuff your unlucky direction," Vicki Dils, letter to the editor, Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
MARIETTA -- "A recent letter to the editor entitled 'Eramet trying to clean a mess it inherited' doesn’t ease the pain of families who have lost loved ones from cancer or other illnesses most likely caused by toxic emissions... Who will speak up against this atrocity if we don’t choose to do it ourselves? We should all be outraged because the air that our children and grandchildren breathe here in Washington County is simply unacceptable," Joan Dearth, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
Ruth Breech, left, of Ohio Citizen Action, and Lesley Kuhl, of Marietta and a member of Neighbors for Clean Air, discuss the new air-monitoring device fitted to the top of the car.
MARIETTA -- "The quality of the air you breathe is under the microscope this week. Initial air samples taken Tuesday afternoon by a group of citizens along Ohio 7, in the area between Marietta and Belpre, showed readings high in two chemicals in particular — ammonia and nitrogen oxide... Ruth Breech, southern Ohio program director for Ohio Citizen Action, is coordinating the effort. 'It’s exciting,' said Breech, exhilarated from an afternoon of air sampling. 'This area is a hotbed. Definitely, something needs to be done. We know that the ammonia comes from Eramet,'" Connie Cartmell, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- Sweeping the air, Leaders of Ohio Citizen Action are using a UV ray monitor to suck in outside air and detect chemical gases, Andrea Wilcox, WTAP News.
MARIETTA -- "Since the Associated Press and Columbus Dispatch articles were published in late December there has been a heightened awareness of environmental issues and health risks here in the Mid-Ohio Valley. We've all seen th eletters and platform articles from concerned citizens and self-professed experts who want everyone to believe the Mid-Ohio Valley is a dangerous place to live. The alarmist views and opinions of these individuals has sparked a great deal of concern, frustration, and at times, panic, among residents who feel they have no choice but to take this information at face value," Jeff McKinney, Eramet Environmental Manager, For the Record.
page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5
MARIETTA -- "The 'Neighbors for Clean Air' are making plans to monitor the air in the Mid-Ohio-Valley. At their third meeting, two dozen members passed the hat to pay for testing supplies to detect chromium, manganese and nickel metals in the air. They are also planning to drive county roads at night with a Cerex Gas Measurement device. 'We're going to be doing some concerted sampling,' explains SE Ohio Regional Coordinator Ruth Breech. 'We're going to find out what is in the air that people are breathing, and what is that dust that's ending up on people's homes. So we're really going to be doing detective work here,'" published April 11, Kirk Greenfield, WTAP.
Apr 10:
Living
downwind of plant pollution
MARIETTA -- "Since I moved to Marietta in 2000, I have been diagnosed
with asthma. I recently became a grandmother. I do not want my grandson exposed
to the toxic substances in our air here in Marietta and certainly nobody wants
their loved ones to become ill, in this case cruelly and senselessly because of
industrial pollution. A co-worker of mine here in Marietta has two infants under
the age of 2, both of whom have bronchial asthma. Our local statistics for respiratory
illness and cancer are in the highest percentiles measured against other communities
nationally. Our neighbors are dying from our local environment," Ellyn Burnes,
letter to the editor, Parkersburg News.
Apr 4:
‘Fish Soup’ art exhibition by Ann Stoddard
ATHENS -- "'Fish
Soup' recontextualizes country life in Southeastern Ohio with chemical and power
plant images, whose arabesques of belching smoke contaminate the air and water
with C-8 and other carcinogens. A video presents Pinehurst environmental activist
Caroline Biedler describing her citizen action group's battle against Eramet...
video wall projections surround the viewer, including: Dupont plant, Eramet plant,
etc.; Callie Lyons speaking as a mother and journalist specializing in C-8 contamination;
fresh produce at the Athens Saturday Market; and news accounts," press release,
Ohio University Art Office.
Apr
1:
‘Dirty air bill’ sparks debate in Columbus
MARIETTA -- "Many
of the concerns I have read about in the newspaper had to do with Eramet. Senate
Bill 265 does not impact Eramet. However, in the end I voted 'no.' Senate Bill
265 allows an exemption for companies who emit up to 10 tons a year of non-toxic
pollutants from using the Best Available Technology (BAT). Non-toxic pollutants
result in fine particles in the air. These fine particles are the culprits in
respiratory conditions such as asthma for the people of this area. Washington
County is in non-attainment for fine particulates and ozone. This bill passed,"
Rep. Jennifer Garrison letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
Mar 31:
TRI
report: Emissions increase
MARIETTA -- "Toxic releases into the environment have decreased statewide
in Ohio for the seventh consecutive year, but slightly increased in Washington
County for the second straight year. An additional 500,000 pounds of pollution
were emitted in Washington County in 2004 than in 2003, according to the Toxic
Release Inventory, released Thursday by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency...
'It’s not good to be going back up,' said Neighbors for Clean Air member
Caroline Beidler. 'I’ll have to take some time to take a look at this report
and digest it, but it definitely isn’t good news,'" Brad Bauer, Marietta
Times.
MARIETTA -- Eramet
trying to clean a mess it inherited, Dale Hendershot, letter to the editor,
Marietta Times.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio
likely to remain No. 1 in air pollution, Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- OEPA
says toxic releases are down, Callie Lyons, WMOA News.
MARIETTA
-- One step from law,
Andrea Wilcox, WTAP News.
MARIETTA -- "I read carefully the articles giving Eramet’s point of view regarding their contribution to local pollution problems. After carefully thinking over what was spoken in those articles, I have concluded that Eramet is hiding behind statistics and jobs. There is a group of citizens who are bold enough to question the ethics of the operation Eramet defends and the sincerity behind the statement that says Eramet is 'committed to more cuts in emissions,' 'feasibility study,' 'making the commitment,' 'dedicated to its employees and the community' sounds like political talk and fails to impress me,'" Rachel Shafer, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "An environmental group hoping to influence the amount of pollution released into the Mid-Ohio Valley’s air and water is stepping up efforts to collect information and get the public involved... Among other things, the group wants to do more air and water sampling to determine what type of pollutants are causing problems and their source. They’re mounting a campaign to get local residents to fill out 'pollution logs' that have specific information about the type of pollution people witness. 'We need to write down and log all the pollution ... when it happens, how it makes us feel,' said Ruth Breech of Ohio Citizen Action," Tim Brust, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "On Saturday, March 25, Neighbors for Clean Air - a group of residents from Marietta and throughout Washington County came together to tackle the air pollution problems in the Ohio River valley. They have joined with Ohio Citizen Action, the state’s largest environmental organization, to launch a 'good neighbor campaign' to get Eramet to clean up its pollution," Ruth Breech, Ohio Citizen Action.
MARIETTA -- "There’s a tug-of-war under way in Ohio’s air quality arena and Marietta is in the middle of it. Residents will hear about the fight Saturday when Ohio Citizen Action members, of Cincinnati, and Neighbors for Clean Air, a local group, go door-to-door to tell their story. 'There are people who are not moving to Marietta because of air quality and there are people who are looking to get out of here because of it,' said Florence Beidler, of 105 Nolan Circle. 'This is a people issue, not a Republican or Democratic issue,'" Connie Cartmell, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "Imagine you invited me to a backyard gathering. When I arrived, the first thing I did was spray neurotoxic chemicals into the air near your children, elderly parents and friends. You’d certainly tell me to stop, right? What if I refused? You’d throw me out and notify the authorities of my actions, and rightfully so. Would you want to be my friend or invite me back? Would you like me to start a company in your neighborhood? Would you like to come work for me, so I could shower you with chemicals in the workplace?," Lesley Kuhl, Marietta Times. Column originally published March 18, 2006.
MARIETTA -- "Eramet currently spends more than $5 million per year operating and maintaining pollution abatement systems that capture the vast majority of emissions and prevent them from leaving the facility property. Moreover, the facility operates in accordance with stringent federal permits which limit the discharge of pollutants to the air, water, and land. Admittedly, operating an older facility with 'traditional'metals refining processes in compliance with stringent Federal and State requirements can be a challenge. Nonetheless, Eramet’s compliance record in recent years has been commendable. As part of our Continuous Improvement Program, Eramet is committed to implementing new programs and modernizing processes to further reduce emissions to the environment," Jeff McKinney, Eramet Environmental Manager, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "Let’s clear the air. As the environmental manager for one of the area’s largest industrial employers, I have been frustrated and extremely overwhelmed by the amount of negative press and public opinion surrounding the Eramet Marietta facility in recent months. You may ask the question 'Why didn’t Eramet speak up sooner?' The response to that question, 'We’ve tried.' Attempts to respond to local and national media inquiries have often resulted in the publishing of severe misquotes or statements taken out of context," Jeff McKinney, Eramet Environmental Manager, Marietta Times.
Patrick Stewart and Caroline Beidler look through files at the Ohio EPA office.
MARIETTA -- "Last week, members of the local group Neighbors for Clean Air traveled to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency office in Logan to comb through records in the hopes of learning more about local environmental issues... Ruth Breech, southern Ohio program director for consumer advocacy group Ohio Citizen Action, said open records combat secrecy in government and business. 'For years many of these companies didn’t tell anyone anything,' Breech said. 'But communities have a right to know what they are breathing and to know what chemicals are being used at these plants,'" Brad Bauer, Marietta Times.
WASHINGTON,
DC -- "While better transportation planning and affordable housing can improve
childhood respiratory complications, some communities face dangers from proximity
to industrial pollutants — with worries that such exposure is affecting children’s
academic and physical development as well. In Ohio, Dick Wittberg, PhD, executive
director of the mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, has been urging the government
to conduct a comprehensive health study on children in Marietta, Ohio, after his
own studies raised concerns that exposure to nearby industrial pollutants may
be affecting their development," Kim Krisberg, The Nation's Health .City, county officials can lead the way to clean air
MARIETTA -- "Perhaps the most informative editorial I have read in a long, long time was Dee Arnold’s article concerning Marietta’s poor air quality and pollution levels. She was factual and deliberate in her comments. Because of Ms. Arnold’s editorial, my wife and I attended the clean air meeting at Washington State on the evening of March 9. It, too, was very informative and, as a result, elevated my personal level of concern about our air quality. I guess I have hidden from the truth as I went on with life in the Ohio Valley," Bob Springer, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "The Neighbors for Clean Air, a local group which recently formed to combat air pollution in the area, met Thursday night to discuss what actions the group can take... Patrick Stewart, 49, of Marietta, a representative of the monitoring committee, said the group needs to take the information gathered by residents and begin acting on it to convince Eramet and other companies to begin cleaning up. 'We need to convince them it’s in their interest and our interest and everyone’s interest to clean up. If we can accomplish that we’ve really done something,' Stewart said," Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
CINCINNATI
-- Ohio Citizen Action this week launched a good neighbor campaign to help Neighbors
for Clean Air in Marietta win pollution reductions at Eramet, the largest polluter
in the region. The Marietta area is #1 in the nation for toxic air pollution,
according to a recent study by the Associated
Press. Ohio Citizen Action organizers are going door to door throughout Southern
Ohio, talking with people about Eramet's pollution. Members will be writing letters
to CEO Russ Craig, each night until the company makes commitments to clean up
their pollution and work with neighbors. Ohio Citizen Action Cincinnati Area Director
Ruth Breech wrote Russ Craig a letter last week inviting him to meet about steps
Eramet can take to prevent pollution. There has been no response to date, Sandy
Buchanan, Ohio Citizen Action. - letter to Russ Craig, 20kb doc.
MARIETTA
-- The last Eramet Neighbors' meeting was held on 2/16/06. During that meeting
we broke down into small groups. Each group discussed their topic as it pertains
to Eramet and our attempt to get them to reduce pollution. Each group will report
on the following: Business Information; Monitoring and Toxics Permits; Action/
Outreach; Legislative; Media; Health Effects the entire group will deal
with this. We ask anyone who is interested in working with us to encourage Eramet
to clean up their pollution to please attend this meeting. Please call (740) 374-0975
or send me an e-mail for more information,
Caroline Beidler, Neighbors for Clean Air. MARIETTA -- "Twenty-six of the 200 most at-risk neighborhoods in America are in Ohio, including two of the top five (in Washington and Wood counties). The Associated Press analyzed federal pollution, health and census data for the study. Ohio industry smokestacks emitted more than 132 million pounds of air toxins in 2003, the most in the nation. Ohio ranked among the top states for power plant emissions of air toxins in 2002. It was number one for hydrochloric acid, hydrogen fluoride, sulfuric acid, and other toxic acid gases which are corrosive and can cause acute respiratory problems. It was number four for arsenic emissions which can cause lung cancer. It was number five for chromium emissions, which can damage the respiratory track," Dee Arnold, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "An international metal company and its partner firms agreed to settle charges that they dumped toxic chemicals into the Ohio River, the Justice Department announced Tuesday... According to information gathered by the US Public Interest Research Group, the Marietta, Ohio Eramet facility 'dumped more persistent toxic metals into the nation’s waters than any other facility.' The group estimates that the factory pumped more than 1.2 million pounds of metal precipitant between 1992 and 1996 and alleges that most of that ended up in the Ohio River," Syracuse NewStandard.
MARIETTA -- "Amid the turmoil of recent public attention to its air emissions, Eramet Marietta reached a settlement Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Justice for violations of the Clean Water Act... The $3.25 million settlement is comprised of fines and penalties for past assessment costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act as well as wildlife restoration," Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- Eramet fined, Denise Alex, WTAP News.
MARIETTA
-- "Following a record-breaking year in 2004, Eramet Marietta Inc. began
2005 with high sales but then saw prices begin declining midway through the year
until low prices at the end of 2005 evened out the successes at the beginning.
The plant, located on Ohio 7 between Belpre and Marietta, is divided into two
main areas of production. The primary product made by the plant is ferromanganese,
an important element in the production of steel. The plant’s other main focus
is on providing specialty alloys to the aluminum industry, the superalloy industry
and specialty steel applications," Wayne Tower, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "The Neighbors for Clean Air group met for the second time Thursday evening to continue a project backed by the Ohio Citizen Action group to get Eramet, Marietta, on Ohio 7 to reduce its pollution levels. 'It (Eramet) is the biggest polluter in the county with the worst air pollution,' said Ruth Breech, program director for southern Ohio for Ohio Citizen Action. During the meeting, which was attended by more than 30 local residents, a series of committees were formed to look at several aspects of the Eramet issue. Committees formed Thursday included business history, monitoring and toxic emissions, actions and outreach, legislative, and health effects," Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
PINEHURST -- Still fuming about emissions, Todd Baucher, WTAP News.
MARIETTA -- "Those who live in Washington County and care about the quality of the air we breathe are, no doubt, familiar with Caroline Beidler of Pinehurst. She’s never been afraid to speak out against the level of pollution in the air locally and this week, she did so again. Beidler has joined forces with the Ohio Environmental Council and others who oppose a move at the state level that would restrict, to some degree, Ohio’s ability to regulate air pollution," editorial, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Modernization Bill, introduced by Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, would prevent the OEPA from establishing any air pollution regulation that exceeds federal standards... Caroline Beidler lives in Pinehurst, the state’s most at-risk neighborhood for long-term health hazards from industrial air pollution. Beidler said it’s a case of profit for a few being put ahead of the health of all Ohio citizens. 'Who in their right mind would even consider rolling back any law that would expose us to more toxic air emissions?' Beidler asked. 'Our health, our children’s health, and the health of our elderly are all at risk. The economic health of our town is also at risk," Callie Lyons, WMOA News.
MARIETTA -- "A February 2 community meeting was set up by local leader Caroline Beidler of Marietta on the subject of air pollution and the Eramet facility in Washington County. It was attended by approximately 30 people. Most of the attendees complained of the extreme odors and the metals in the air that they could taste. All agreed strongly that there was a major air pollution problem from Eramet. Almost everyone sounded fed up with the company, the Ohio EPA, the Ohio Department of Health and wanted to do something about the problem now. All were disgusted with there county's ranking as worst in the nation for toxic air and saw it has hurting the local economy," Ohio Citizen Action. For more information on Eramet and pollution please contact Caroline Beidler.
MARIETTA -- "Did you know that Washington County, Ohio and Wood County, West Virginia rank as the first and second counties, respectively, with the highest potential health risk from industrial air pollution in 2005? Eramet is ranked as the top polluter in the nation in terms of dangerous emissions? Smelling or tasting air isn't healthy or normal?,"
MARIETTA -- "This past week there were four deeply disturbing articles on this issue. They were sparked by an AP study naming Washington and Wood counties as the first and second worst counties in America in terms of health risk from industrial air pollution. The Eramet plant on Ohio 7 was found to be the worst contributor to this problem in the country. Those who own, manage, and work at Eramet are people, just like the rest of us, and many of them live in our area. I am astounded that the good people of Eramet do not respond decisively by publicly saying this is not acceptable and taking steps to fix this problem. Where is the compassion for our children? Where is the shame?," Dennis Kuhl, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
Dec 19: Do
toxins slow kids' growth?
Air pollution:
More studies might be needed to make link
MARIETTA
-- "In the Detroit suburb of Ecorse, which has sued U.S. Steel over decades
of air pollution, Mayor Larry Salisbury wants the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention to investigate how industrial toxins affect health. 'We think there
have been citizens who had an early death because of health issues related to
that steel plant,' Salisbury said. 'It would be great if the CDC would study certain
towns to make the case. Sometimes I think the government doesn't want to know
the answers,' he said. 'Once they do, they have a certain liability to enforce,'"
Suburban Chicago News.
Dec
18: Bathed
in toxins, with questions unanswered
Americans
in air pollution hot spots worry that it's causing their children to suffer from
poor health and impaired development. But little research exists.
MARIETTA -- "Dick Wittberg knows that each year factories rain hundreds of
thousands of pounds of manganese dust over his hometown of Marietta, Ohio. He
also knows that manganese is a heavy metal that can harm the brain and nervous
system. What worries Wittberg, a biologist who heads the mid-Ohio Valley Health
Department, is what he doesn't know and can't find out: How all that toxic pollution
is affecting the lives and health of children in his community. Wittberg has been
pressing for a full-blown government study of the manganese pollution's health
impact since he took part in a pilot study in the late 1990s that compared Marietta
children to those in a similar-sized Ohio town on academic and physical tests.
The Marietta kids fared significantly worse," St. Petersburg Times.
MARIETTA -- "Officials with Eramet Marietta are disputing an Associated Press article that ranks the local plant as the top polluter in the nation in terms of dangerous emissions. The Associated Press, as part of a series on air quality, listed Eramet as the top factory 'whose emissions created the most potential health risk for residents in surrounding communities in 2000.' The AP also ranks Washington County and Wood Counties as the first and second counties, respectively, with the 'highest potential health risk from industrial air pollution in 2000,'" Michael Erb, Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
MARIETTA -- "The people who breathe the nation's most unhealthy factory air worry about more than just asthma and other respiratory problems. They also want to know if their daily dose of toxic pollution is slowing the academic and physical development of their children. In the Ohio River Valley along the Ohio-West Virginia border, factories annually send into the air hundreds of thousands of pounds of manganese dust, a heavy metal that can harm the brain and nervous system," David Pace, Associated Press.
MARIETTA -- Mid-Ohio Valley tops national unhealthy air list Kevin Pierson, Marietta Times.
LIMA -- Ohio on top in health risks from pollution 26 neighborhoods among worst 200, John Seewer, Associated Press.
Many Ohio River residents wonder how factories, plants affect their health
COLUMBUS -- "Hundreds of miles separate Spencer, Bailey and Eckert, but they share a common fear: that the pollution they see, smell and taste is killing them. Ohio River communities are home to less than 6 percent of Ohio?s population, but the industrial sites that dot the landscape produce 25 percent of the state?s toxic waste and 68 percent of its smog- and soot-producing pollutants, a Dispatch analysis has found. Along the river, many thousands of Ohioans live in the shadows of power stations, chemical plants and old factories that dominate both banks," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.
Sep 23, 2005:
Eramet settles emission violation
MARIETTA
-- "Officials with Eramet Marietta Inc. and the Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency have reached a final agreement in regard to 2003 clean-air violations related
to the plant’s electric arc furnace. A few years ago, the Ohio EPA issued
a permit to Eramet for the furnace, which produces ferromanganese. Ferromanganese
is made by heating a mixture of manganese and iron oxides with carbon in a furnace
where they undergo a thermal decomposition reaction. In July 2003, the company
informed Ohio EPA it had conducted a required emission test on the furnace and
the result indicated the particulate emission rate was 39.14 pounds per hour.
The permit limit is 35.9 pounds per hour. The company is required to annually
test the emissions coming out of the stacks, said Eramet’s Environmental
Manager Jeff McKinney, adding the tests were conducted by a third-party contractor,"
Brett Dunlap, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- OEPA
Reaches Agreement with Eramet, Callie Lyons, WMOA News.
MARIETTA -- "An official with Eramet Marietta, one of Washington County’s major industrial employers, said there is a real danger of the plant closing if an expected increase in electricity rates is allowed to go into effect after the first of next year. Bob Flygar, manager of commercial and site services for Eramet, said the issue is whether Allegheny Power will be allowed to increase the wholesale cost of electricity charged to customers. He said that kind of an increase combined with other market forces would put the plant out of business due to the huge amounts of electricity the plant uses," Tom Hrach, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "A federal agency has found levels of manganese in the air between Marietta and Belpre are higher than they should be, and it is recommending further investigation. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has been studying the levels of nine contaminants from factories along the Ohio River. Officials with the agency said computer models based on factory emissions, weather patterns and other factors indicate manganese levels warrant additional monitoring. Manganese is a metal and a necessary nutrient that is harmful to humans when large quantities find their way into the bloodstream. 'Manganese (has) mainly a central nervous system effect,' said Jennifer Freed, an environmental health scientist with ATSDR. Manganese is used in the manufacturing process at both Eramet and Eveready Battery," Tim Brust, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "I have talked with Rik Melvin, the author of Eramet's Oct. 1 column. I have challenged him and his company to work with me, or Marietta College, or Ohio University, to begin right now monitoring the air in Marietta and if the levels are high, to do whatever it takes to get them down to a safe level. It seems to me to be the responsible thing for a company to do that is potentially damaging the health and potential of our children," Dr. Richard Wittberg, letter to the editor, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "Eramet Marietta environmental manager Rik Melvin says a furnace cleaning mechanism has been repaired and the company is now in compliance with clean air regulations," Associated Press.
MARIETTA -- "Eramet of Marietta has been cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for emitting too much particulate matter into the air from one of the furnaces at its plant. . .Particulate matter is a concern for people because inhaling high concentrations can affect children, the elderly and people with heart and lung diseases, according to the U.S. EPA," Tom Hrach, Marietta Times.
CHICAGO -- "EPA alleges that an Eramet submerged arc furnace that produces silicomanganese alloy emitted more particulate matter during a June stack test than is allowed by EPA regulations," release, U.S. EPA.
MARIETTA -- "'If they say they've reduced it, I'm in no position to say it's right or not right. But as far as living here, I can say we still get this obnoxious odor more often that I want to admit,' said Tom Hockenbrocht of Pine Lane, just outside of Marietta. 'I just think there's more to what's happening there than we know in our community.' Melvin is working with a group of citizens on an Odor Task Force, hoping to get to the bottom of the complaints from citizens who live near the plant. The odor issue was brought up by more than one citizen at the Wednesday hearing," Tom Hrach, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- Eramet missed chance to get facts out to area residents, editorial, Marietta Times.
MARIETTA -- "Karen Miller said she and her family moved to their home on Washington County 13 two years ago expecting to stay in that idyllic spot for many years to come. Now, they want to leave as soon as possible. Miller said the thick ammonia smell coming from the nearby Eramet plant forces her to shut herself in her house with windows tightly closed every night," Tim Brust, Marietta Times.
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio EPA will hold a public information session and hearing on Wednesday, November 14, 2001, to answer questions and accept comments on the draft air permit the Agency has issued to Eramet Marietta, Inc., State Route 7 South, Marietta. The draft permit, if issued in final form, would consolidate the various air pollution control permits Eramet now has into one comprehensive permit. There would be no additional air emission sources at the facility, however, additional operating restrictions, monitoring, record keeping, and reporting requirements would be included in the new permit," Jim Leach, Ohio EPA.
WASHINGTON, DC -- "Working to protect local producer Eramet Marietta, Congressman Strickland has sent a letter to the Defense Department urging it to maintain the sale of a special heat-resistant metal at current levels," Rep. Ted Strickland, U.S. House.
COLUMBUS -- "'In Ohio EPA’s ranking of 1998 reported TRI releases, the Eramet Marietta plant and Washington County dropped out of the top rankings on the state lists for both total releases and releases to the air,' said Rik Melvin, Eramet’s environmental specialist. A May 1997 Toxic Release Inventory rule change added seven new industrial sectors to the facilities already reporting. Consequently, power companies reporting for the first time in 1998 displaced all other facilities from the 1997 state top ten list," Dave Grande, Marietta Leader.
OSLO, NORWAY -- "Norwegian environmental group Bellona said it had reported France's Eramet metals manufacturer to the police alleging it had allowed mercury to enter the atmosphere without proper authority. Bellona said it had also written to Eramet to demand an immediate halt to all production at Eramet's manganese alloy plants in Norway," Reuters.