Toxic Chemicals Damage Creek in Athens
UPDATE: In response to significant community pressure, EPD has issued an order for the cleanup of the wetlands and river contaminated by J&J Chemicals. GreenLaw will continue to work with its community partners to ensure that the clean up is sufficient.
This isn't the first time J&J Corporation, a manufacturing company that produces chemicals for the "portable sanitation industry" (e.g. porta-potties), has released chemicals into the environment, but it was the most dramatic. A fire broke out at J&J's Athens facility and firefighters sprayed approximately 1.5 million gallons of water (other estimates say 700,000 gallons) to put out the fire. Some time during that fire, massive amounts of chemicals were released into the nearby creek. As described by the local media "The runoff carried a deadly load of toxic formaldehyde and paradichlorobenzene into the creek, along with a bright blue dye." The dye was seen for miles downstream. Early reports claim that all aquatic life may have been wiped out by the spill.
Local citizens are concerned on many levels including whether precautions and adequate reporting to local officials could have prevented the spill, and why adequate signs were not posted to prevent residents from recreating in the water. Shortly after the spill, there were sightings of residents allowing their dogs to play in the water.
GreenLaw sent a letter requesting that city, state and federal officials work with local residents to 1) provide adequate information to the public, 2) ensure that the waterways are restored, 3) identify lessons learned to prevent similar tragedies in the future. As stated in the letter:
As we have learned from the recent BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it is critical to immediately establish open lines of communication with and engagement of the community in circumstances such as these where there is an event that may have a significant impact on natural resources and public health. It is our hope that we can create a dialogue among all of the relevant agencies, representatives of J & J Corporation, and the local community that will help to allay public concerns and chart a path on how to best ensure that the public health and the environment are protected in the future.
The letter was sent on behalf of Altamaha Riverkeeper, the Athens Grow Green Coalition, Georgia River Network and the Upper Oconee Watershed Network. The letter can be viewed here.
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