Heavily industrialized Richmond County is one of the nation's top counties in terms of the volume of toxic chemicals released into the air and water each year, according to federal data and a Georgia-based environmental group.
"The Savannah River is ranked fourth in the nation for total toxic discharges in 2007, reporting over 6.6 million pounds," said Emily Thomas, an issues advocate for Environment Georgia.
The group held a news conference Wednesday on the banks of the Savannah River.
Citing data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory, the group said the two largest polluters in Augusta include DSM Chemicals and PCS Nitrogen, which together reported releases totaling 3.9 million pounds of toxic materials in 2007, the most recent year for which complete figures are available.
Those releases, she acknowledged, are permitted under the regulatory programs of Georgia's Environmental Protection Division. Nonetheless, she added, major emitters should continue to take steps to reduce pollution.
"Our main thing is, the Toxic Release Inventory was supposed to be like a glass house: If you're showing everyone how much you release, it encourages them to clean up their act. But in spite of the TRI and the Clean Water Act, we still have a lot of pollution."
Industrial facilities also discharged approximately 36,802 pounds of chemicals linked to cancer into the Savannah River, making it the seventh-most polluted river in the country for cancer-causing releases. International Paper in Savannah releases the bulk of those compounds, Ms. Thomas said.
In 2007, releases from all industries in Richmond County totaled 12.5 million pounds, placing Richmond County in the No. 63 spot among 2,406 counties nationwide. The only other Georgia county with higher emissions is No. 28 Bartow County, whose single industry is a coal-fired power plant.
The 2007 numbers do show improvement over previous years. By comparison, in 2006 the total releases were 14 million pounds.
Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
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Not a single idea about reducing or eliminating these toxic chemicals which the citizens are breathing, just a bunch of numbers about how much they are exposed. Let the markets decide maybe? What about waiting until those taxpayers start dying like flies? U think the companies going to get it right without intervention? Ten yrs from now, you'll be holding your breathe because the air is so bad and a group will be holding a conference on the banks of the Savannah, masks and all, informing the public that a NEW study is on the way...
RC is "heavily industrialized"? Ha. I grew up in a steel town that's part of a metropolitan area (a REAL metropolitan area) with 100 times the heavy industry, and yet that area performs significantly better on the toxic inventory than RC. Government regulation is no doubt the reason--anathema to folks around here. True, my home state is taxes more heavily (and tends to vote for Democrats) but the citizens aren't ingesting the load of pollutants and toxins people routinely enjoy here.
I find this interesting and distrubing. Here is somthing everyone should be up in arms about and only three people have responded. Now if you go to some article that they can BASH PRESIDENT OBAMA you will have a lot of people complaining. As of 10:40am there has been 101. Can yo imagine if all these people would start complaining to the Clean Air regulated department and don't stop until you see some results. I bet you would see results. Good luck and I hope you can have a longer life by making them clean up their MESS.
Good point, Cordie. If only someone could find a link between ACORN and the level of toxins in the environment... THAT would bring out the commenters.
Let Olin close. They are mysteriously loosing hundreds of pounds of Mercury every year.
I can't disagree with any of the posters here. And let's not forget International Paper, Proctor & Gamble, and Thermal Ceramics. It may only be anecdotal, but I've observed that there does seem to be a lot of COPD, Asthma, Cancer, Neuromuscular disorders, Cerebral Palsy and Autism for such moderate and small sized communities. But I guess since (1) the industrial sites tend to be located in lower income areas (with the exception of companies like Quebecore, Club Car, et al), (2) everyone is still being employed, and (3) there doesn't seem to be a public outcry, it'll still be business as usual. In the meantime, we can all keep ignoring the problem until our neighborhood becomes the next Hyde Park.
I am an asthma patient myself and always wondered why in certain areas my asthma would get much worse. Now I know and I am outraged. This is definately a problem that needs a resolution. I have two small children and I don't want them to suffer from ailments caused by pollution.
Many of my classmates ARE dying like flies. One of leukemia, the rest of cancers, way before their time. One last year was only 45.
Concerned, I hope that you find some place in the US that is pollution free. Good luck to you.
Finally an explanation for Richmond County politics: It's in the water!
concerned -- are you serious ? the only ailments your children could possibly suffer from is inheriting your brain cells....then you will need to worry about them riding the short bus !!