“The early returns of the air monitoring show that high levels
of many poisonous chemicals are released on a continuous, long term
basis from Rubbertown plants; it isn’t a short term exposure
issue,” said Reverend Louis Coleman of the Justice Resource Center
(JRC).”This is the type of testing that EPA must provide, so that
the guilty facilities are caught, made to reduce their pollution
and are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We are calling
upon the EPA today to bring their toxic air testing bus to
Louisville on a emergency basis.”
Greenpeace has been operating the FTIR device unannounced in
Rubbertown since Monday, September 15, 2003. Over 4,000 data points
of air releases have been gathered after 37 hours of stationary and
mobile air sampling. Alarming concentrations of
chlorodifluoromethane, hexane, and a chloronated benzene compound
have been found in the preliminary analysis. Further testing will
be done and a complete analysis released at a later date.
The FTIR machine, which is being rented by Greenpeace from the
Midac Corporation of Costa Mesa, California can produce extensive
pollution data on a variety number of chemicals. FTIR air monitors
have passed federal government standards for approved testing
methods and is approved by the EPA for air toxics and industrial
uses. The machine is also approved as a standard test method for
determination of gaseous compounds by the American Society for
Testing and Materials.
“When people think of air pollution crises, they often think of
industrial communities in Louisiana, Texas and New Jersey. They
should start thinking about Louisville as well,” said Denny Larson
of the Refinery Reform Campaign.”This FTIR sampling, as well as
previous bucket brigade samples by the Justice Resource Center, is
showing that Louisville’s air pollution problem is not going away.
People are sick, their property values are being damaged and the
environment is being destroyed. Is this the face of the ‘new
Louisville’ that Mayor Abrahamson is so aggressively
promoting?”
While joining the JRC call for more continuous real-time
monitoring in Rubbertown, Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner Casey
Harrell stated that the real solution to the air pollution crisis
in Rubbertown and Louisville is to eliminate the source. There is
no such thing as an acceptable level of pollution. Safer
alternatives exist for virtually all of the chemicals produced in
Louisville. Clean production should be the goal of everyone
involved in this air pollution debate.”
Representatives from Midac
Corporation are available on request to speak about the FTIR air
monitors.
