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chemical pollution
Concerns Raised About Toxic Exposure in Aftermath of Helene Floodwaters
"All of these rivers should be treated as hazmat sites," a local official in western North Carolina said.
Oct 05, 2024
Local officials, academic researchers, and volunteer responders have raised concerns about chemical and biological contamination brought by the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene in the southeastern U.S. last week, which potentially threaten the safety not only of drinking water but also the quality of soil—leading experts to call for tighter regulations on stored pollutants.
Helene struck Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26 and swept through a number of states in the days that followed. Most of the damage came from extreme rainfall that triggered flooding. The storm killed at least 232 people.
The biological and chemical threats posed by floodwaters are typically manifold, often containing, for example, e. coli from overflowing sewage systems.
While it's not yet clear what bacteria or chemicals Helene's floodwaters may have contained, the storm passed through hundreds of industrial sites with toxic pollutants, including paper mills, fertilizer factories, oil and gas storage facilities, and even a retired nuclear plant, according to three researchers at Rice University, writing in The Conversation this week.
The researchers called for tighter regulations on the storage and release of chemical pollutants.
"Hazardous releases remain largely invisible due to limited disclosure requirements and scant public information," they wrote. "Even emergency responders often don’t know exactly which hazardous chemicals they are facing in emergency situations."
"We believe this limited public information on rising chemical threats from our changing climate should be front-page news every hurricane season," they added. "Communities should be aware of the risks of hosting vulnerable industrial infrastructure, particularly as rising global temperatures increase the risk of extreme downpours and powerful hurricanes."
Another devastating scene due to Hurricane Helene’s impact in several states. We are in the historic downtown area of Marshall, N.C. where the clean up process has started. We’ve seen people with PPE and hazmat suits as we’ve been hearing the mud in this area is hazardous. pic.twitter.com/K52uZceDE4
— Cristina Corujo (@cristina_corujo) October 4, 2024
The devastation of infrastructure and the lack of drinking water in cities such Asheville, North Carolina, has rightly received national media attention following the storm. In North Carolina alone, more than 700,000 households lost power, and 170,000 still didn't have it as of Thursday.
Yet the National Weather Service warns that while floodwaters can create clear-cut devastation, "what you can't see can be just as dangerous." Helene also brought with it public health concerns that are less obvious, including to other, non-public sources of drinking water.
Helene's floodwaters overran many wells, rendering them unsafe to drink, at least until treatment and testing can be done. North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services advised residents not to use contaminated well water earlier this week.
One problem following Helene is that most studies of flooding's impact on drinking water have been done in coastal areas, and it's not clear how they apply to the mountainous areas of North Carolina that took the worst hit from the storm.
"We don't have a lot of knowledge about mountain flooding, from a hydrology standpoint," Kelsey Pieper, a professor in environmental engineering at Northeastern University, toldInside Climate News.
"Water velocities tend to be higher in mountain floodings because it's getting funneled into the valley, where the water is accumulating. In a coastal area, you’re going to see more water spreading out," she said. "The flooding mechanisms are different, and we know very little."
Wells tested in eastern North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 showed some detections of e. coli or total fecal coliform, which were partly attributed to industrialized hog farms in the area, Inside Climate News reported.
Crops are often rendered unsafe after flooding due to biological or chemical contamination, according to Food Safety Alliance.
Natural bodies of water are also often unsafe to swim in following floods. Virginia Department of Health and other agencies warned people to avoid them after Helene.
The period after a tropical storm brings increased risk of both biological contaminants, such as bacteria and viruses, and chemical contaminants, such as heavy metals and pesticides, according to the Duke University Superfund Research Center.
Following Helene, a grassroots volunteer cleanup effort has sprung up in western North Carolina, but it brings risks for the volunteers because of the potential contamination.
"We were supposed to get a big shipment of gloves, coveralls, masks, respirators, but we aren't," Rachel Bennett, a coordinating volunteer in the town of Marshall, which sits along the banks of the French Broad River, told the Citizen Times, an Asheville newspaper. "So, we're hoping to get more. Those are the big things because we're in cleanup right now. We need thick things."
"Right now, it's boots, and it's hard to get people to put on gloves, because when you're in this, you're like, 'I'm already exposed,'" she added.
A Marshall resident conducted a soil test this week but the results haven't come back yet, the newspaper reported.
"All of these rivers should be treated as hazmat sites," Buncombe County spokesperson Stacey Wood said at a briefing Friday, according to a local journalist. Buncombe County encompasses Asheville and Marshall is just outside it.
The Rice University researchers called for better preparation for future storms in the form of stronger regulation. They've developed a map showing the U.S. areas that are most vulnerable to chemical pollution brought on by floodwaters. One hotspot is the area of Texas and Louisiana full of petrochemical industry sites.
The climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and likely contributed to Helene's development, experts have said.
In addition to their immediate damage, storms like Helene can have surprising long-term impacts. A study published in Nature this week found that tropical storms—even those far less deadly than Helene—typically lead to many thousands of excess deaths in the 15 years that follow their arrival.
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Residents Evacuated After 'Dangerous' Chemical Leak From Railcar in Ohio
"I tasted and smelled it," a resident said. "It was burning my throat and eyes."
Sep 25, 2024
Residents near a toxic chemical leak from a railcar in a small town in southwestern Ohio remained under evacuation orders on Wednesday even after the leak had been contained.
A leak of styrene, a chemical used in plastic and rubber production, was discovered Tuesday afternoon in Whitewater Township, Ohio, about 16 miles west of Cincinnati. Video showed the chemical spewing from the top of a railcar reportedly owned by Genesee & Wyoming, a U.S.-based multinational.
Local authorities told residents within one-half mile of the incident to evacuate—210 households, covering the towns of Hooven and Cleves, which have a combined population of roughly 3,800—and those just outside that area to seal up their homes and shelter in place. A local alert called the situation "dangerous."
By Wednesday, the leak had been plugged but roads in the area were closed, as were the district's schools, as air quality tests were undertaken.
There have been no reported injuries but styrene is known to disrupt the nervous system, causing symptoms such as "tiredness, feeling drunk, slowed reaction time, concentration problems, and balance problems," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is also a possible carcinogen, the CDC says.
"I tasted and smelled it," Marcus Greer, a Hooven resident, toldThe New York Times. "It was burning my throat and eyes."
A dangerous chemical leak in Ohio has prompted school closures and evacuation orders in Whitewater Township. pic.twitter.com/DDuI4Hgp1I
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 25, 2024
The cause of the accident is unclear. Local authorities have said that they are focused on immediate public safety concerns and will conduct a thorough investigation later.
There was no derailment or fire. Authorities initially said that they were concerned about an explosion, but by Tuesday evening they had said that was no longer a concern. They've used firetrucks to spray the railcar down with water to keep it cool, and have managed to separate the railcar from the rest of the train. Other railcars on the train were also carrying styrene.
It is not the first such incident in the area. A styrene leak from a railcar occurred in Cincinnati in August 2005 after it was left to heat up for five months, the Cincinnati Enquirerreported.
The incident that was on many residents' minds following Tuesday's accident was more recent. In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern railcar carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, setting off fires and leading to a controlled chemical burn of vinyl chloride, a carcinogen. Chemicals released that week spread to 16 states, later research showed. East Palestine is some 300 miles from Whitewater Township.
Following Tuesday's accident, local residents worried that they wouldn't get the cleanup help they needed.
"We are Hooven, Ohio," said Greer, a fourth-generation resident. "They will ignore us."
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Biden Must Choose—People or Plastic
As the penultimate round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty begin in Ottawa, Canada, the U.S. must back a strong agreement that protects our health, our communities, and the planet.
Apr 16, 2024
Plastic pollution has become an omnipresent threat, infiltrating every corner of our planet and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. From endangering human health to exacerbating social injustices, decimating biodiversity, and intensifying the climate crisis at every turn, the urgency to address this crisis cannot be overstated.
In just a few days, world leaders will convene in Ottawa, Canada, for the fourth round of negotiations to develop a Global Plastics Treaty. Mandated as a critical tool in the fight against pollution, the treaty's significance is underscored by the resounding support it receives from the global public.
In a recent Greenpeace International poll spanning 19 countries, an overwhelming 82% of respondents called for reducing plastic production to halt pollution, 75% backed a ban on single-use plastics, and a staggering 90% advocated for a transition to reusable packaging. This groundswell of support reflects not only a commitment to safeguarding our environment but also a deep-seated concern for the health and well-being of our loved ones. With 80% expressing worry about the health impacts of plastic on their families and 84% concerned about its effects on children, the call for action is undeniable. The world is ready for change, and the time to act is now.
We must seize this moment to turn the tide on plastic pollution and safeguard our planet for this and future generations.
Yet, at each of the three previous rounds of negotiations, the plastic industry, together with a small minority of governments, have tried to water down the treaty's ambition, stripping it of its power to deliver the outcomes that science and justice demand. Despite the efforts of at least 143 industry lobbyists working to drop measures to limit production, ban dangerous chemicals, and eliminate single-use plastics, representatives from Pacific Island and Latin American countries held the line.
At this pivotal juncture, everything we need to end the plastic crisis is still on the table. We cannot afford for this meeting to be another failure, where low-ambition countries and industry interests hijack the negotiations and thwart substantive progress. At this penultimate round, the fate of the treaty hangs in the balance, and we must hold decision-makers accountable to deliver solutions that match the scale of the crisis we face.
Plastic recycling, once thought to be the answer to plastic pollution, is now debunked as little more than an industry scam. Less than 9% of plastic produced globally gets recycled, while the industry continues to churn out more plastics annually and is set on tripling plastic production by 2050.
So, at this decisive moment, we must ask ourselves: Is the plastic industry’s profit-driven version of ‘convenience’ worth the sacrifice of our health? Are we willing to mortgage the future of children for the fleeting ease offered by the billions of tons of single-use plastics the industry produces? Is it worth risking our lives for single-use and corporate profits?
The answer is clear; the time for half-measures is over. We must seize this moment to turn the tide on plastic pollution and safeguard our planet for this and future generations. The clock is ticking, and we refuse to be silenced. We refuse to have any more mothers face the prospect of their unborn children being exposed to toxic chemicals in their placenta. We refuse to normalize climate chaos—floods, heatwaves, fires, and storms—driving us out of our homes. We refuse to have to bury any more of our loved ones from cancer and other diseases caused by toxic plastic chemicals.
The Global Plastics Treaty stands as our beacon of hope. But to deliver on its mandate to break free from the deadly cycle of runaway plastic production, it must begin with bold targets: reducing plastic production by at least 75% by 2040; ensuring a just transition away from virgin production and toward a low-carbon, zero-waste economy; eliminating single-use plastics; and prioritizing sustainable livelihoods, empowering workers, and championing Indigenous Peoples' rights. The treaty must also be rooted in a human rights-based approach that not only prioritizes human health and justice but also ensures fair representation for those disproportionately affected by the plastic pollution crisis. Above all, to be truly effective, the Global Plastics Treaty must create binding global rules that apply to all countries rather than a voluntary global agreement where governments can choose whether or not to take action.
Right now, millions of people around the world are demanding solutions to this global crisis. As we stand on the precipice of change, President Joe Biden must choose—people or plastic. If the U.S. continues to support only those measures that have already been adopted in federal law, the treaty will not be successful. We call on Biden to show true leadership and take a stand for a strong Plastics Treaty that protects our health, our communities, and the planet. We call on him to heed the voices of the people and embark on a transformative journey toward a plastic-free future for generations to come.
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