Maryland Chemical Plant Uncooperative in Benzene Cleanup
The Genovique Specialties plant in Chestertown Maryland is at odds with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regarding assessment and clean up of pollution from the plant witch has contaminated the soil and groundwater beneath the facility with dangerous carcinogenic chemicals.
The plant manufactures "plasticizers," substances that make plastics flexible. The company has long used a series of unlined ponds to treat it's waste water, which contains benzene, touline, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, better known as BEHP.
MDE officials say the chemicals have leached into soil and groundwater around the facility. Responsible people are concerned that the chemicals could be leaving the site. The plant is situated by a small unnamed stream that drains into the Chesapeake Bay.
Though a settlement requiring cleanup of the long standing pollution was reached a year ago between Genovique and the state, all cleanup efforts are on hold due to disputes with the plant's owner.
Marian Hwang, a lawyer for the Illinois-based corporation, sent a letter to the state earlier this month claiming that her client is being required to do more testing than is needed because the levels of toxic pollution monitored in the ground water have declined and there is no evidence any has seeped beyond the fence line.
Yes I'm sure discovering the full extent of the contamination would be undesirable and expensive for the company, but I'm still not sympathetic. The fact is that these are some of the most dangerous chemicals on earth, and an uncooperative attitude towards keeping them out of the environment, and contact with humans and animals is a disgrace.
Benzene exposure is linked with debilitating and potentially fatal diseases like acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, to name a few. Touline is known to damage organs and the nervous system. BEHP exposure has been shown to disrupt reproduction and sexual development in lab animals.
Genovique did submit a cleanup plan, but it was deemed unacceptable by authorities.
Dawn Stolzfus, MDE spokeswoman:
"We've reviewed the cleanup plan, and we don't agree with it, we're not going to accept a substandard plan, we're taking our time to make sure the cleanup is done right."
MDE maintains that the pollution at the Chestertown site poses no immediate threat to neighboring residents, though not everyone agrees. Environmental activists are annoyed at the state's continuing inability to deal with a site that has been the source of pollution complaints for decades.
