Study says Crossett residents sickened by GP chemicals
The Louisiana Environmental Action Network has released a study presented by environmentalist Wilma Subra that she says shows the health impacts Crossett residents are experiencing as a result of being exposed to toxic chemicals released into the air by the Georgia Pacific’s plywood-stud mill.
According to the 2-year study, residents say they have experienced health impacts associated with “odor events” originating from the Georgia Pacific facility. Residents complained of headaches, eye irritation, nose irritation, dizziness, throat irritation and muscle weakness. See the full report.
The industry was the subject of this 2011 video:
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and Georgia Pacific say that all water quality standards are being met, but residents and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, which assisted Brave New Films in making the film, aren’t convinced, according to a 2011 Huffington Post story in which a Georgia Pacific spokesman called Louisiana Environmental Action Network president Cheryl Slavant’s claims “sensationalized” and “politically motivated.” He said the total incidence of cancer in Ashley County is lower than the national and state average.
Cancer mortality rates in Ashley County have generally been at or above the state rate, except for the latest period for which there is data (2002-2004), when rates were slightly lower, according to Arkansas Health Department stats.
GP owner David Koch has donated millions of dollars to cancer research but has also tried to convince the government not to list formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. Georgia-Pacific produces formaldehyde.
Koch response to The New Yorker article cited in the formaldehyde story linked above:
Koch Industries submitted extensive facts and background information to the magazine for this article, but this did not change the publication’s negative, unbalanced tone and agenda. The story dredges up issues resolved long ago and mischaracterizes our business philosophy and principles, our practices and performance record, and the education efforts and policies we support. Accurate information on many of the issues from this and other recent media and Internet discussion items can be found at http://bit.ly/kochfactcheck.
4 Comments
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Considering the Plywood and Stud Mills have been shutdown for right at 17 months, I would say they pose zero problems to the health of Crossett citizens.
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Most all of my family that has lived in Crossett their whole lives died of cancer. My grandmother fought it for years, they thought they got her well and it came back in her lungs, now she is fighting for her life again.
Just because part of the mill has been shut down for 17 months, that has been open and running for decades does not mean the rest of the mill is not posing a threat of chemical release. Its been going on for decades no one has done anything because, money talks!
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I used work at crossett plywood mill and now am on Disibility and I thank it is all because i worked at the mill. I was in the hospital in Little Rock ar because i had Infection in my lungs and I now know that came from the mold on the plywood.
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It is interesting that this “2 year health study” contradicts the information on the CDC website. Ashley county cancer rates are lower than other areas of the state and nation. This report was paid for by a bias group which has a hidden agenda. If Ashley county were to lose G.P, the whole of southeast Arkansas will dry up and blow away. Do your research on who is behind this. And by the way, my family lives in Crossett and other areas of Ashley county. Some of my family have worked for G.P. No unusual “illnesses” in my family or many, many others that I know personally.
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