|
Summer 2010
Chemical spill update: Stay Away from Trail Creek and affected areas of the Oconee
August 9. GreenLaw, on behalf of Athens Grow Green Coalition, Altamaha Riverkeeper, Georgia River Network, and Upper Oconee Watershed Network, sent a letter to EPD, EPA, Athens-Clarke County, and J & J Chemical Company requesting a meeting to discuss the recent chemical spill into local waterways, specifically focusing on public information, stream restoration, and prevention of future incidents. The letter also includes the list of questions developed at the public meeting held on August 2.
July 31. On Wednesday, July 28, a fire destroyed the J & J Chemical Company, and waterways adjacent to the factory were contaminated with chemicals that MAY include methanol, dichlorobenzene, formaldehyde, and glutaraldehyde, as well as blue dye. According to Athens-Clarke County's press release, the blue dye is harmless. The other chemicals, however, are not. Levels of these chemicals in the waterways are not known at this time, but people in the vicinity of the contaminated water have reported headaches, eye irritation, and nausea. The chemicals spilled into the wetlands at the headwaters of East Fork Trail Creek, and have now migrated into Trail Creek, the North Oconee River, and the Oconee River. Athens-Clarke County, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Hepaco (a private environmental response company) have responded to the incident.
Athens Clarke County posted this statement at 5:37 pm on July 31.
Georgia EPD has not released a statement (as of July 31, 2010 5:43).
UOWN is closely monitoring this spill by documenting the damage and sampling the water. UOWN is working in partnership with other groups to provide information to the public. This information will be available at the following webiste: http://sites.google.com/site/trailcreekwitness/. Please check the above site for regularly updated information and volunteer opportunities.
Get Involved!
Join us! Grow Green members are working on a variety of land use issues: the local elections, TDRs, affordable housing, and greenspace protection, to name a few. You can download a membership form and mail it and a check for annual dues to:
Thank you!
Check out "Thinking About Getting Involved In Government And Community Issues?" by John Huie. If you haven't already joined our listserve, please sign up!
|
