CARBONDALE, IL—From 1902 until 1991, the Koppers Wood-Treating plant ran in Carbondale at 1555 North Marion Street. This site treated wood products to prevent decay of wood to be used as railroad ties and utility poles. Many of the mostly African-American workers became soaked with creosote daily. Many came down with skin cancer or cancer of the scrotum. The plant shut down in 1991 when a concern that the creosote in the wood treatment caused health and environmental issues became public.
The exposure of the chemical was known in 1939 as it spilled into an off-site area and Glade Creek. It was again addressed in 1962 when contamination was confirmed on nearby land and water. Not until 1981 when two cows died did the EPA do an investigation at the site. The Koppers plant continued to operate for ten more years.
The Carbondale residents affected by this environmental racism have been asking, for some years now, for a longitudinal study of the effects of creosote on the health of the individuals that worked, lived and currently live around the plant.
At the EPA meeting held in Carbondale, Illinois on November 14, 2013 it was stated that: “Health assessments were offered to the area surrounding the contamination. The CDC physicians trained doctors on how to assess the exposures, and also that a Dr. Ellen Rooder offered to be on the ‘phone’ to do health consultations.” Were there ever any health consultations done ‘in’ Carbondale where the residents of the community were located? It was stated in 2005 that anyone could go to Chicago for health consultations. Why was one required to go to Chicago for a Southern Illinois issue?
We are at a political crossroad. Climate change is real. Artic ice is melting, destructive storms, drought, floods, and extreme temperature fluctuations are now common around the world. More and more scientists concur that the world must rapidly move away from a fossil-fuel powered society to save civilization from ultimate destruction. The global energy corporations won’t allow it.
The masses of people must take over the giant corporations and run them in the interests of humanity. We cannot allow the earth to remain a plaything for profit in the hands of private individuals.
The environment has become a strategic battlefront against corporate power and private ownership of things indispensable to society. We have to reclaim the earth from the corporations and build a humane economic system where the environmental and economic needs of humanity are met.
The property is now being developed into a solar array. The community affected by the contamination would like the city of Carbondale to consider the following:
• The community is proposing a request for all information regarding the city’s involvement to date with the solar array project, as well as future city plans concerning this site.
• If not provided by the EPA, will the city hire a consultant to interpret the soil test results from the 2012 samples for the people to better understand what they actually say?
• How will the city gain through tax benefits from the project?
• What is the actual predicted dollar amount?
• Will this affect personal property taxes? How?
• Will the city consider buying some of the land to create a ‘Buffer’ to allow more distance between the solar array and the community?
• How will the legacy of the land be acknowledged? Scholarships in honor of those who have died due to the contamination of the land??
The energy from the array would go back into the grid and cannot be utilized directly by the area that supplies it. Have there been talks initiated by the city with Ameren Electric to visit all options that could not only benefit the community, but the city as a whole as far as cheaper electric rates?
The citizens of this community are demanding that their concerns be met. We are demanding restitution.
Have you heard of Love Canal in New York. It was created and existed under the same scenario you have described…environmental racism.
Your actions should move from the local to the national level. Have you contacted NAACP defense league, Lisa Madigan(IL State Atty) or Eric Holder, U.S Atty General. You will need to march, demonstrate, act crazy to get the attention required for justice, and time will play a big part in how much is done and by whom to resolve your concerns. You have been dumped-on and at this point not many people care about or know of your suffering. You can change that; CDC or some agency has the info, use FOIA to get what you need to base you fight upon.
“Shout-it from the house tops…” don’t ask, DEMAND; put all on notice, being courteous and civil will only give those who have used you and the other residences of your community for their ill-gotten profits to scurry away to avoid due process.
Stay Strong!
I just happened on this article and have some comments. Some of your statements are not quite accurate The plant closed in 1991 because the EPA had mandated significant changes in the infrastructure which the parent company eventually decided it could not afford. As regards the phrase “Mostly African-American workers,” about fifty per cent of the hourly employees were African-American; the rest were white. Some developed cancer of various kinds, but there was no clear evidence connecting creosote with the cancer; many employees used tobacco very heavily, among other habits. Everyone, at one time or another, was exposed to liquid creosote and creosote fumes, but only very rarely was anyone “soaked with creosote.” I worked there from 1974 to 1991, twelve years of it as treating operator, working directly with creosote–and I am white and, so far, cancer free.