How does it act in this environment? For all living beings, arsenic is a serious and immediate concern because of its poisoning effects through vegetables, fruits, and crops. Poisoning caused by arsenic in the groundwater is frequently found in our Earth, but the consequences of soil contamination are still quite unknown to many people WhatContinue reading “Arsenic”
Author Archives: Clarissa Cowley
Dioxin/Furan
How does it act in this environment? Dioxins and furans can enter your body through breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food. About 90% of exposure to dioxins and furans is from eating contaminated food. Dioxins and furans can build up in the fatty tissues of animals. Dioxins and furans are mainlyContinue reading “Dioxin/Furan”
Pentachlorophenol
Source: pentachlorophenol.pdf (epa.gov) It was primarily used as a wood preservative. Pentachlorophenol is extremely toxic to humans from acute (short-term) ingestion and inhalation exposure. During the late 1940s, pentachlorophenol (penta) was approved for use with wood crossties. Penta is an excellent wood preservative that is still in use in the wood utility pole industry. DuringContinue reading “Pentachlorophenol”
Creosote
Source: Creosote Health Effects (Tronox).pdf (cdc.gov) Creosote can be released into soil and water and can then move through the soil to groundwater. Groundwater is water found underground in cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rocks. After creosote gets into groundwater, it may take many years to break down. 1929 – Creosote and itsContinue reading “Creosote”
MONUMENT UNVEILING REMEMBERS THOSE IMPACTED BY KOPPERS
In mid-October, advocates for social and environmental justice gathered at Attucks Park to commemorate men impacted by the former Koppers wood-treating plant with an honorable monument showcasing their hardwork. Koppers allegdely caused environmental pollution by contaminating soil and water systems near a predominantly black community that the facility mostly employed during its operation from 1902Continue reading “MONUMENT UNVEILING REMEMBERS THOSE IMPACTED BY KOPPERS”
CHAPTER 8
GOVERNMENT DETERS JOURNALISTS, ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS COMPROMISED Pilsen and Little Village, a primarily Mexican American enclave facing years of poor air quality after the mishandling of a demolition project of an old coal-treating plant, only made the news because it was a disaster, not environmental racism. This story of air pollution impacting a community ofContinue reading “CHAPTER 8”
CHAPTER 7
KOPPERS NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST RESPONSIBLE COMPANIES, RESIDENTS SAY ITS A JOKE Statista and Newsweek magazine assessed corporations across the country for their second annual list of America’s most responsible companies, honoring Koppers, and some residents are not happy. For almost a century, the land located where the former Koppers wood-treating plant once operatedContinue reading “CHAPTER 7”
CHAPTER 6
UNHAPPY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT, RESIDENTS SAY HEALTHCARE ROLLOUT WAS CONFUSING The former Koppers wood-treating site occupies about 136-acres along north Marion Street on the northeastern edge of Carbondale, Illinois in Jackson County. According to an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) assessment conducted in 2001, the land use surrounding the site is for residential,Continue reading “CHAPTER 6”
CHAPTER 5
BLACK COMMUNITY WANTS SOIL RETESTED FOR CONTAMINATION, SIUC SOIL EXPERT AGREES Black residents near the Koppers Superfund site in Carbondale, Il. demanded in June 2021 that their residential property be retested because previous tests used inaccurate soil sampling techniques. Those challenged tests showed no contamination and no risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. Donald Monty,Continue reading “CHAPTER 5”
CHAPTER 4
Rodney Morris who lives adjacent to the Koppers plant points to Glade Creek where contamination was found. Photo courtesy of the Southern Illinoisan.
Environment and Race: How are journalists covering environmental racism? 