Letter to the Editor: Air pollution too often goes unchecked
Smoke billows out of the Valero refinery near Downtown Memphis July 19, 2022. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Letters to the Editor
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I am very concerned about hazardous air pollution coming from Sterilization Services in southwest Memphis.
Sadly, this information is not new. I worked for the Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program for 18 years (now retired) and I published many reports about hazardous air pollution between 2000-2017. The Terrible Ten pollution reports highlighted the top ten polluting industries in Shelby County.
Even after getting coverage in newspapers and on TV news, it never seemed like enough to grab the attention of local officials to bring about a change of policy and/or environmental regulations. Our office collaborated with State Rep. Barbara Cooper on several occasions to address pollution-related problems, calling for public hearings. As is usual in most environmental justice communities, it was left to community residents to PROVE they were being harmed by these emissions.
Because health effects are not immediately noticeable, air pollution goes unchecked. The Riverview community has been bombarded with hazardous pollution sources for many years and very little has been done to curb the pollution. I believe the families near Sterilization Services have been subjected to the cumulative effects of pollution from a variety of companies such as the Valero Oil Refinery, Refined Metals (now closed), the old cotton gin company, and last but not least, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal-powered Allen Power Plant (now closed).
All of these companies spewed out massive amounts of toxic substances into the air for decades. I am very interested to see how EPA addresses Sterilization Services. This community has been exposed to hazardous substances for at least 50 years.
Rita Harris, Olive Branch
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