Vinyl Chloride - Pottstown

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The Alliance For A Clean Environment

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Vinyl Chloride - Pottstown

EPA’s Cumulative Exposure Model using 1990 data shows Vinyl Chloride levels in Montgomery County exceeding the health benchmarks by 10 to 20 times.
Occidental Chemical in Pottstown is the ONLY SOURCE of Vinyl Chloride in the region, according to DEP.
Is there any doubt we would exceed the health benchmarks for Vinyl Chloride by 20 times, since Occidental Chemical emissions are directly impacting us?
Occidental Chemical in Pottstown was the largest emitter of Vinyl Chloride in the nation according to Scorecard. In 1999 Occidental released 130,000 pounds of vinyl chloride into our air, an increase of 10,000 over 1997.
Vinyl Chloride is a fire hazard. Its use in aerosol sprays has been prohibited. Large vinyl chloride fires are very difficult to extinguish.

Occidental Chemical has been permitted by DEP to INCREASE VINYL CHLORIDE EMISSIONS by BURNING LANDFILL GAS in their boilers.

There are numerous documented health impacts of Vinyl Chloride. To ignore these significant health and safety risks, and issue a permit to increase Vinyl Chloride and other hazardous air emissions in a heavily populated location, already seriously impacted, should be in violation of DEP’s mission statement.

Knowing the extreme health threat from Vinyl Chloride, and not knowing the health effects of its synergism with all the other dangerous emissions which will be increased through DEP’s permit, this decision must be reversed. Pottstown is already facing significantly elevated cancers and elevated infant mortality.

Call, Write, Fax, or E-mail Today Governor Rendell, Senator Rafferty, representative Dailey. Tell them you want DEP’s dangerous decision to increase hazardous air emissions at Occidental REVERSED! How can people thrive or survive with such a hazardous concentration!