County is 5th in carcinogens released
7-3
By Stacey Creasy
Pilot News
PLYMOUTH � Marshall County residents are exposed to too many carcinogens on a daily basis, according to figures from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
There is good news and bad news on the local environmental front.
On the local level Marshall County ranked 25th in the state in 2001 in the total amount of toxins released in the area at 1.1 million pounds.
�That is down from 23rd in the state in 2000,� said IDEM spokesman Dan Hottle.
However, the county ranks fifth in the state in total amount of carcinogens released into the air.
�Marshall County is fifth, and a couple of your neighbors, Elkhart County is number one in carcinogens and Kosciusko County is number nine,� Hottle added.
Population has little to do with pollution. Even though Marshall County is a rural county for the most part, the county ranks above places like Allen and St. Joseph counties in total amount of carcinogens because of the type of plants located in the county.
Aker Plastics continues to be the worst polluter in the county, according to IDEM figures.
However, IDEM is giving Aker a pat on the back for reducing its emissions by 14 percent between 2000 and 2001.
Bremen Corp. is the top polluter in Bremen and ranks high on the county�s list.
The top ten counties reporting releases in 2001 were: Spencer, Lake, Gibson, Warrick, Vermillion, Jefferson, Elkhart, Pike, Dearborn, and Jasper. Elkhart, Pike and Dearborn counties each had a greater than 25% reduction in releases from RY2000. Elkhart County�s releases dropped, even with an increase of 3 facilities reporting.
In our area Marshall ranks above everyone in total carcinogens released. Regarding total emissions the county outranks most of its neighbors.
LaPorte County ranks 22nd in total emissions, Kosciusko ranks 23rd, St. Joseph ranks 38th, Fulton ranks 66th, Pulaski 78th, and Starke 86th.
IDEM officials claim Marshall County is improving, but the total amount of emissions can be further reduced.
On a statewide level the bad news is Indiana ranks in the top ten polluting states in the nation.
The good news, though, is Hoosier industries reduced their toxic emissions by more than nine percent in 2001.
Indiana Department of Environ-mental Management Commissioner Lori Kaplan says many companies have made huge improvements in reducing styrene emissions.
�As examples, companies like Monaco Coach�s Holiday Rambler Division in Elkhart County, Rinker Boar Company in Kosciusko County and Aker Plastics in Marshall County reported reduced styrene emissions by 47, 28 and 14 percent respectively,� Kaplan said. �These successes were achieved in part because those companies used innovative pollution prevention approaches to comply with the state�s styrene reduction regulation, and they are great examples of how businesses can be more environmentally friendly and still prosper.�
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
