PARKERSBURG - A national environmental group has released a study indicating two area rivers are among the top 10 waterways for total toxic discharge.
Environmental America recently released a report that documents and analyzes pollutants discharged into American waters using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI).
According to the group's report, the Ohio River leads all waterways in total toxic discharge with more than 31 million pounds. The Muskingum River (with 4,994,243 pounds) is ninth on the list.
Environment America's report summarizes the discharge of cancer-causing chemicals, chemicals that persist in the environment and chemicals with the potential to cause reproductive problems ranging from birth defects to reduced fertility. Among the toxic chemicals discharged by facilities are lead, mercury and dioxin.
Peter Tennant, deputy director of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), said the information in the report has a beneficial impact, but he has some issues with the study. Tennant also said the report fails to account for the size of the rivers.
"There is a lot of stuff going into those rivers, but it doesn't take into account the size of those rivers," he said. "I would argue a smaller stream, like Mill Creek in Cincinnati, is much more polluted than the Ohio River, which is about a thousand times larger."
According to ORSANCO, the Ohio River is a source of drinking water for more than three million people. More than 25 million people, almost 10 percent of the U.S. population, live in the Ohio River Basin. And there are approximately 150 species of fish in the river.
The Ohio River also topped the nation for toxic chemicals that are cancer causing and chemicals that cause reproductive disorders. The Environmental America study claims nearly all of the Ohio River's toxic discharge occurs below the Mid-Ohio Valley.
However, Eramet in Marietta is listed among the study's top 20 facilities in discharge of reproductive and developmental toxicants. Arcelormittal Weirton Inc. in Weirton, W.Va., is also listed among the top 20 facilities for discharge of reproductive toxicants (4,772 pounds).
Eramet spokeswoman Joy Frank-Collins said the data is out-dated.
"Since 2006 our plant has gone through a complete world of changes," she said. "People need to understand the materials we have on site are not carcinogenic.
"Just because we report on the TRI -it calculates everything that has been released from the plant - it doesn't mean it actually left the plant, the material goes into the water treatment system and stays on site."
Collins also said the section of the facility responsible for the toxicants has been shut down.
"We have indefinitely idled our northside operations and that is the facility which would have the compounds that need to go through our wastewater treatment system."
Tennant said due to the size of the rivers he would be more concerned about the New River and the Muskingum River.
Review of the environment group's study shows one company is responsible for the majority of discharge into the New and Muskingum rivers.
The AK Steel Corporation's Coshocton Works plant is responsible for the 4.2 million pounds of toxic discharge into the Muskingum River, according to the report. Messages left with the company's spokesman were not returned.
The bulk of the New River's 14 million pounds of toxic discharge is largely the result of the U.S. Army Radford Army Ammunition plant in Radford, Va. The study claims the plant is responsible for more than 13.6 million pounds of toxic pollutants into the New River.
Calls to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection office in Parkersburg were referred to Charleston. After several days of leaving messages, officials in Charleston referred questions to Melyssa Savage, Title III program manager for the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. Savage was out of the office.
Bayer Cropscience LP in Institute, W.Va., is also listed among the top 20 facilities for discharge of developmental and reproductive toxicants.
"I could quibble with why did they pick this chemical and not this one or taking a quantity list," Tennant said. "But the overall publishing of this information and making it available to the public has a beneficial impact."
Tennant said companies listed in the report might see this and issue corporate directives to clean up.
