City Fails to Notify Residents of Toxic Waste
Suzie Canales Executive Director of Citizens for Environmental Justice revealed today that Mayor Adame was said to have known about toxic chemicals found in ground samples on a site for a planned public housing project since shortly after he took office but has failed to take any action or even make public the information.
Canales passed out copies of an environmental core study conducted by Apex Geosciences, Inc. of Tyler for the Corpus Christi Housing Authority. The study normally done before any building begins was at the site of the proposed D.N. Leathers Townhouse public housing project at 1001 Coke Street behind the former TC Ayers recreation facility just north of I-37 and Port Ave.
The study was conducted in March 2009 revealing soil and groundwater contamination at levels the report described as "significantly exceeded action levels for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)." and went on to say the duplicate sample from one boring "...contained even more concentrated quantities of TPH constituents. It exceeded soiling action levels in the light (gasoline range organics), midrange (diesel range organics), and heavier (organic range organics) carbon chain ranges." In other words a whole range of carbon based contaminants.
Seven borings on the site all showed heavy contamination exceeding TCEQ standards for 21 different toxic chemicals including one volatile agent subject to movement up through the ground into the surrounding air called methylene chloride. That chemical according to Apex is, "commonly used cleaning solvent that is utilized in industrial applications."
According to a well sourced Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloromethane) the following health hazards are a problem: "Dichloromethane is the least toxic of the simple chlorohydrocarbons, but it is not without its health risks as its high volatility makes it an acute inhalation hazard.[4] Dichloromethane is also metabolised by the body to carbon monoxide potentially leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.[5] Acute exposure by inhalation has resulted in optic neuropathy[6] and hepatitis.[7] Prolonged skin contact can result in the dichloromethane dissolving some of the fatty tissues in skin, resulting in skin irritation or chemical burns.[8] It may be carcinogenic, as it has been linked to cancer of the lungs, liver, and pancreas in laboratory animals.[9] Dichloromethane crosses the placenta. Fetal toxicity in women who are exposed to it during pregnancy however has not been proven.[10] In animal experiments it was fetotoxic at doses that were maternally toxic but no teratogenic effects were seen.[9] In many countries products containing dichloromethane must carry labels warning of its health risks. In the European Union use of dichloromethane in paint-strippers was banned for consumers and many professionals.[11]"
According to Canales when she spoke to Richard Franco the CEO at the Housing Authority on August 29th, he told her he informed Mayor Joe Adame of the issue shortly after he took office. Canales said that when CFEJ met with Adame on July 3, 2009 about the need to buy people out of the area surrounded by refineries, Adame didn't mention the CCHA commissioned study results, but did promise he would get back to the group by today. According to Canales he hasn't contacted them for a followup visit. A call to Franco was not returned by the time this article was posted.
Canales says she believes the study confirms her suspicion that TCEQ is too favorable to industry and fails to be rsponsive to citizens concerns. An A & M study last year showed extremely high levels of benzene in urine and blood of residents. TCEQ denied the contamination and commissioned a $400,000 study which Canales believes "is designed to reinforce TCEQ's position that pollution stops at the refinery fence."
