http://www.gridleyherald.com/article/20131106/NEWS/131109906
Many Oroville residents aren’t even aware of the legacy of
dioxin contamination in their area. “I didn’t even know about this issue
until two months ago, and I’ve lived in this community for 30 years,”
says Marlene Del Rosario, an Oroville resident. This issue is a timely
one, as Oroville looks to implement greening and sustainability
measures. BEC feels strongly that these efforts should include an
analysis of current dioxin levels in areas of known contamination, and
is working with community groups to educate residents on the issue. The
billboards going up around Oroville this week are the first part of an
education and outreach campaign to inform area residence of the toxicity
of dioxin, and its continued presence in areas of South Oroville.
WHO: Funded by two small Patagonia and Clif
Foundation grants, the Butte Environmental Council offered a series of
Public Forums to the Oroville community about dioxin contamination in
Oroville. The community responded that more education and outreach on
the issue was needed. So, local BEC members and staff joined with
others in the community to form the Oroville Dioxin Education Committee
(ODEC), with the stated goal to “educate and prepare community members,
to raise awareness, and to lead the effort to safeguard our community
against dioxin.”
WHERE/HOW: Dioxin in Oroville became a major
concern in 1987 with the Koppers fire—the second major fire on the site,
with the 1963 fire being the first. Burning chemicals from the wood
treatment facility resulted in a large release of dioxin into the air
and onto the surrounding soil. More recently, the Covanta-owned Pacific
Oroville Power, Inc. biomass incinerator was found to have released
significant amounts of dioxin via waste ash piles in Butte and
neighboring counties. Now closed for over a year, the company is
currently negotiating an out-of-court settlement for dioxin and heavy
metals contamination in several counties. The action is being led by
Butte County’s District Attorney.Read more: http://www.gridleyherald.com/article/20131106/NEWS/131109906#ixzz2jysJThsN
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