The trial of toxic waste dumping by Alcoa continues into its fourth week. Environmental issues involving pollution by the Aluminum Company of America and the disposal practices of toxic waste from the company’s Warrick Operations is at issue.
The dispute is over the dumping of millions of gallons of toxic hazardous waste in unlined surface coal pits, located near Boonville, Indiana, about 15 miles outside of Evansville. ALCOA has acknowledged the dumping. Many of the chemicals are highly carcinogenic. The Squaw Creek Mine was managed by Peabody Coal Company and encompassed 8,000 acres. Alcoa denies that it has caused cancers and health problems.
Mr Gary Fritz VP of Alliance for Clean Rural Environment said that “Last week the Plaintiffs’ Lawyers presented Alcoa’s own internal correspondence verifying that Alcoa personnel considered the dumping of toxic waste at the Squaw Creek mine illegal. The amount of toxic waste that Alcoa disposed at the mine is comparable to the amount of oil that was spilled in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. We are talking huge amounts of pollution, except this is in unlined surface coal mine pits and is confined to an area less than 5,000 acres.”
Many community members and former employees including Bil and Kim Musgrave, the plaintiffs, were exposed to the ALCOA toxic waste. A large portion of Southwestern Indiana was surface mined. It’s was not uncommon for local residents to enjoy fishing, hunting, swimming, trail bike riding and target practicing on surface mined land in the tri state area.
Closing statements and a Jury verdict is expected mid to late week. The Honorable Judge Heldt is presiding over the trial in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court. The jury is composed of community members from Warrick County, Indiana. This is the first of many trials where past employees and citizens will testify to deformed animals and unusual deaths. There are also many unusual cancers and health problems related to the dumping.
Dr William Sawyer a leading toxicologist on the Gulf Oil Spill has testified along with Dr James Dahlgren a key expert witness in the Erin Brockovich trial have both testified for the plaintiffs.
By ALCOA’s own records it disposed of 69 million gallons of coal tar pitch, 7.4 million cubic feet of chromium sludge and 34,800 tonnes of spent potlining. Records reflect 91 months with no known accountability on the type of waste or the locations where the waste was discharged. ALCOA has never produced a permit for the dumping of coal tar pitch, a creosote type substance which is a known carcinogen.
Source - Alliance for Clean Rural Environment
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