Vinyl Chloride Exposure Remains a Risk at PVC Plant
In Mossville, Louisianna residents are concerned regarding the growing cases of cancers that are affecting their community. One such resident who has openly voiced concern is Edgar Mouton, 74, who has lived in Mossville, Louisiana his whole life. During this time, he has resided for the most part and near a PVC plant. Mouton claims there is an unnatural rate of cancer in his neighborhood. Friends and family are being diagnosed with everything from lung disease, to asthma, to various forms of cancer. He believes all this illness is directly linked to the nearby PVC plant.
Fortunately, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently agreed to start regulating the host of toxins, including vinyl chloride, that is being released from PVC plants by July 29, 2011.
EPA Takes Action Against Vinyl Chloride Exposure
The EPA has agreed to this deadline as part of a settlement between their agency, the Sierra Club and community groups in Louisiana, including Mossville Environmental Action Now (MEAN) and Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN).
Each year, PVC plants across the country reportedly pump nearly 500,000 pounds of vinyl chloride, which has been known to cause angiosarcoma and other fatal forms of cancer into the atmosphere. Despite the known risks of chemicals like vinyl chloride being released from the plants the PVC industry as a whole has been largely unregulated in the United States for decades.
The issue is particularly problematic in Mossville, Louisiana, which is home to four vinyl production facilities, including two major vinyl chloride manufacturers. Mossville is also deemed the unofficial PVC capital of America. The levels of pollution in the town have been reported as being three times the national average.
"We live among chemicals that leach into our water, our food, our children's bodies," says Mouton, who is a retired chemical plant employee. "It's affected our livelihood in much too many ways with folks being diagnosed with cancer and other diseases. We're ecstatic that EPA has answered our calls for help and decided monitor the toxins that are pumped out of these plants."
As a state, Louisiana is also home to six of the country's 24 plants for manufacturing polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as PVC or vinyl chloride. Six other plants are located in Texas, and other PVC plants are in New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Michigan and Oklahoma.
What is PVC?
PVC is widely used throughout the country in a range of plastic products, including everything from vinyl siding, plumbing, carpet backing, and appliances to raincoats and seat covers. Although the industry is a high-risk one it's expected to only keep growing in the years to come. This is why it's so important that the EPA and other environmental groups and community members take a stand against the continued use of vinyl chloride and other chemicals and fight to maintain their own health and the health of the environment.