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Company Plans To Let Chemical Leak Fix Self
Company's Chemical Cleanup Plan Tells Little
POSTED: 4:42 pm CDT August 30,
2007
UPDATED: 4:40 pm CDT August 7,
2008
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- A local company charged with cleaning up the creek they polluted has released its plan: nothing.
Video: Company Plans To Let Chemical Leak Fix SelfEight months ago and after complaints from local residents, officials discovered that the chemicals tolulene and acetone had been leaking into Liberty Creek from the Egyptian Lacquer Company, which is located near the creek’s banks."It just smelled when it rained or when the wind blew you could smell it real bad,” said resident Calvin Gregory.
The company said that while it can stop some of the chemicals that have been leaking, it can't plug all the leaks.Crews have spent the past few weeks digging a trench to keep most of the chemicals from ever reaching the Harpeth River, but they said they simply cannot stop the acetone from leaking in.The company said it would be too expensive and intensive to try to fix it, so the plan is to let it leak until it stops up on its own.Some residents were not enthusiastic about the company’s plans."Our biggest disappointment is what's going to occur with the processing of the acetone, which is nothing,” said Pam Davee of the Harpeth River Watershed Association.The corrective action plan goes on to say that the acetone contamination isn't causing substantial risk to either human health or the environment.But Davee disagrees and said the green algae and low oxygen in the creek levels are proof."Anytime something is causing the river to go below state standards, I think it's a substantial problem, especially when it's long term,” she said.The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will now decide whether the company’s plan is the solution it’s looking for.Davee said she will keep looking for other solutions because she said Egyptian Lacquer’s plan is not the answer.TDEC said it can't comment on the plan until it does a thorough review.The public will be able to comment on it for 30 days. Click here for more information on acetone.
Previous Stories:
- August 23, 2007: Chemicals Still Spill Into Franklin Creek
- June 29, 2007: Drought Worsens Franklin Creek's Problems
- May 16, 2007: Chemicals Still Leaking Into Franklin Creek
- April 13, 2007: Crews Clean Up Polluted Liberty Creek
- February 14, 2007: 1 Source Of Franklin Pollution Identified
- February 10, 2007: Chemicals In Franklin Creek Could Affect Air
- January 25, 2007: Toxic Chemicals Found In Franklin Creek
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