Residents Continue to Fight Steel Plant Pollution
February 8, 2007
The dispute between a steel plant and nearby residents over continued emissions of manganese, lead, and other chemicals rages on despite a meeting yesterday designed to encourage cooperation between involved parties.
The city held the meeting to inform nearby residents of the dangers, and of what will be done, and to encourage communication between the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Pacific Steel Casting. It also aimed to get more input from the community.
The Concerns
One of the major concerns was that the plant left its loading doors open and cooled its casings outdoors, where the residents said the toxic vapors could escape into the air unfiltered.
Manganese has been known to cause neurological disorders with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
The company has been on the same site for over 70 years, and has concerned neighbors for decades. Many of them believe the bad odors and inordinately high incidence of respiratory sicknesses people in the area have developed are caused by the manganese, lead, phenols, and other chemicals emitted by the plant.
The community continues to be frustrated despite the meeting, however.
“Since 1983, I have worked to clean our air, and tonight I don’t see that anything has changed,” said spokesperson for the West Berkeley Alliance, Janice Schroeder. The West Berkeley Alliance has initiated many of the complaints.
A Lawsuit
The steel plant settled one lawsuit on Jan 31. The suit was filed by Communities for a Better Environment, which is a non-profit environmental advocate organization. As part of the settlement, the plant is required to reduce their emissions by two tons over the next three years.
Harmed by Exposure to Manganese?
If you or a loved one has been exposed to manganese and sickened as a result, please contact us today for a free case evaluation by an established manganese exposure attorney who can examine your case thoroughly and answer all your questions. You may be able to recoup compensation for the losses you and your family have sustained, including pain, suffering, medical expenses, missed work, and more.
To learn more about manganese exposure and its various side effects, contact a manganese attorney.
