On Wednesday, Greenpeace challenged Missouri legislators to protect citizens, many of them minorities, who live near high-risk chemical plants.
The environmental justice organization held a press conference at Clay Elementary School in North St. Louis to call attention to Kemira Water Solutions, Inc.
The plant is located within a five mile radius of nine hospitals and 109 schools, including Clay. The entire risk zone, which extends more than 10 miles, puts more than 1 million people at risk, Greenpeace said.
“Given the magnitude of these risks to local residents of St. Louis, Missouri, it’s time for Congress, including Senator McCaskill, to support legislation that will truly protect communities living in the shadow of high-risk chemical plants,” said Hannah Allison, field organizer for Greenpeace.
Another concern raised was the disproportionate number of such plants located in low-income areas.
“Environmental justice issues in low-income communities, especially communities of color, are a major concern for us in our communities,” said Ramona Taylor Williams, a resident of North St. Louis.
Greenpeace said simple, inexpensive changes, like substituting or reducing the amount of lethal gases stored on-site, would protect millions of people from harm.
On June 23, the House Committee on Homeland Security agreed to a bill (H.R. 2968) that could make the highest risk plants safe by using “inherently safer technologies” or safer chemicals. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will next take up the legislation in September.
The Department of Homeland Security has identified 6,300 high risk plants in the nation. In Missouri there are a reported 45 high-risk chemical plants that put more than 10,000 people at risk per site. Three Missouri plants now use safer alternatives.
State Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford said she and state Rep. Chris Carter both support legislation that could protect citizens.
“We think this is a common sense solution for making our chemical plants safer,” said Oxford.
