Rarely has a day gone by over the last couple years that our local newspaper has not informed us of yet another health/environmental problem. If you agree or not, we all owe The Star some form of gratitude. So just for the record, last year I ran across an old stack of Anniston Star newspapers. One in particular caught my eye. It was dated April 3, 1966. On page 5-A the article read: "Pollution Flows Despite Efforts, Claims" ... below it reads "Though City, Monsanto take Steps." It Goes on to tell of "23,000 lbs. of DEAD FISH floating down Choccolocco Creek."
It details two fish kills in six weeks. After testing it was determined to be caused by "parathion," an insecticide then produced by our caring neighbors at Monsanto Corp.
I could go on and share with you all the "nit picky" details but I shall allow your imaginations to do the rest. Perhaps our local library has record. The Star has made a copy from my issue and the EPA Region 4 made copies also. Just one little important detail ... the Alabama state water improvement board was overseeing investigations and "governing the matter."
But wait a minute, I smell something fishy here?
That Board has a different name now and if I am right it is now known as ADEM. Yes, neighbors and friends, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management! The same bunch that in 1970 chose not to warn Alabamians of risks associated with usage of the Coosa/Logan Martin and actually all the way to Mobile.
Why? Well, these folks in Montgomery didn't want to harm a then rapidly growing recreational and commercially valuable source of revenue! Once again your health/welfare/environment and now your money invested in properties all along Choccolocco to the Coosa and south zip/fini/virtually worthless.
Can one legally sell contaminated property? You can ask a lawyer, but I think not. All your above mentioned things took a backseat to government blindness and corporate greed. And that, my friends, is the honest truth. If any one of you can skirt around that one, feel absolutely free to do so, however, make it public record.
In ending my little "stump speech" allow me to ask each and every one of you a question of true importance.
Last year an EPA official stated at a town meeting here in Anniston that the south land fill maintained by Solutia/Monsanto is currently still "off gassing."
My question is: Can anyone tell me what good is cleaning up yards, etc., when we are still being rained upon by a chemical soup?
Let me know how you feel and your elected officials - congressmen, senators, all the biggest dogs on the porch!
Call them, write them, camp out on their doorsteps, 'cause I can tell ya'll this much ... if each and every one of us does not stand up, speak out and stick together, including the incinerator issue, well, then neighbor, shut up and roll over!
M. E. Morgan
Anniston
