TALLAHASSEE – Exposure to
dangerous toxic pollution from industrial facilities threatens communities all
across Florida,
according to a new report released today by Environment Florida.
The report, Toxic Pollution and Health, uses information
from the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to analyze toxic pollution linked
to serious health problems such as cancer, birth defects or neurological damage.
Due to a recent EPA action restricting the public’s right to know, today’s
report may provide one of the last complete pictures of toxic pollution in Florida.
Facilities in Florida released to the air and water more than 2,700,000
pounds of toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, making Florida the 5th highest state in
terms of carcinogen emissions in 2004.
“This report confirms that
communities in Florida
are routinely put at risk by toxic pollution linked to serious health impacts,”
said Environment Florida spokesman Adam Rivera. “These toxic pollutants are the
worst of the worst and pose tangible threats to public health that must be
addressed.”
“To address the potential
health threats from toxic pollution, the public needs full information about
what toxics are being released, where, and in what amounts,” said Lois Gibbs,
Executive Director of the Center for Health and Environmental Justice. “Unfortunately, EPA’s attack on the public’s
right to know means that communities across Florida will be left in the dark about toxic
pollution.”
Florida also ranked 7th nationally in terms of
states with the highest emissions of suspected neurotoxins and dioxins, dangerous
and persistent chemicals that increase the likelihood of cancer and other
debilitating effects. Florida
also ranked 12th for states with the highest releases of suspected
reproductive toxicants, as well as 21st for states with the highest
releases of suspected developmental toxicants, which affect young children.
Florida exemplifies the report’s finding that a
relatively small number of communities often experience the bulk of these
toxicant emissions. Seven Florida
zip codes account for nearly 2,000,000 pounds—about
a 75% share—of cancer causing chemicals released in the state. All seven zip
codes rank in the top 100 zip codes nationwide for cancer causing chemicals,
with Bryant ranking 4th; Clewiston, 35th; Perry, 45th;
Orlando, 51st; Fernandina Beach, 59th; Panama City, 76th;
and Cantonment, 88th.
In 2004, Palm Beach County
ranked 8th nationally for total air and water releases of toxic
pollution known to cause cancer, 15th nationally for reproductive
toxicants and 55th for developmental toxicants. The largest source of this pollution came
from the United States Sugar Corporation facility in Bryant, Florida
which released more than 700,000 pounds of carcinogens into the air and water.
The US Sugar facility ranked third highest in the nation for highest emissions
of carcinogens into the air and water.
Florida contributes seven counties to the national top 100
list in this category: Palm Beach, 8th;
Nassau County,
46th; Hendry County, 48th; Taylor
County, 57th; Bay County,
60th; Orange County, 64th; and Escambia County,
88th.
The federal Toxic Release
Inventory is a public right-to-know program that requires industrial facilities
to publicly disclose their toxic releases.
In 2004, EPA reported that the TRI has helped to reduce toxic pollution
by 57% nationwide since its inception in 1988. Despite this success, the EPA
recently weakened the program by authorizing industrial facilities to withhold
previously reported pollution information.
Florida Representatives Robert
Wexler (Boca Raton) and Kathy Castor (Tampa) recently joined in challenging
EPA’s rollbacks by co-sponsoring the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act (H.R.
1055). This legislation would reverse
the rollbacks to restore the lost data and ensure that communities have full
and complete access to toxic pollution information.
“We call on Florida’s
entire congressional delegation to support the public’s right to know and
protect communities across Florida
by cosponsoring this legislation,” concluded Rivera.
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To view a full copy of the report, please visit Environment
Florida’s website at www.EnvironmentFlorida.org
Environment Florida is a statewide environmental advocacy
organization dedicated toclean air, clean water and
open space.
