Independent Guestatorial – The Gatekeeper

“In a democracy, people get the leaders they deserve.” – Abraham Lincoln

Dr. Luis Contreras – On April 12, 2016, life in Crossett, Ark., made the news. Georgia-Pacific had great things to say about their bond with the community: “Our view is that we don’t just employ local citizens. We work and live in the Crossett community, and we take our commitment to the communities around us very seriously. Many of our employees own property near our operations, and many of our future employees are being educated in nearby schools. It is imperative that we don’t stop at merely being a good local citizen or an economic boost – we also must invest in our communities.”

On the same day, Newsweek had a different tale: “How a paper plant in Arkansas is allegedly poisoning the people of Crossett.” According to Leroy Patton: “The Lawson couple used to live here, Patton says; the street was named for them. “They’re dead from cancer and stroke.” He pointed to another property. “Down here is Pat. Her parents died from cancer back there, and now her husband is sick, too.” He turned to a long driveway lined with trees and junk cars. “And this here is my place. Ain’t nobody but me and my old lady left. Everybody dead in my family but me. All of ’em from cancer.” People in Crossett need jobs and are afraid to speak up.

This story is not going away. Koch Industries owns Georgia Pacific. Their attacks on scientific evidence that formaldehyde causes cancer, after 15 deaths in Crossett, were reported in The Nation, October 12, 2011, “The Kochs and Cancer in a Small Town.”

At the heart of this tragedy is a “generous” permit granted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality allowing emissions of 1.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals including formaldehyde, dioxin, acetaldehyde and chloroform. GP is not in violation of the ADEQ permit!

ADEQ logic explains why the C&H hogs continue on the Buffalo National River watershed. The National Park Service sent ADEQ a request to declare Big Creek and two other tributaries impaired. In the ADEQ “Draft 2016 Impaired Waterbodies List” the streams recommended by NPS were not included. With this omission, C&H is not in violation, and all the pigs get to stay!

Environmental compliance is smart, sustainable business, a strategic choice made by the board of directors. This is what Tranlin, a new $2 billion paper mill in Virginia, says they are doing to preserve the environment:

1. No trees. Uses post-harvest wheat straw to make sustainable products. Pulping one ton of straw saves 5,000 square feet of natural forest trees and 14,000 square feet of man-made forest.
2. No air emissions. One ton of straw emits 1,310 kg of carbon dioxide if discarded from the field without being treated. Pulping excess straw instead of discarding, burning, or letting it decompose on its own reduces carbon dioxide emissions to 0.4 kg.
3. No carcinogens. Clean pulping avoids chlorine bleaching process, eliminating dioxin emissions.
4. No water. Using our own wastewater treatment system allows us to re-use wastewater and carefully control carbon dioxide emissions.
5. Tranlin says, “We protect the forests, conserve water, and reduce pollution.”

GP has no excuse for irresponsible, immoral and abusive behavior. Advanced, sustainable technology is available. Environmental discrimination enabled by ADEQ processes is a dumb business practice.

ADEQ and the Arkansas Economic Development Council decide our future with permits and public funds, selling Arkansas to energy-intensive, high-carbon, low-tech, high-pollution, heavy industries. AEDC is doing all it can to host the Chinese pulp mill, using all available public funds. There is a bidding war for deforestation, traffic congestion, air and water pollution. Foresters can’t wait to sell “forest products” ignoring the destruction of the forest soil.

We elect the people in charge and we can choose a better future. Arkansas has many geographical advantages; it can be the top eco-tourist destination with protected forests, cover crops and no-till farming, solar power, clean air and clean water. We deserve better, vote!