Description
"The smell will drive you crazy..."
Uretek, a polyurethane manufacturing factory that is surrounded by residential homes and schools, consistently produces noxious chemical smells - especially at night. Driving or walking by, the foul odor can be overwhelming, and even blocks away, the fumes invade. The potential "danger" of these emissions is a serious concern, compounded by the billowing black smoke recently seen billowing from the factory, as well as the company's disturbing history of air pollution.
“’The smell would drive you crazy,’ said Louis Lopez, a 44-year-old mechanic who has worked for Uretek since 1984.” In December 1986, The New York Times covered a controversial employee strike at Uretek Inc. Uretek workers walked off the job due to health and safety concerns, specifically regarding the solvent dimethylformamide, or DMF, which is used at the plant. They claimed that fumes sickened half of the 66 workers at the plant. Later, testing by Yale confirmed the damage: 36 of the tested employees had ''significant liver-function abnormalities,'' and ten were diagnosed with toxic hepatitis, findings that, according to the doctor, were ''overwhelmingly'' linked to DMF*
The workers’ health problems in 1986 were “not the first time that Uretek has been accused of wrongdoing,” according to the Times article. In 1984, the Uretek vice president John Andrews was convicted on felony charges of illegally storing and disposing of hazardous waste – making it “the first time a corporation in Connecticut had been convicted of such a criminal offense in a trial.”
The article also noted that Uretek has been cited by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection on air pollution.
Although this was many years ago, Uretek's emissions and its potential impact on the environment and people remain a very significant concern.
The DEP was notified a few years back (when the odors seemed particularly strong and noxious even blocks away). Despite Uretek’s pollution history, DEP’s response seemed disinterested. As far as we know, no air quality testing was conducted, nor any follow-up.
A health issue as serious and dangerous as this requires more than discussions or assurances from factory management. It would seem logical and imperative that thorough air quality testing be conducted (especially after hours/at night when the odors are often strongest) and that the results be made publicly available.
Does DEP receive notification of SeeClickFix concerns?
12 Comments
Anonymous (Guest)
Why no (Guest)
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Air Quality System Office (National Air Data Group)
Call the Air Quality System office at 919 541-4946 (FAX us at 919 541-7674), or call or email one of the team members listed below.
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Contact Us
Air Quality System Office (National Air Data Group)
Call the Air Quality System office at 919 541-4946 (FAX us at 919 541-7674), or call or email one of the team members listed below.
Bill Frietsche (frietsche.bill@epa.gov) 919 541-5451
Michael Hamlin (hamlin.michael@epa.gov) 919 541-5232
Robert Coats (coats.robert@epa.gov) 919 541-5448
Nick Mangus (mangus.nick@epa.gov) 919 541-5549
Jonathan Miller (miller.jonathan@epa.gov) 919 541-7738
Way Poteat (poteat.way@epa.gov) 919 541-9739
Jake Summers (summers.jake@epa.gov) 919 541-5695 Team Lead
Angie Shatas (shatas.angie@epa.gov) 919 541-5454
Regular or Certified Mail
US EPA
OAQPS/OID/NADG
ATTN: AQS
MD-C339-01
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
EPA Call Center
AQS application User Support is provided through the EPA Call Center, operated under contract to the EPA.
The toll free number is 1-866-411-4EPA (4372).
TDD: 1-866-489-4900
International callers: 1-703-679-1070
Their hours of operation are 6:00am - 9:00pm E.T. (Monday - Friday, excluding Federal holidays).
You may also contact the Call Center via email (EPACALLCENTER@epa.gov) or fax (703-674-1008).
Governmental Representatives
Contact a National or Regional EPA representative or a State, Local, or Tribal Agency representative
http://www.epa.gov/air/data/contacts.html
CDX
Central Data Exchange (CDX) is EPA's electronic reporting site.
CDX support is available toll-free between the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm (EST) at 888-890-1995.
Contact Form
Use the form below to send us a comment or question. Privacy and Security Notice
EPA welcomes your comments, especially comments on how we can improve our Web site. We strive to respond to every comment with an answer or an appropriate referral as quickly as possible. Most comments will be responded to within 10 business days.
Please help us answer your request by including a correct e-mail address. We receive many messages that we can't respond to because of incorrect email addresses. Also, if you are referring to a specific page within EPA's web site, please include a URL or title for the site. If your browser doesn't support forms, you can e-mail your comment to Michael Hamlin (hamlin.michael@epa.gov).
*WARNING NOTICE
Sending comments initiates electronic mail originated from a federal government computer system of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Unauthorized access or use of this EPA system may subject violators to criminal, civil and/or administrative action. For official purposes, law enforcement and other authorized personnel may monitor, record, read, copy and disclose all information which an EPA system processes. Any person's access or use, authorized and unauthorized, of this EPA system to send electronic mail constitutes consent to these terms.
Your Name:
Your Organization:
Your E-mail Address:
Contact Us
Air Quality System Office (National Air Data Group)
Call the Air Quality System office at 919 541-4946 (FAX us at 919 541-7674), or call or email one of the team members listed below.
Bill Frietsche (frietsche.bill@epa.gov) 919 541-5451
Michael Hamlin (hamlin.michael@epa.gov) 919 541-5232
Robert Coats (coats.robert@epa.gov) 919 541-5448
Nick Mangus (mangus.nick@epa.gov) 919 541-5549
Jonathan Miller (miller.jonathan@epa.gov) 919 541-7738
Way Poteat (poteat.way@epa.gov) 919 541-9739
Jake Summers (summers.jake@epa.gov) 919 541-5695 Team Lead
Angie Shatas (shatas.angie@epa.gov) 919 541-5454
Anonymous (Guest)
Any thoughts on the best approach? I am on board!
CT Livable Streets Campaign (Registered User)
To the above: No, I don't believe that cancer is being tracked at a neighborhood level. The state tracks cancer rates for the city as a whole.
What do you mean by "developmental delays"? New Haven has a higher percentage of babies born with low birth weight and very low birth weight than the state overall, but tracking that at a neighborhood level would be difficult given the small numbers involved. The New Haven population also has a fetal and infant mortality rate significantly higher than the state average and the HP2010 goal.
It would be interesting to track these types of health issues more locally within the city in order to evaluate the factors behind elevated rates of disease, but doing so would require significant resources, e.g., longitudinal study (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_study)
Since these are not available, as a proxy you may be able to request information at a neighborhood level on kindergarten readiness and school achievement. According to many studies, these are related to similar "determinant" factors, such as maternal stress, income levels, housing and environmental quality. Documenting and working to improve these social determinants would likely lead to better health outcomes in this neighborhood.
Reopened Lenox Resident (Guest)
Reporting for DEP Air Management - 860-424-3436. No idea if this will lead to significant action (i.e. monitoring) but it is not officially on the public record. I was informed that 2 weeks would be enough time to call back anonymously for a report of actions taken.
City of New Haven (Verified Official)
クローズド City of New Haven (Registered User)
Reopened Park side (Registered User)
クローズド vacant (Verified Official)