Hulton VanTassel’s organization to sue chemical company over water pollution violations
The Ohio River in Pittsburgh, PA. Jonathan Rivera / Unsplash
Heather Hulton VanTassel’s organization, Three-Rivers Waterkeeper, has filed an intent to sue Neville Chemical for violating its water pollution permit nearly 9,500 times. The Allegheny Front first reported this story.
“We just want our industries to not pollute our drinking water sources and not pollute critical habitat for our plants and animals,” Hulton VanTassel told the Allegheny Front.
After receiving complaints about intense smells along the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, Three-Rivers Waterkeeper began analyzing self-reported water discharge data from 69 facilities in the area. Many had permit violations, and Neville Chemical was one of the worst offenders, including violations for “hydrocarbons, such as benzene, as well as pH, total suspended solids, and oil and grease”. As a drinking water source for millions of people, this is “impacting drinking water supply, not just for us, but for everyone downstream,” Hulton VanTassel said.
“According to the Waterkeeper’s notice to the company, Neville Chemical’s own data revealed as many as “9,494 days of violations since July 2021.”
“We’re not doing this because we’re anti-industry,” Hulton VanTassel said. “We just want to see change, and one step at a time at each facility that we work on. Ultimately, we have the right to clean water, both federally and in the state of Pennsylvania.”
