University of West Florida student Katie Stanley-Lorson describes her experience during the International Paper explosion the night of Jan. 22,
“So I was just sitting in the house when I hear the explosion and it was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard,” She said. “When it happened, I saw the doors and windows all bow in and it felt like the whole trailer house jumped up. At first I thought maybe lightning struck in front of the house and when I realized it wasn’t storming, I thought maybe a bomb went off nearby…”
In fact, the noise came from something quite similar to a bomb. One of International Paper’s (IP) boilers exploded that Sunday night, creating a mess that is still being dealt with today.
     Car covered with black liqour substance after the explosion (Photo by John Blackie, PNJ).
You may be asking yourself, “Why should I care about some industrial paper plant explosion? What does it have to do with me?” Well here is what you should know.
When IP’s boiler exploded, it also released a substance called Black Liquor into the air and the surrounding area. That night when the explosion was reported, the public was told by local media that Black Liquor wasn’t hazardous and that it could simply be washed off with soap and water.
However, a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) says something quite the opposite of non-hazardous. Black Liquor, a by-product produced by paper companies through the pulping process, is stated as corrosive, toxic and damaging. That doesn’t sound safe to me.
Since the explosion, the community and public have been asking questions, but have received little to no response from IP.
Saturday, Jan. 28, IP held a public open house. An article on the open house by the Pensacola News Journal’s describes IP’s response as unsatisfying and lacking. I’m not surprised.
I spoke with Laurie Murphy, Executive Director, from Emerald Coastkeeper. Emerald Coastkeeper is an organization with the main mission of keeping our water swimmable, fishable and drinkable. Murphy shared with me a few things about International Paper and Sunday’s boiler explosion.
“Within the last three years International Paper has a recorded nine Clean Water Act Violations and around three to four Clean Air Act violations,” says Murphy. “Explosions like the one on Sunday are result from an industrial company not following correct compliance procedures.”
Emerald Coastkeeper isn’t the only organization that’s had concerns with IP either. You can find statements relating to IP and its pollution from the Bream’s Fisherman Association and from Friends of Perdido Bay. Even Friends of Perdido Bay’s mission statement is, “…to attempt to fight the pollution from International Paper.” Â
So what does this all mean? First off, this is just one example of big business taking short cuts to save a few dollars but forfeiting the health of the environment and its people in the process.
The United States is riddle with business that think just as International Paper did. When an organization decides to take such risks, they carry a responsibility to a community and the public. Their focuses should be directed toward pollution prevention and the best management practices that will keep our air, water and soil clean.
Many have asked me, “What can I do? How can I be heard?” and my first response is this: Ask questions. Asking questions is one of the smartest and most beneficial things you can do.
Just because the business says that something is safe doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. This is why it’s important to research on your own also. If you don’t know what something is, then find out. Don’t just disregard it.
Lastly, get involved. If you’re concerned about the environment and your health make it be known. Organizations like Emerald Coastkeeper and the Bream’s Fishermen Association are here to ensure safety and hold those accountable that harm environmental health. Don’t just sit around and wait for someone else to speak up, you have a responsibility to Earth too.