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Sierra Club Water Sentinels Project Commends Pine River Superfund
Citizens Task Force The Pine River Superfund Citizens Task Force works on issues related to
the Pine River in Gratiot County, where it winds through Alma and St. Louis,
Michigan. The Pine River is
contaminated with DDT, PBBs, petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and various
other chemicals after decades of discharges by chemical plants, oil refineries,
and other businesses. The Pine River Superfund Citizens Task Force should be commended for
their community commitment.
I’ve worked with the group since September, and am amazed at their
level of dedication. Every third
Wednesday of the month, 40 to 70 people come to learn about the progress of the
cleanup of the Velsicol Chemical Superfund site, about the petroleum
hydrocarbon contamination at the Total Refinery site in Alma, and about the
Smith Farm site in St. Louis. The
members have reclaimed the river for recreation by securing funds to build a
fishing platform in St. Louis.
Though the fishing must for now remain catch and release, the community
gains back the river as a living resource.
Several members with training in the sciences participate in the Technical
Advisory Committee. They give a
substantial amount of time to review every report and work plan by the
consultants and the agencies, and greatly contribute to the understanding of
the problems in the Pine River watershed.
They are the ultimate community watchdogs for contamination and related
human-health issues. Several Task
Force members have also assisted with Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels
Project, and have learned to do water quality monitoring using aquatic insects. The group has been so successful that they have been touted as an
example of how Superfund citizen groups can function, and have been invited to
other cities with Superfund Sites.
And now they have been a driving force to help secure over $60 million
from the companies responsible for the contamination to help clean up the
Velsicol Chemical site and to restore the Pine River. The enduring enthusiasm of the Pine River Superfund Citizens Task Force
continues to inspire us in our project on the river, and I’m glad to be
associated with them. Rita Jack Water Sentinels Project Sierra Club Mackinac Chapter Lansing, MI 48906 517-484-2372 |