Environmental group aims mercury complaint at chorine plants

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Chlorine plants in Ohio and four other states are worse mercury polluters than coal-fired power plants and are out of step with the chlorine industry's move to nonpolluting technology, an environmental group said Wednesday.

Representatives of Washington-based Oceana identified the five locations as Olin Corp.'s chlorine plants in Charleston, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga.; Ashta Chemicals in Ashtabula, Ohio; PPG Industries in Natrium, W. Va.; and ERCO Worldwide in Port Edwards, Wis.

Jacqueline Savitz, director of Oceana's 2-year-old campaign to stop seafood contamination, said more than 115 other chlorine plants have changed to mercury-free technology.

Mercury is a neurotoxin that accumulates in fish. Ingesting mercury can cause nerve and brain damage to pregnant women, women of childbearing age and young children. Mercury also can lead to kidney damage in children.

Savitz said the chlorine plants in Tennessee and Wisconsin are the largest single mercury polluters in those states.

Lenny Scott, director of technology at the Olin plant at Charleston, said "use of mercury at our Charleston plant is careful and controlled. We meet or do better than the laws and regulations on mercury emissions."

Scott said the company has spent $54 million to "update, modernize and reduce mercury emissions" at Charleston over the past eight years and emissions are 50 percent lower this year than in 2006.
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