PPG Ordered To Cut Mercury

NEW MARTINSVILLE — Judge Irene Berger’s decision that PPG Industries must comply with stricter pollution standards will not lead to job cuts at its Natrium Chemical Plant, a company spokeswoman said.

The Kanawha County circuit judge has ruled that PPG must reduce its emissions of mercury into the Ohio River. Mercury is a toxic metal that can have wide-ranging effects on human health that may include impaired cognitive function, brain damage, tremors, birth defects and even death after prolonged or concentrated exposure.

Located north of New Martinsville along W.Va. 2, PPG’s Natrium plant currently employs 600 people.

PPG spokesman Larry O’Reilly previously said the company was requesting emissions permit limits that would “allow the facility to continue operating and retain more than 100 jobs and related economic benefits to the surrounding communities.”

But PPG spokeswoman Betsy Mallison Bialosky said this week that the Natrium plant won’t close as a result of the ruling.

“I don’t think there’s a chance of job loss,” she added.

She noted in a news release, though, that PPG is “disappointed” in the June 22 ruling on the water discharge permit for the plant.

“We are evaluating Judge Berger’s order and opinion and considering whether to appeal it,” the release states. “The decision interpreted a regulation of the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission that has been superseded by a revised standard.”

PPG maintains the revised standard, adopted in October, allows PPG to have a mixing zone for its mercury discharge. A mixing zone is an area of a stream in which a facility’s discharge spreads out and dilutes and is discharged into the waterway, according to Jessica Greathouse of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

Water quality rules require industries to meet concentration standards for pollutants when the discharge reaches the mixing zone boundary.

According to information provided by PPG, the Ohio River near Natrium meets all water quality standards for mercury, and all fish samples from the river in the area have had results below the fish consumption standards for mercury.

Bialosky said PPG applied for a mixing zone based on ORSANCO’s rule change. She noted WVDEP issued a proposed permit modification to grant mixing zone-based limits to PPG.

“PPG is working hard to reduce the levels of mercury in its discharge,” Bialosky said. “PPG fully intends to comply with the mixing zone-based limits, which will assure that water quality standards for mercury will be met in the Ohio River downstream of our plant.”
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