You are here

Toxics Targeting Inc. Calls on Cargill Salt Mine to Properly Clean Up Toxic Discharge

09/20/19


ITHACA, N.Y.(WENY)--On February 7th, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the DEC, said a pollutant known as sodium ferrocyanide was found discharging at the Cargill Salt mine in Lansing.

"During this inspection department staff and Cargill personnel observe storm water discharging a green effluent to the lake near outfall number 3," Hang reads allowed from the DEC document," says Walter Hang, President and Founder of Toxics Targeting Inc.

The DEC ordered for Cargill in to clean up the spill, which the salt mine says that they did just that. But, Hang was concerned because he had to get this information by applying for it through the Freedom of Information Act and it was not made public. He finds that it is the public right to know when something like this spill occurs, especially when it goes into the local lake.

"This is an unpermitted discharge and the public should have been warned about this to stay away from this area that has not been comprehensively cleaned up. So the bottom line is, they identified contamination it exceeded the clean up requirement and they left it in place," says Hang.

WENY did reach out to the Cargill Salt mine and they said they were aware of the spill back in February and took immediate action to shut down the pipe carrying the chemical, fixed and tested it before returning it to service. But Hang is not convinced that the problem has been solved.

"So we have no idea when it began and we don't know whether or not contamination from historic discharges is continuing to seep into the lake. So this site, because it's so huge, because it's so close to drinking water intakes, it has to be investigated and cleaned up on a comprehensive basis," says Hang.

Cargill said that they participate in rigorous environmental monitoring and annual regulatory inspections in compliance with our operating permits. The company took numerous actions to ensure the spill was properly cleaned up and have been regularly motoring the area.

For Hangs full report and extra details, you can click here.