San Francisco – Three environmental groups today sent a notice of intent to sue a Dow Chemical plant in Pittsburg, California, for serious violations of federal hazardous waste laws meant to control air pollution.
The 1,000-acre Dow plant, located 40 miles northeast of San Francisco, manufactures fertilizers, insecticides, and personal care products in a community of 70,000 people, many of them Latinos, African Americans and people with lower incomes.
The plant is violating health-based limits in a state permit that control when and how much hazardous waste it can burn in its furnaces, and is also operating a wastewater treatment system without the proper hazardous waste permit, according to the notice from the Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Environmental Advocates.
“There is no legitimate reason why Dow should be operating those furnaces – and burning hazardous waste – in a way that releases dangerous pollutants into the community,” said Andres Soto, Organizer with Communities for a Better Environment. “This is a serious environmental justice issue because 75 percent of people living in this area are people of color who live below the poverty level.”