PACE International Union May Sue Continental Carbon over Violations of Environmental Laws in Texas and Oklahoma

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PACE International Union May Sue Continental Carbon over Violations of

Environmental Laws in Texas and Oklahoma

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PACE International Union May Sue Continental Carbon over Violations of

Environmental Laws in Texas and Oklahoma

PONCA CITY, OKLAHOMA, Feb. 25 -/E-Wire/-- The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) today served Continental Carbon Company and its Taiwan-based parent companies, China Synthetic Rubber Company and Taiwan Cement Corp., with a "Notice of Intent to Sue" for alleged violations of state and federal environmental laws in Sunray, Texas, and Ponca City, Okla.

The union claims that Continental Carbon's violations of environmental laws at its Oklahoma and Texas plants pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health, employees, firefighters and the environment.

According to Rick Lowerre, the attorney representing PACE in this action, the laws allegedly violated by the company include the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); and the emergency planning and community Right-to-Know Act.

Possible violations listed in the notices include: the failure to obtain a hazardous waste permit; acceptance of hazardous wastes without authorizations; failure to make hazardous waste determinations; failure to dispose of hazardous waste properly; failure to investigate releases of hazardous wastes; failure to maintain required records; failure to follow shipping requirements; and failure to report on all toxic releases.

A major potential violation cited by PACE is Continental Carbon's failure to treat carbon black oil as a hazardous waste. Carbon black oil is the tarry sludge-like residue left over from the oil refining process. This heavily contaminated waste is used to make carbon black, an ingredient in tires and other plastic products. The carbon black oil, which workers have been exposed to, can contain chemicals that cause cancer and other health problems.

PACE also filed the notices with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

According to Lowerre, a 60-day notice is required prior to the filing of a federal lawsuit that seeks civil penalties for violations, injunctive relief to stop future violations, and recovery of expert and attorney fees.

The notice filed concerning the Ponca City plant is limited to violations of the RCRA. A separate notice of additional violations may be forthcoming. The Ponca City plant was recently cited by the state for wastewater and public water supply violations. Chemical barrels and carbon black found behind the plant also are under investigation.

In addition to having serious public health concerns, PACE believes that worker health and safety may be compromised by the alleged violations. "Our members will not be used as canaries in the mines," said Joe Drexler, PACE director of special projects. "If the company, EPA or state agencies do not take major remedial action within the next sixty days, the union intends to file a lawsuit."

PACE also is calling for possible action against the China Synthetic Rubber Corp. and Taiwan Cement Corp., the parent companies of Continental Carbon that are controlled by the Koo's Group of Taiwan. The Koo family is one of Taiwan's richest and also controls Chinatrust Bank, which operates 18 branches in the United States.

Texans United Education Fund, an environmental organization with members who work at or live near the Sunray, Texas, plant, also is serving Continental Carbon with a "Notice of Intent to Sue."

PACE International Union represents over 320,000 workers in the oil, chemical, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, atomic, kaolin, auto parts and corn milling industries. For further information on Continental Carbon's environmental problems, see www.fightbackonline.org

Rick Lowerre, attorney-at-law, (512) 482-9345,

Richard Abraham, PACE environmental consultant, (713) 880-5170, cell (713) 299-5659,

Todd Carlson, PACE Local 5-857, Ponca City, Okla., facility (580) 762-8447, Tony Brazell, PACE Local 4-487, Sunray, Texas, facility (806) 935-7029, Joe Drexler, PACE special projects director, (615) 594-2074

http://www.fightbackonline.org

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