The Sunday, Nov. 6, article by Jesse Burkhardt on the AmeriTies plant in The Dalles was totally one-sided and not very informative on the dangers of the coal tar creosote used in the treatment process.
If you google "coal tar creosote,” it is clearly stated that it causes cancer. The plant not only emits a foul mothball odor on no-wind days, or rainy days, that people find offensive, but there is also a health risk that makes some people sick.
Some people move here and six months later have to move away because their children get violently ill on smelly no-wind days. Jesse failed to mention this.
I wonder how many new businesses come to The Dalles, look around and think about locating their business here then smell the foul stench of creosote and go to Hood River or elsewhere?
The plant sits on one of two superfund sites here in The Dalles. Yes, they have been manufacturing railroad ties there for 90 years. Amerities has been polluting The Dalles for over 90 years and it's time to stop.
There are a number of ways to mitigate the health risks, and Jeff Thompson, the plant manager, has known about them for years. Here are some.
Odor neutralizer (Super F, out of Canada) is a chemical you add to the creosote that gets rid of 70 percent of the creosote smell.
Change the preservatives to oil borne Copper Napthelate, a less toxic general use wood preservative (as opposed to restricted use preservative.)
Storage of inventory: Don’t store on site! I'm sure Union Pacific has somewhere in the middle of nowhere that is far from humans where they could store the smelly ties.
Odor scrubbers: The JH Baxter plant in Eugene uses them and they get fewer complaints.
The AmeriTies plant should be moved somewhere far from where humans have to smell it and have to deal with the health risks from creosote.
The area needs to be cleaned up from 90 years of coal tar creosote, think of the jobs that would create!
Whenever I'm trying to enjoy my coffee on the deck or walk the dog by the middle school (where the kids are smelling it) and become overwhelmed with nasty pungent creosote smell, I call Jeff at the plant at 541-296-1808 and tell him where I am and how strong the smell is and how it stinks, and by law he has to report it to the Oregon DEQ.
You want to be a good neighbor Jeff?? Then quit polluting our air.
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