Claremore Acres Subdivision

Proposed Steel Tube Plant

4 Tons vs. 191 Tons of Toxic Emissions

Hello All-

Many of you have read about the PROPOSED Maverick Tube/Republic Conduit plant in Riverport and how Maverick is closing TWO union plants in Michigan and one non-union plant in Georgia and will be combining operations in Louisville's Riverport.

What you HAVEN'T HEARD from the Courier-Journal (and most of the other local news outlets) is that this manufacturing plant will be ADDING more than 191 TONS of pollution to Louisville's air.

Here's the kicker ... the C-J published an editorial on THU Feb. 17, 2005 that claimed that the VET program (which went on for nearly 20 years) was responsible for removing only 4 TONS of pollution from Louisville's air each year. The APCD and nearly ALL the elected officials repeatedly claimed that the VET program was ESSENTIAL to Louisville being able to meet "tougher" new Federal standards. If the VET program went away (they claimed) then Louisville would be in all sorts of jeopardy regarding job growth, transportation funding, etc.

So far, the APCD and nearly ALL these same elected officials ENTHUSIASTICALLY support this Maverick plan to ADD 191 TONS of POLLUTION EACH YEAR (including 35 TONS of OZONE precursors!)

SAY WHAT?!

If Louisville has a problem with only 4 TONS that was "cleaned" by the VET, how can these same people ALLOW a plant that will ADD 191 TONS of a toxic soup?

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!
Either we have an air quality problem or we don't. Either way, 191 TONS of ADDITIONAL POLLUTION absolutely cannot help the lungs of Louisville residents.

Those of you who can rally folks concerned about air quality in Louisville are URGED to do so NOW. On SAT March 5, 2005 there will be a rally at the Southwest Government Center to let folks know about this HUGE INDUSTRIAL POLLUTER coming to our city.

Letter to the Corps of Engineers

Dear Mr. McKay,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my concerns over the proposed Maverick Steel Manufacturing Plant to be built directly adjoining our neighborhood. I would also like to thank you for allowing me to share these concerns with you for your consideration.

First of all I would like to state that I acknowledge the right of the Riverport Authority to develop the site in question. If the proposed facility were a warehouse or distribution center, I would not be standing so adamantly opposed to its construction. However, this proposed facility should be, in my opinion, considered a heavy industry. The proposed plant would be producing ½” to 4” galvanized steel electrical conduit. In the process of manufacturing these tubes, many harmful and dangerous chemical substances will be employed and emitted. Since these chemicals will be utilized on a constant, round the clock basis, the frequent shipping of new chemicals, off-loading, and the removal of waste materials would be occurring. Being that human beings are prone to error, one could only assume that accidents are bound to happen. The fact that all this activity would be taking place merely a few hundred feet from the back doors of many residents here, is a cause for great concern.

I will admit to you that I am involved in an effort to stop Maverick Steel from coming to this location for precisely the reasons stated above. In addition to those reasons, as a resident of Claremore Acres, I would have to endure the potential smell and constant din of its operation. As a property owner, I stand to lose valuation of my biggest investment, my home. In an effort to understand the rights and limitations of Riverport’s development policies, I requested and received a copy of their Declaration of Restrictions. This Declaration was adopted on July 15, 1982 by the LOUISVILLE AND JEFFERSON COUNTY RIVERPORT AUTHORITY. Under the section, 6.1 Use of Building Sites, second paragraph, reads as follows:

Purchasers and lessees of land within the Riverport Complex agree not to use or allow the use of any trade or manufacturing which, according to the standards described herein, is noxious or offensive or the source of annoyance or nuisance to other occupants of the Riverport Complex or adjacent residential areas including but not limited to unsightliness, noise, or excessive emission of odors, fumes, smoke, dust, or noxious gases. No activity shall be carried on which may be or may become dangerous to public health or safety…

It seems to me that the operation of such a plant would pose a danger to public health & safety, either by incidence or by long term exposure to emissions. After doing some research on the internet, we found some interesting facts about Maverick Steel from the EPA’s website. Their plant in Ferndale, Michigan is one of the leading polluters in Oakland County, a suburb of Detroit. Out of 43 industries located there, it ranked 6th in harmful emissions. This is one of the plants that they will be closing to bring operations here. With a track record like that, how can we have reasonable assurances for the future?

Thanks for hearing me out regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Mike Stansbury.