State: No Risk From Coronet

By JAN HOLLINGSWORTH The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 8, 2006

PLANT CITY - For the first time in more than 20 years, Greg Williams says he's seeing Spanish moss on the oaks that shade Lexie Lane, and butterflies floating among the summer blossoms in his yard.

The return of these fragile creatures, he thinks, are signs that air quality near Coronet Industries has improved since March 2004, when the plant ceased operations.

Williams' mother, Faye, is thrilled to see the butterflies, which she used to chase across the property as a child. She, like her son, views them as a sign of environmental healing.

But she finds it hard to reconcile these tokens of renewal with the contents of a new 40-page report in which the Florida Department of Health concludes there is "no apparent public health hazard" posed by the contaminated plant site.

"I'd feel a lot more comfortable if the health department lived out here and drank the water and used all the facilities we do and then say it couldn't have hurt us," she said.

A lot has changed in the three years since state and federal agencies launched an inquiry into health complaints from people living near the century-old phosphate processing plant:

Much of the toxic brew that filled more than 300 acres of process ponds has been treated and discharged into local streams.

A huge demolition machine steadily is chewing through the plant's rusting buildings and infrastructure.

The list of former employees and residents, including the Williams family, who are suing Coronet for damaged health and property values has grown to nearly 1,200.

One thing, however, remains unchanged: the state's conclusion that the heavily contaminated site poses no apparent threat to public health.

Coronet spokesman Tom Stewart said Wednesday the company is pleased with the assessment.

"From our perspective, it speaks for itself," he said.

Important Distinction

The long-awaited public health assessment incorporates information from seven previous reports regarding nearby private drinking water wells; off-site soil, fish, air and urine testing; and area cancer rates.

The new draft report adds a section on surface water analysis and addresses specific kinds of health concerns.

In each case, the determination was the same: no apparent public health hazard.

There is a major caveat: According to the health department, not enough is known about levels of contamination before 2003 to determine the risk to people who were exposed before then.

Texas lawyer Jim Ross, who represents the plaintiffs suing Coronet, said the report is misleading and structured to give people a false sense of security.

"If you've been exposed in the last year of plant operations, you're OK, but if you've been exposed prior to that, we really don't know," he said.

Residents have expressed worries that cancers, respiratory problems, stomach ailments, and bone, dental and fertility problems might be caused by contaminated air and water.

Toxic byproducts of the phosphate plant such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and fluoride were dumped into 10 unlined ponds on the Coronet site, where contaminated process water found its way into groundwater and drainage ditches leading to English Creek.

Monitoring wells on the Coronet site detected a plume of contaminated water migrating beneath the Coronet site.

In 2003, spurred by a citizen's concerns, testing of 145 area wells detected various levels of contamination - some linked directly to Coronet's leaking ponds. The state began supplying bottled drinking water to about 40 households where contamination exceeded state and federal standards.

Plant City officials recently asked for bids to connect many homes in the area to the municipal water supply.

Nonetheless, health officials concluded levels of contamination are not high enough to be likely causes of illness.

Agencies Face Litigation

The investigators say the information gathered in sampling air, water, soil blood and urine offers a snapshot of what was present at that moment.

Ross says that's not enough.

"Without an understanding of the historical extent of contamination, you cannot say there is no apparent health risk out there. It's a good example of why we are bringing the state of Florida and Hillsborough County as defendants into this lawsuit as well," he said.

The law firm served state and county agencies with notice of its intent to add them to the lawsuit late last year. Ross said he expects to refile the suit to include them in the next 30 to 60 days.

Richard Garrity, current head of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission and former district chief of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, says he thinks both agencies did their job in managing Coronet's environmental issues through the years.

"We found problems; we took enforcement actions," he said.

The state health department took the lead role in the investigation, with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry supplying funding and technical assistance and the EPC and DEP conducting much of the environmental testing.

Randy Merchant, from the state's Bureau Of Community Environmental Health and co-author of the report, will present the draft report, which will be subject to revision during a public comment period, to the county commission - sitting as the Environmental Protection Commission - on June 15.

Later that day, he and other officials will host an open forum at Springhead Elementary School, 3208 Nesmith Road, from 3 to 8 p.m.

"That will mark the beginning of the public comment period on the report," he said.

Researcher Buddy Jaudon contributed to this story. Contact Jan Hollingsworth at (813) 865-4436 or jhollingsworth@tampatrib

CORONET PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT, JUNE 2006

CONCLUSIONS

•No apparent public health hazard for exposure after 2003.

•Levels of contaminants measured during 2003 - in urine of nearby residents; private drinking water wells; off-site surface soil, fish and outdoor air; and off-site surface water - are unlikely to cause illness.

•Insufficient information to determine the public health risk from exposure before 2003.

•If Coronet site changes from industrial to commercial or residential land use, on-site environmental information should be reviewed to determine health threat for site users.

Source: Florida Department of Health

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