[CPEO-MEF] No pollution controls in tungsten plant

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Nevada
No pollution controls in tungsten plant
Frank X. Mullen Jr.
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
2/5/2003 11:19 pm

FALLON — A company smelted tungsten ore in an open air kiln without
pollution controls for more than 20 years 10 miles north of this town,
where scientists say the metal may be related to a leukemia cluster.

Yet, in more than two years of hearings and questions to Nevada agencies
from media, the public and families of cancer patients, Nevada officials
didn’t specifically mention the long-term lack of environmental controls
at the refinery kiln owned by Kennametal Inc., one of the area’s oldest
and largest employers.

Kennemetal officials said the company is not tied to health problems in
Fallon. They said the firm complies with all regulations and is doing
everything possible to assist in the cancer cluster probe.

State regulators last week said they didn’t elaborate on the firm’s
environmental history because they didn’t think it was relevant and they
didn’t want to mention specific companies that haven’t been accused of
anything. At the insistence of state and federal regulators, the company
installed emissions controls at the kiln in 1994.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.rgj.com//news/stories/html/2003/02/05/33772.php

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