Toxic nightmare concerns - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Toxic nightmare concerns

The Environmental Protection Agency is addressing the concerns of Flowood residents about the Sonford Products superfund site. Work will begin in a matter of days but this toxic nightmare started more than 30 years ago.

Flowood residents and city officials listened and asked questions of the EPA about the Sonford superfund site.

Next week, in the first of three big phases, soil samples will be taken from the yards of eight residents. That process should wrap up in mid-august.

"We're in the final stages but this will still be a several year process, as money becomes available" said Richard Ball of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. 

The two chemical processing plants once stood on a six acre site. The EPA Is also aware of groundwater contamination in the area and near homes.

This toxic mess started nearly three decades ago with an explosion and a spill. Brenda Marshall has lived in the area 59 years and says her brother died after working at Sonford for just two and a half weeks.

"It was a known fact that he was killed with this pentachlorophenal" said Marshall. "I would like for all of that to be cleaned up, make sure that it's cleaned up and the people compensated."

Sonford made wood preservatives and pesticides.

Some environmental investigators have been working on the case for years and are happy residents will soon have a cleaner place to live.

"I'm hoping it brings a final closure" added Ball. "This has been an ongoing investigation going back almost 30 years from the operational side of having a fire and releases to the point now where we're actually doing a final clean-up."

Progress has been made but peace of mind will take some time.

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