A judge has awarded the state of Maryland a $12 million settlement over air pollution from a Purdue soybean processing plant there.
This unprecedented civil penalty is an example of the type of litigation that results in improvements in the community – and that may improve air quality in the region.
Specifically, $4 million of that money is reportedly going to environmental projects in the local area.
It will also lead planners to look more closely at this facility that’s about a mile off of local Route 50.
The issue also illustrates how residents in a community have to be aware of the industry around them: what companies are doing, a company’s track record with pollution, and how that is likely to affect local life.
Purdue’s Problems in Salisbury, MD
The specific complaint shows that the company installed new equipment, without implementing the right process to figure out pollution levels and strategize pollution reduction.
This started happening in 2017, according to reports. It resulted in 40 tons of a VOC called hexane that contributes to local air pollution. Scientists suggest that hexane can mix with sunlight to become ground level ozone, and worsen respiratory problems for people in the area.
Maryland’s State Secretary of the Environment, said the settlement was a fair one for Maryland.
Reporting shows that the EPA had already fined that same facility $20,000 within the last five years.
Feedback from Local Residents
It’s not just the soybeans, either – Purdue operates chicken processing facilities that some residents feel impact the air quality in and around Salisbury.
Some suggest that powerful odors are a sign of substantial pollution that may lead to higher cancer rates, and local report that they don’t like to go outside when manure is being spread or industrial processes result in higher than usual levels of pollutants.
“The Perdue plant on 50 is ripe in the summer,” writes a local redditor. “Great way to greet visitors coming in 50 Business. Yes, you can 100% smell chicken manure in the spring when it is spread on the fields. Does the Eastern Shore have per capital cancer rates higher than the state and national averages? You betcha.”
Groundwater pollution, and pollution to the bay, is also an issue.
Some people have chosen not to move to the area because of air pollution concerns.
“We ended up not moving there,” writes another poster. “It’s insane that the pollution from the chicken industry is permitted. Ground water pollution and pollution to the bay going unchecked is ridiculous.”
Combatting Air Pollution in Your Area
Of course, you can get involved in local activism to fight back against the big polluters in a community.
Also, though, if you are already in an area with some of these issues, you can use residential air purifier units to scrub the air inside your home, and make it cleaner and more breathable.
Air purifiers work to cleanse the air that moves through them, to improve what you’re breathing day in, and day out. Over time, these machines have a direct and measurable effect on indoor air quality. You can use small air monitors to actually assess the quality of your air, and get the right strategies in place.
Using Air Purifiers in Your Home
When you want to outfit your home with modern air purifiers, you have a lot of options to choose from. There are whole home units and standalone portable air purifiers. An Airpura C700DLX, for instance, can help with certain kinds of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs, and a whole home system like the Amaircare 675 HEPA will work on all of the air within a home, 24/7, to keep it cleaner.
There are also different kinds of machines that use various technologies. There are traditional HEPA filter purifier models, and filterless models that use heat to destroy contaminants. There are models that dispense probiotic solutions to neutralize harmful bacteria or microbes in the indoor space.
Let US Air Purifiers LLC™ help you to choose the right kind of air purifier machines for your needs. Every project is different, and we can help plan to give you the best results. Live cleaner with modern infrastructure in place in your home.