We received test results from the Sierra Club for the last round of furnace filters taken from residents’ homes near Carus Chemical after the January 11 explosion and fire at Carus’ manufacturing plant in La Salle, Illinois.
Barium. Copper, Lead, Manganese and Zinc were found in every filter that was tested. 3 filters had Mercury. 1 filter, from Ottawa, had silica in it.
Denise Trabbic-Pointer is a Toxic and Remediation Specialist at the Sierra Club Club Michigan Chapter. She serves as a national technical resource volunteer for communities impacted by releases of toxins to air, water and/or soil.
She is a Chemical Engineer with a BS and MS in Hazardous Materials Management, an EHS professional and a Certified Hazardous Material Manager (CHMM) Emeritus. She retired in 2019 after 42 years at Dupont and a spin-off company, Axalta Coating Systems.
Denise sent the below letter outlining her concerns and recommendations to the EPA and LaSalle City Council about Carus Chemicals’ manufacturing plant, Ottawa storage building and toxic waste landfill.
LaSalle City Council got grim numbers about the Carus Chemical fire Monday night. At Mayor Jeff Grove’s invitation, the Sierra Club‘s MIla Kellen Marshall P.hD and Denise Trabbic-Pointer spoke to the Council about testing done immediately after the January 11th fire. Speaking by phone from Michigan, Trabbic-Pointer said particulate matter was sampled for about 19 hours after the blaze.
This dust is so fine, she said, it gets into the deepest parts of the lungs. More troubling said Trabbic-Pointer, were results showing levels 12 points above the 24-hour regulatory limit. Later, an examination of eight furnace filters taken from affected homes showed the presence of the metals Barium, Copper, Lead, Manganese and Zinc. Alderman Jim Bacidore asked Trabbic-Pointer is it safe outside for kids and pets:
For almost two hours, residents whose property took the brunt of the chemical laden smoke, took more shots at Carus and sometimes the city. The question of legal action against Carus was discussed. City Attorney Jim McPhedran said it’s something that’s costly and a deeply involved process. Carus Chemical officials continue to duck City Council meetings.
We are working with Sierra Club to test furnace/air filters & soil for contaminants from the chemical fire & Carus’ plumes.
Contact Jamie Hicks 815-252-4417 for information.
Sierra Club Illinois will be present at the LaSalle City Council meeting on Monday, March 6th to discuss these chemicals, health effects and results of previous air filter tests.
Please attend if you’re available.
City Hall Meeting
City of LaSalle Building
745 2nd St, LaSalle, IL
Monday, March 6, 2023, 6:30pm
Below is a list of contaminants w/ health effects that were found in the last round of testing. Check out our blog for more information about EPA & Sierra Club testing. https://protectstarvedrock.wordpress.com/…/epa-test…/
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Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7))
Cardiovascular: Referring to the heart and blood vessels. Effects may include arrhythmia, changes in blood pressure, heart failure and/or disorders of the peripheral blood vessels.
Renal: Referring to the kidneys. Effects may include decreased filtering capacity/ efficiency, blood in the urine and/or increased/decreased blood pressure.
Mercury compounds
Developmental: Referring to growth, differentiation and maturation. Effects may occur from conception through sexual maturation, and may include altered growth, structural abnormalities and/or functional deficiencies.
Neurological: Referring to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Effects may include impaired sensory and motor signaling.
Other Systemic: Effects not otherwise categorized.
Renal: Referring to the kidneys. Effects may include decreased filtering capacity/ efficiency, blood in the urine and/or increased/decreased blood pressure.
Lead compounds
Cancer: Probable human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals only applies to inorganic lead compounds
Cardiovascular: Referring to the heart and blood vessels. Effects may include arrhythmia, changes in blood pressure, heart failure and/or disorders of the peripheral blood vessels.
Developmental: Referring to growth, differentiation and maturation. Effects may occur from conception through sexual maturation, and may include altered growth, structural abnormalities and/or functional deficiencies.
Hematological: Referring to the blood. Effects may include alterations of blood composition, clotting and/or the production and function of blood cells, e.g., red blood cell production within bone marrow, red blood cell ability to carry oxygen.
Neurological: Referring to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Effects may include impaired sensory and motor signaling.
Copper compounds
Gastrointestinal : Referring to all parts of the digestive tract. Effects may include inflammation, ulcers, reflux and/or vomiting.
Respiratory: Referring to the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide. Effects may include inflammation of the lungs or associated airways, increased/decreased breathing rate, insufficient oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange and/or respiratory failure.
The Sierra Club has been a wonderful resource for the community as we navigate through the fallout of the Carus Chemical disaster.
As Hannah and Sonya wrote in the below article, what happened that day was straight out of a disaster movie – a chemical cloud covered the sky and rained down on the City of LaSalle, Illinois.
Residents who live closest to the chemical plant had the most fallout.
Emails obtained through FOIA revealed that Carus Chemical instructed the City how to handle the situation and when to inform residents as the events unfolded that day.
Residents were not made aware of the situation until approximately 45 minutes after the explosion of chemicals and the fire broke out.
They were told to shelter in place and not evacuate the area as toxic smoke filled the air.
Despite having a chemical plant next to a residential neighborhood, there was not a hazmat plan in place.
Brownfield, the company the City of LaSalle hired to perform tests to determine cleanup efforts, did not test for the full spectrum of chemicals and metals and released only partial results at the LaSalle city council meeting last Monday, February 6, 2023.
Thankfully, one LaSalle resident, Jamie Hicks, who lives in the neighborhood hit hardest, was not accepting their explanations or results.
EPA test results obtained through FOIA reveled much more than what the City of LaSalle and Carus Chemical released.
Below is a list of chemicals and heavy metals found in samples taken by the EPA that were tested and had levels beyond what the EPA considers acceptable.
These chemicals and metals are in peoples’ yards, where their pets and children play, on their homes, decks, and in their pools and garden beds.
Some residents were outside when the cloud of toxins passed over.
As chemicals and ash rained down from the sky, their bodies were covered in it.
The Sierra Club has been incredibly helpful with helping us understand what this means.
Below is an article published by Sonya Lunder, Senior Toxic Policy Advisor, and Hannah Lee Flath at the Sierra club.
THANK YOU, Sierra Club for your support and knowledge.
Read: Toxic Ash Is Raining Down in Illinois. It’s Time for the EPA to Step Up: The nation’s environmental watchdog needs to enact the strongest possible protections for workers and fenceline communities. By Hannah Lee Flath and Sonya Lunder at the Sierra Club:
The below information was provided by the Sierra Club:
Results compared to RSL in soil
The results for two metals, Manganese and Thallium were above the EPA regional screening levels (RSL) for residential soil. Three results, Selenium, Cadmium and Cobalt, were above the Noncarcinogenic Screening Levels – Child criteria. The following are brief descriptions of the hazards of each of these metals. Keep in mind that the described health impacts are based on chronic exposures that are above the listed screening levels and do not describe the effect of a single acute exposure.
Manganese: Manganese in water poses minimal hazards, however, manganese is soil or dust does pose a significant hazard, especially through inhalation. Manganese toxicity can result in a permanent neurological disorder known as manganism with symptoms that include tremors, difficulty walking, and facial muscle spasms. These symptoms are often preceded by other lesser symptoms, including irritability, aggressiveness, and hallucinations. The average manganese soil concentrations in the United States is 40–900 mg/kg. Source: ATSDR – CDC. The maximum manganese level in this one soil sample was 293,000 mg/Kg. The screening level for a child that is listed is primarily based on ingestion of Manganese. The inhalation screening level for a child is 7,100 mg/Kg.
Thallium: Thallium blood concentration levels are normal below 2 µg/L, and toxic at concentrations greater than 200 µg/L. DELAYED EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE: Long-term effects of thallium exposure can include difficulty walking, various involuntary movement disorders, and impairment of thought and mood. Source: NIOSH – CDC High concentration of thallium in shallow soil also poses a notable threat due to possible uptake by plant roots and storage in plant biomass. As a result, thallium may enter the food chain and accumulate in living organisms, causing severe disorders and ultimately becoming fatal. Source: National Library of Medicine. The screening level for a child that is listed is primarily based on ingestion of Thallium.
Selenium: Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral required for good health. It is obtained from food, and the recommended dietary allowance is 55 μg/d for persons 14 years or older, with a tolerable upper intake limit of 400 μg/d. Selenium toxicity can occur with acute or chronic ingestion of excess selenium. Symptoms of selenium toxicity include nausea; vomiting; nail discoloration, brittleness, and loss; hair loss; fatigue; irritability; and foul breath odor (often described as “garlic breath”). Source: National Library of Medicine. The screening level for a child that is listed is primarily based on ingestion of Selenium.
Cadmium: Cadmium (Cd) is a post-transition metal that has been found to exhibit biological toxicity that is “teratogenic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic.” It is easily absorbed by crops, causes harm to crop growth and development, affects crop quality and yield, and, as part of the food chain, leads to damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, and reproductive organs, causes toxic effects to the immune and cardiovascular systems, and is associated with various diseases. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), lists Cd as the sixth most toxic substance that endangers human health. Source: National Library of Medicine. The screening level for a child that is listed is primarily based on ingestion of Cadmium.
Cobalt: Cobalt is a natural element found throughout the environment. Acute (short-term) exposure to high levels of cobalt by inhalation in humans and animals results in respiratory effects, such as a significant decrease in ventilatory function, congestion, edema, and hemorrhage of the lung. Respiratory effects are also the major effects noted from chronic (long-term) exposure to cobalt by inhalation, with respiratory irritation, wheezing, asthma, pneumonia, and fibrosis noted. Cardiac effects, congestion of the liver, kidneys, and conjunctiva, and immunological effects have also been noted in chronically-exposed humans. Cobalt is an essential element in humans, as a constituent of vitamin B12. Human studies are inconclusive regarding inhalation exposure to cobalt and cancer. EPA has not classified cobalt for carcinogenicity. Source: US EPA. The screening level for a child that is listed is primarily based on ingestion of Cobalt.
Potassium: Note that there is no EPA RSL or SL for Potassium but the maximum level in the soil sample was 71,600 mg/Kg (ppm). Potassium is a major plant nutrient. Healthy levels of potassium in soil range from 40 to 80 ppm. There are no severe health impacts related to ingestion or exposure to potassium. However, your total intake of potassium should not be greater than the recommended amounts, unless ordered by your doctor. In some cases, too much potassium may cause muscle weakness, confusion, irregular heartbeat, or difficult breathing. Source: Mayo Clinic
I don’t know what criteria that Brownfield, the City or EPA will use as comparison of the results. That is why I used listed Generic Regional Screening Levels. Besides comparing each result to some criteria, Cumulative Impacts are something that needs to be considered by the responsible parties. Many of the symptoms of over-exposure to these metals are common and result in similar endpoints and so, in a cumulative or additive manner, can be more harmful in combination.
The Sierra Club has been a wonderful resource for the community as we navigate through the fallout of the Carus Chemical disaster.
As Hannah and Sonya wrote in the below article, what happened that day was straight out of a disaster movie – a chemical cloud covered the sky and rained down on the City of LaSalle, Illinois.
Residents who live closest to the chemical plant had the most fallout.
Emails obtained through FOIA revealed that Carus Chemical instructed the City how to handle the situation and when to inform residents as the events unfolded that day.
Residents were not made aware of the situation until approximately 45 minutes after the explosion of chemicals and the fire broke out.
They were told to shelter in place and not evacuate the area as toxic smoke filled the air.
Despite having a chemical plant next to a residential neighborhood, there was not a hazmat plan in place.
Brownfield, the company the City of LaSalle hired to perform tests to determine cleanup efforts, did not test for the full spectrum of chemicals and metals and released only partial results at the LaSalle city council meeting last Monday, February 6, 2023.
Thankfully, one LaSalle resident, Jamie Hicks, who lives in the neighborhood hit hardest, was not accepting their explanations or results.
Test results obtained through FOIAs sent to the EPA reveled much more than what the City of LaSalle and Carus Chemical released.
Below is a list of chemicals and heavy metals from samples taken by the EPA that were tested and had levels beyond what the EPA considers acceptable.
These chemicals and metals are in peoples’ yards, where their pets and children play, on their homes, decks, and in their pools and garden beds.
Some residents were outside when the cloud of toxins passed over.
As chemicals and ash rained down from the sky, their bodies were covered in it.
The Sierra Club has been incredibly helpful with helping us understand what this means.
Below is an article published by Sonya Lunder, the Senior Toxic Policy Advisor, and Hannah Lee Flath at the Sierra club.
THANK YOU, Sierra Club for your support and knowledge.
Protect Starved Rock and The Illinois Valley 
