OurAir

Note from E. Huvos: When I presented this data directly to Rockwool’s leadership, they tried to discredit what I was saying based on the fact that I used 2016 vs 2017 data (to be clear the EPA plans to publish the complete, quality-checked 2017 dataset in October 2018, followed by the 2017 TRI National Analysis in January 2019, so I was going off best available data). In fairness, based on the initial 2017 data, Rockwool HAS reduced their formaldehyde emissions significantly, due to reformulating the binder they use. However another TRI criteria pollutant, ammonia, went up significantly from 2016 to 2017. The total 2017 TRI air releases for Roxul Byhalia, based on preliminary data, were 423,816.73 pounds.

What is in the wind and where is it going?

“The maximum significant impact area (SIA, i.e., the distance defined by furthest receptor from the Project with a modeled concentration due to the Project in excess of an applicable SIL) was within 56 km for the 1-hour average and within 5 km for the larger averaging periods.” FWIW, 56 km is about 35 miles. There are 72 towns with a population of at least 250 people within a 35-mile radius of Charles Town in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Total population in this radius: Nearly 700,000. Source: Distantias.com

Rockwool, a multinational corporation based in Denmark, is planning to build a new insulation manufacturing plant in Jefferson County, West Virginia, 5 miles from SkyTruth’s front door. If built, the plant will feature a 21-story (~210 feet) tall smokestack that will spew chemicals including formaldehyde, sulfuric acid mist, and hydrochloric acid. For the full list of pollutants they plan to emit, see page 428 of the Roxul application submitted to the WV DEP on Nov 20, 2017. Read More…