Media Release: Toxic Dumpsites and Polluting Companies "Honored"
with 7th Annual Dirty Dozen Awards
For Release:
December 1, 2003, 11:00 AM
For More Information:
Melissa Brandt (617) 747-4362
Jay Rasku (413) 253-4458
Boston - Putting a face on the impacts of severe cuts in the Commonwealth's
environmental agency budget cuts, Toxics Action Center, other state
environmental leaders and local residents unveiled the 7th Annual
Dirty Dozen winners which spotlight twelve of the Commonwealth's
top polluters.
This year's awards include the United States Navy and Department
of Defense for the public health threat it poses to the citizens
of South Weymouth due to its toxic dumpsite, TruGreen Chemlawn for
peddling pesticides on unsuspecting consumers' lawns throughout
the Commonwealth, and New England Landfill Solutions for its inept
closing of a Brockton landfill which has resulted in the emission
of an offensive odor and blue ooze causing residents to become ill.
"The state budget cuts are certainly being felt by Massachusetts
residents," said Jay Rasku, a spokesperson for Toxics Action
Center. " Whether it's the unwatched cleanup of a toxic waste
site in Framingham or the failure of proper evaluation of a new
trash dump in Pittsfield, it is the environment and the health of
Massachusetts residents which is at risk."
The awards, selected from nominations made by residents across
the state, were chosen by a committee of environmental professionals,
public health experts, and worker health and safety advocates. The
recipients were selected based on the severity of the threat they
pose and the unwillingness of the polluters and government officials
to adequately address the situation.
The 12 winners all distinguished themselves by their threat to
public health and the environment and for the lack of aggressive
action taken by the industry and/or government officials to address
the situation," Susan Whalen, Associate Executive Director
of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer coalition and a member of the
2003 Selection Committee.
See list for descriptions
of this year's winners.
A Dirty Dozen Award winner from 2000, a toxic waste site in
Quincy proposed as a site for a new high school, was halted just
one hour after it received its award.
Since 1987, Toxics Action Center has helped over 475 neighborhood
groups address toxic and environmental health problems in their
communities.
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