She worries about cancer in children, impaired learning ability, behavioral and endocrine effects, as well as miscarriage and birth defects. Remaining on the TRAC are the American Crop Protection Association, Monsanto Company, Novartis Crop Protection, and Dow AgroSciences. Paper and paper products companies reported 51 percent, of all chemical releases in Washington. They were followed by industries that produce primary metal products, with 15 percent of all releases, and transportation equipment manufacturers, with 8.5 percent of releases. Methanol was the most-released chemical, at seven million pounds.
Methanol is released into the air primarily from the pulping process at paper mills.
Ammonia, carbonyl sulfide and hydrogen fluoride were the next-highest chemical releases reported. Twenty manufacturing facilities with the largest quantities of TRI releases accounted for 74 percent of all chemical releases in Washington. The pipe was allegedly used to discharge water contaminated with toxics including zinc, lead and cadmium into Long Lake, a tributary of the Mississippi River. Lead, zinc, and cadmium can be harmful to fish and aquatic life and can make water undrinkable for humans, birds and wildlife. Chemetco Inc., a Delaware corporation conducting business in Madison County, Illinois, and six of its employees were indicted on charges of conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act.