The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-06-22
Attorney Mcintosh To File Charges
Without Woiting For State Action;
Pollution Goes On Despite Lows.

week against the continued river
pollution of the Masonite plant at
Laurel which has left tons of
dead fish from a few miles above
Pascagoula back to Laurel.
The present deluge of poison
Gus wastes has been the most
destructive since l941, killing
hundreds of thousands of fish of
all species and sending schools
of shrimp crawling up the sand
banks in an effort to get air.
Spurred by the general pro-
test from counties along the riv-
er, Director w. F. Dearmap of
the state game and fish commits
sion said that legal action would
be taken by the commission
against the Masonite corporation
Immediately after a report of
field investigators was completed
in the next few days.
Dearman said the commission
would file its complaints with At
torney General Greek L. Rice,
whose office would institute the
suits.
Mcintosh To Take Action
But L. K. Mcintosh, county at
torney for Jackson county, said
that this stream pollution by Ma
sonite had continued so long
without effective action by the
state officials that "no matter
what General Rice and Mr.. Dear
man do, or do not do, / am going
to file six or seven affidavits
against Masonite, one for each
separate day that the fish were
killed. Under the statute, each
day that the offense continues af-
ter the plant has been properly
notified constituted a separate
violation. The people of this
county are aroused. I've had Is
and 20 calls a day. And I'm 60
ing to prosecute to the fullest ex-
tent of the law"
Suits may be brought either by
the state director and the attor-
ney general or by action by
county officials or individuals.
Under the general laws of 1912
the penalty for conviction is a
fine of not less than fifty dollars
Or more than three thousand, or
by Imprisonment in the county
Jail not to exceed a year, or both.
, Much of the protest in Jackson
county conferred on the fact that
though the legislature passed a
law to prevent this constant pol
luton and poisoning of Mississip-
pts rivers over three years ago,
the pollution continues and the
dead fish continue to float down
stream no matter what excuses
have been offered by the offend
ing plant, and no matter what
talk of action has been voiced by
the responsible state authorities.
Angered fishermen were re-
turning last week to Pascagoula
from places like Cumbest Bluff
and Hackney Lake, a few miles
upstream with clear evidence
that the poisons were being dis
charged IN great quantity.
Count IL Species
One party counted IL species
of aquatic life. perch. Dream, bass,
crappie, catfish, cells, shrimp and
many others. A. j. Franklin,
county farm agent, who was fish
ing below Cambest Bluff last
Sunday when the heaviest amount
of the waste began to come
down, said that there were little
founders who had gone upstream
to spawning grounds that were
lying dead in countless thousands
along the banks.
Shrimp were crawling up
banks trying to get air, and sand
bars were Uttered with dead fish
and thousands of others were
floting down stream, he said.
By coincidence, a stream pollu-
ton expert for the U. S. Fish and
Wild Life Service, DR.. M. M. FL
lis, happened to be in Mississippi
on a tour and went down to Cum
best Bluff to get material for a
full report. Director Dearman
of the state commission said this
report will be turned over TO
General Rice for action immedi-
ately upon completion. Reached
by telephone in jackson Thurs
day, MIR. Dearman said that the
commission would seek to have
the attorneys of all affected coun-
ties join IN the action.
Asked why the Masonite pol
luton still continued after his
department had been empowered
by law to stop it and given the
duty to do so. Mr.. Dearman said
that all plants in the statae had
been instructed by the depart
ment in March, 1914, to institute