The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-09-27

Is Granted |
Delayed z Weeks
Pending Trial
Of New Machinery

A temporary injunction re-
straining the Masonite Corpora
ton at Laurel from dumping its
fish-killing wastes into Talahalla
creek was granted at Meridian
Saturday by Acting Chancellor
T. Y. Miniece.
Petition for the injunction was
filed by Attorney General Greek
Rice, attorney for the State Game
and Fish Commission, and was
presented by Forrest Jackson,
special attorney for the commits
sion.
The injunction is to stand until
such time as the Masonite Cor
poration obtains from the State
Game and Fish Commission a
permit to discharge its effluent
and will "be effective from and
after two weeks from the date
hereof, or until such permit is
obtained by it (the Masonite Cor
poration) from the State Game
and Fish Commission, whichever
date is earlier; it appearing to
the court that the defendant is
about to complete and operate a
waste disposal plant for the dis
position of its waste as contained
in its effluent."
Under the new pollution law
passed at the last session of the
State Legislature a certificate of
compliance granted the Masonite
Corporation by the State Game
and Fish Commission would dis
solve the court injunction, and
allow Masonite to continue the
dumping of its eff1uent. Under
the law, however, the certifi-
cate should he based on chemical
analysis showing Masonite had
corrected its pollution problem.
The waste disposal plant re-
ferred to in an injunction is the
Doerr clarifier, Oliver filter and
incarceration plant recently in
stalled at the Masonite plant for
the removal of the wood fibers
from the Masonite effluent.
l6 Percent of Problem
This, according to Director
Freeman of the State Game and
Fish Commission, would remove
approximately is percent of the
corporations pollution problem,
the remaining 81 percent being
conferred in the wood sugars con-
tanned in the effluent which
would still be discharged into
Talahalla creek, and thus into the
Leaf and Pascagoula rivers.
Plans we're under way by civic
clubs in this section, including
the Metropolitan Club of Hatties-
burg and the Young Mems Busi-
ness Club at Moss Point, to pro-
test the issuance of any certifi-
cate of compliance to the cor
poration until an outside expert
has been called in to make pub
lie findings as to what effect the
new equipment installed at the
Laurel plant will have on its 20
year-old pollution problem.
In October, 1915, an injunction
was granted against the company
restraining them from dumping
any effluent by Chancellor Ne
vile in the Jones County Chan
Gerry court. However, the new
pollution law dissolves this in
junction and as a result effluent
discharged into Talahalla creek
several weeks ago by the corpora
ton resulted in the slaughtering
of tons of fish in Talahalla creek
and Leaf river.
The injunction in full follows:
q. That the defendant, Mason
tie corporation, subject to the
effective date herein fixed, be,
and it is hereby, restrained and
enjoined from discharging any
matter, material or substance into
Talahalla Creek or any other
public waters of the State of Mis-
sissippi, which are noxious, pois-
onous, toxic or deleterious to fish
and other aquatic life and which
tend TO destroy. injure or dam
age such fish and other aquatic
life, or are injurious or danger
Gus to the public health, or dis
charge its effluent into said
waters until such time as the said
defendant shall have obtained
a permit to discharge its efflu-
emf into Talahalla Creek as pro-
vided by law from the State
Game and Fish Commission.
80 That this injunction be eff
fective from and after two weeks
from the date hereof, or until
such permit is obtained by il
from the State Game and Fish
/ r.~,,4eesan date is