November 16, 2008 Study: Steel mill dust may be toxic Excessive lead, manganese found in Claymont By KRISTIN HARTY The News Journal CLAYMONT -- A preliminary report measuring specific air pollutants near the Claymont Steel mill confirms what some residents have long suspected: Metallic soot that settles every day on cars, windows and porches might be hazardous to their health. About 75 people gathered at Claymont Elementary School on Saturday morning to hear the findings of the much-anticipated study, which used dust samples collected by residents to measure levels of lead and manganese. Data indicated that residents who live near the mill "may have increased risk of health effects" associated with chronic exposure to manganese and lead. Manganese exposure can cause damage to the nervous system with symptoms of fatigue, loss of memory and attention, concentration difficulty, nightmares, unusual sweating, sexual dysfunction and joint pain, the report says. "It's more than just a nuisance," said Denny Larson, executive director of Global Community Monitor, a San Francisco environmental nonprofit that helps communities monitor neighborhoods. Hired by the state -- with a $50,000 contribution from Claymont Steel -- GCM will continue to monitor air pollution in the area as part of the yearlong project. Saturday's report is preliminary, Larson stressed. For years, residents who live near the 87-year-old mill have complained about the metallic dust that rains down on their homes and cars. In late 2005 and the first nine months of 2006, Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control received more than 100 complaints about the dust, which can be gathered with a magnet. "When we complain, DNREC always says [the dust] is too heavy to breathe," said Jerry McCoy, who's lived near the steel mill for more than 30 years. "You can't have a lot of dust like that and not have dust that's left in the air that you can breathe." Last summer, a citizen-led watchdog group formed to monitor pollution from the mill on Philadelphia Pike between I-495 and Naamans Road. The plant came under fire last year when Delaware officials said illegal emissions contaminated with mercury had the potential to harm "human, plant, or animal life, or to unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property." Claymont Steel general manager Victor Parker attended Saturday's public hearing, but said he couldn't comment about the report because he hadn't had a chance to review it. "I was here today just to see the results of the study," Parker said, after a woman in the audience asked him whether employees received physicals to monitor their health. Parker said the company will host a public meeting "after the first of the year" to review the report and explain the steel mill's manufacturing process and its compliance with environmental regulations. GCM's Larson said residents are eager to meet with company representatives to find solutions. "We really want to sit down with Claymont Steel and work out a program that will eliminate the dust from traveling out into the community," Larson said. "It's not healthy for you. It's not good for your property and your cars." In the study, residents collected 42 air samples -- 37 outdoor and five indoor -- from July 25 to Oct. 2. Eight of the 37 outdoor samples contained levels of manganese that exceed EPA standards; four of 37 contained lead levels that exceeded those standards. Most of the samples were collected by people who live within a mile of the mill, and levels of the particles were higher when the wind was blowing toward their homes. "The way the economy is, who can move?" said Nichole Wilson, of the Knollwood neighborhood near the plant. She said her 11-year-old son suffers from a number of symptoms associated with lead exposure, including attention deficit disorder and a weakened immune system. Claymont Community Coalition President George Losse encouraged residents to keep logs and report problems. "We don't want to close the plant," said Losse, noting that some improvements have been made. "But we don't want to put up with emissions. All they have to do is whatever they have to do to enclose that -- to keep it in their fenceline."