Area around Bluffs firm violated air standards

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Andrew J. Nelson

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently confirmed that an area of western Council Bluffs violated the national lead air quality standard in 2010, but a state monitoring agency said there have been no such violations this year as of mid-November.

The 3.4 square-mile area is bounded on the north by Avenue G, to the east by 16th Street, to the south by 23rd Avenue and to the west by 35th Street.

The only known source of lead emissions in that area is Griffin Pipe Products, according to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources press release.

Griffin, based in Downers Grove, Ill., operates one of its two plants at 2601 Ninth Ave. in Council Bluffs. That is in the middle of the designated area.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20111126/NEWS01/711269923#area-around-bluffs-firm-violated-air-standards

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Griffin Pipe locked out it's union (USW) workers 4 years ago. Safety and environmental problems started then. Now they say if the new standard is upheld, they will relocate to China and avoid the EPA altogether.

[libinnyandia]

1. I am sure Governor Branstad will give Griffin 100% support. He

thinks clean air and water destroy jobs.