Kokosing Materials, Inc.
Kokosing Materials, Inc. produces asphalt and pollution in the Cleveland area. Kokosing admits to polluting Cleveland area neighborhoods with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, and soot. Sulfur dioxide makes it harder to breathe and can aggravate asthma; it also contributes to acid rain. Soot can cause heart and lung damage and can also aggravate asthma.
Asphalt fumes contain known toxins
Asphalt plants typically pollute the community’s air with hydrogen sulfide, benzene, chromium, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cadmium and arsenic. The Ohio EPA does not require Kokosing to test and report on these pollutants. Here are the ways these pollutants are known to harm public health:
Hydrogen Sulfide |
Difficulty breathing, pulmonary edema, damage to the nervous system, irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, nausea, and headaches. |
Benzene |
Known to cause cancer and is a developmental and reproductive toxin; high exposure can cause death; lower levels of exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, and may wear down the immune system. |
Chromium |
Can cause irritate the nose, causing nosebleeds, runny nose, and ulcers and holes in the nasal septum; can cause kidney and liver damage. |
Formaldehyde |
Irritates the eyes, skin, and lungs, and makes breathing more difficult; known to cause cancer and is a suspected reproductive toxin. |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons |
May cause cancer, damage the liver and cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. |
Cadmium |
At high exposure may cause lung damage, fragile bones, and kidney disease; known to cause cancer and is a reproductive and developmental toxin; may damage the functioning of hormones and the cardiovascular, immune, nervous and respiratory systems; can destroy cell membranes, increase blood pressure and cause anemia. |
Arsenic |
Known to cause cancer and is a developmental toxin; may damage gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, nervous and respiratory systems. |
Pollution from the Kokosing plant in Maple Heights
Asphalt production runs from approximately April through October each year. During this time, neighbors of the Kokosing plant in Maple Heights deal with noxious odors, noise at all hours of the night, and dust and soot. These pollution problems are worst at night, waking neighbors.
On June 22, 2009, one Kokosing neighbor reported the following complaint to the Cleveland Division of Air Quality: “Kokosing Asphalt is cooking at night time and my wife and I cannot breathe. [My] wife’s eyes water and burn.” Another Kokosing neighbor has explained that while most Clevelanders look forward to the end of winter each year, he dreads the spring and the noise, odor, and soot he knows he will be dealing with from Kokosing.
In 2009, the Maple Heights Kokosing plant was one of the top two facilities residents complained about in Cuyahoga County.
Why doesn’t Ohio EPA take care of this problem?
The Ohio EPA only requires Kokosing to report on sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, and particle pollution. Ohio EPA does not require Kokosing and Shelly to test for or report on hydrogen sulfide, benzene, chromium, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cadmium and arsenic, which are known toxins typically emitted by asphalt plants.
Ohio EPA allows Kokosing to pollute for a fee. For an annual fee of $1,680, each company can spew 100,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, and soot into the Cleveland area.
