Coronet Industries
Encyclopedia
Coronet Industries Incorporated is a chemical company that operated a plant converting phosphate
to animal feed outside of Plant City, Florida
. The plant operated for over 100 years before closing in March 2004 in the midst of an investigation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Florida, and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
.
Residents of the surrounding community alleged that pollution
from the plant leached into the groundwater
and caused increased rates of cancer
amongst other health problems. Arsenic
, boron
, cadmium
, lead
and other dangerous chemicals were detected in residential wells surrounding the plant. The federal Environmental Protection Agency cautioned state officials about potential health risks associated with leaky equipment and corroded stacks allowing underwater leaching and spills from Coronet, but residents were not notified of ongoing problems with the company's lack of environmental controls. The state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs expressed concern over "potential systemic problems that prevented the situation from being identified and corrected sooner" in the Tampa office of the DEP. Legislation requiring the state of Florida to notify area residents in such events was proposed.
A 2006 report by the state of Florida said that those who were exposed to the Coronet site after 2003 were at no health risk, although there was insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion about those who were exposed before that time.
Approximately 1,200 residents who live near the plant and former employees of Coronet Industries have filed a class-action lawsuit
against the company, alleging amongst other things that the pollution from the plant has harmed their health and lowered property values. Coronet, at the time it was shut down in 2004, was owned by Japan based Mitsui and Onoda Chemical. Previous owners include Borden Chemical, Smith-Douglas and Browne Gregg. The residents were initially represented by Masry & Vititoe, the firm which employed famous environmental activist Erin Brockovich, among other law firms.
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
to animal feed outside of Plant City, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The plant operated for over 100 years before closing in March 2004 in the midst of an investigation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Florida, and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
.
Residents of the surrounding community alleged that pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
from the plant leached into the groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
and caused increased rates of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
amongst other health problems. Arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, boron
Boron
Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a metalloid. Because boron is not produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element in both the solar system and the Earth's crust. However, boron is concentrated on Earth by the...
, cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and other dangerous chemicals were detected in residential wells surrounding the plant. The federal Environmental Protection Agency cautioned state officials about potential health risks associated with leaky equipment and corroded stacks allowing underwater leaching and spills from Coronet, but residents were not notified of ongoing problems with the company's lack of environmental controls. The state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs expressed concern over "potential systemic problems that prevented the situation from being identified and corrected sooner" in the Tampa office of the DEP. Legislation requiring the state of Florida to notify area residents in such events was proposed.
A 2006 report by the state of Florida said that those who were exposed to the Coronet site after 2003 were at no health risk, although there was insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion about those who were exposed before that time.
Approximately 1,200 residents who live near the plant and former employees of Coronet Industries have filed a class-action lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against the company, alleging amongst other things that the pollution from the plant has harmed their health and lowered property values. Coronet, at the time it was shut down in 2004, was owned by Japan based Mitsui and Onoda Chemical. Previous owners include Borden Chemical, Smith-Douglas and Browne Gregg. The residents were initially represented by Masry & Vititoe, the firm which employed famous environmental activist Erin Brockovich, among other law firms.