A Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Niagara Falls, New York, has been releasing a known carcinogen into the atmosphere for at least 15 years, according to a recent report by Inside Climate News.
What's happening?
For years, Goodyear has failed to control emissions of ortho-toluidine, a bladder carcinogen, and diphenylamine, another possible carcinogen known as DPA, per the report. According to state regulators, the company has released these highly toxic chemicals into the air at levels 1,000% higher than what the regulators identify as safe for the public to breathe.
In an effort to hold the company accountable, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a notice of violation to Goodyear in July 2023. However, despite knowing the dangers of Goodyear's pollution, the DEC had yet to force the company to reduce its emissions as of the September news report.
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"It's horrific," chief policy officer for Western New York Independent Living Todd Vaarwerk told Inside Climate News. "We don't need anybody trying to increase the population of people needing independent living services."
Since 1957, the Goodyear Niagara Falls plant has used ortho-toluidine to make an additive for tires, which links to the site being home to one of the nation's worst occupational outbreaks of bladder cancer. Per reports by Inside Climate News, at least 78 Goodyear employees have been diagnosed with bladder cancer since the mid-1980s.
Why is air pollution important?
Releasing toxic chemicals, such as ortho-toluidine and diphenylamine, into the atmosphere has devastating effects on public health and safety. These harmful chemicals not only reduce the region's air quality but also cause severe long-term health complications, including cancer.
On top of the health consequences, air pollutants threaten the environment. When harmful pollutants enter the atmosphere, they contribute to the globe's rising temperatures, which have, in turn, supercharged extreme weather events like wildfires and hurricanes.
What's being done about cancer-causing pollution?
Climate activists and lawyers are speaking out against Goodyear's failure to comply with state regulations and demanding justice for the impacted community. Activists are also urging the DEC to take more action against Goodyear and force the company to reduce its pollution.
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