Contact: Anthony Campisi
Anthony@ceislermedia.com
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Conservation Voters of PA's Statement in Response to Bucks County Chemical Spill
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania (CVPA) released the following statement regarding the spill of hazardous material into a Bucks County creek near the Delaware River:
“The spill of more than 8,000 gallons of a latex finishing chemical into the Otter Creek in Bristol Borough, Bucks County late Friday night highlights the fragility of our water supply and need for hypervigilance in its protection. By the admission of the corporation responsible for the pollution, an ‘equipment failure’ led to the release which polluted the Otter Creek and, subsequently, the Delaware River.
“The spill included butyl acrylate, one of the chemicals released in the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. In response to the spill the Philadelphia Water Department advised city residents that they ‘may want to switch to bottled water.’ This spill and its aftermath have led to shortages of bottled water in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities.
“There is no resource more fundamental than clean water. This spill and those like it, which occur with far too much regularity, disproportionately affect Black, brown and disadvantaged communities highlighting the need to prioritize the promotion of environmental justice in our policymaking processes.
“Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania is grateful to the United States Coast Guard, the PA Department of Environmental Protection and other organizations that responded to protect the health and welfare of the affected region, and we call on state and federal lawmakers to think twice about incidents like this and the recent tragedy in East Palestine before considering proposals to weaken environmental safeguards in statutes and regulations.”