From Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04)’s office:
McClellan Demands Answers from AdvanSix Hopewell About Repeated Toxic Chemical Releases
Richmond, VA – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) sent a letter to Erin Kane, President and CEO of AdvanSix, and Andy Girvin, Plant Manager at AdvanSix Hopewell, regarding reported toxic chemical releases that are impacting Hopewell residents’ health and well-being. The letter comes in response to an April 7th article by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“The article describes how the AdvanSix facility in Hopewell, Virginia violated the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act 66 times over the past eight years, including monthly Clean Air Act violations every month over the past two years,” wrote Congresswoman McClellan. “The facility released toxic chemicals including sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, and phenol – which can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and skin damage, as well as contribute to acid rain.”
Congresswoman McClellan expressed her deep concern for the health and well-being of local residents, particularly for the 900 homes within one mile of the facility, and highlighted the disparate health outcomes that persist in Hopewell.
“Notably, the life expectancy in Hopewell is more than five years lower than the average in Virginia. The cancer mortality rate is almost double the state average, and the rate of hospitalization for asthma is three times the norm,” continued Congresswoman McClellan.
In response to these troubling reports, Congresswoman McClellan is demanding answers and solutions to ameliorate these issues. Specifically, she asked:
- How will you change operations at the Hopewell facility to avoid future Clean Air Act and Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations?
- How are you working with the Environmental Protection Agency and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to come into compliance with federal and state regulations?
- How are you addressing the environmental impacts of the most recent toxic chemical releases?
- How are you planning to increase transparency and improve communication with the community regarding the risks to their health from these toxic releases?
Congresswoman McClellan has been a climate and environmental justice leader throughout her time in the Virginia General Assembly and since coming to Congress. In the General Assembly, she led passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Solar Freedom Act, as well as wrote and passed bills to protect Virginia waterways from interstate pipeline projects, create clean vehicle standards and increase electric vehicle charging stations in Virginia. In Congress, she is an original cosponsor of the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act and a proud member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC).
Read the full letter here.
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