“Bucket Brigade”
to be Launched to as Tool to Stop Hyperion and Document
Area’s existing
Clean Air
Hyperion Refinery opponents will start an independent local air
monitoring process to expose the State’s flawed program recently established
near the proposed refinery site in Union County, SD.The “Bucket Brigade” Program trains community members to
take credible scientific air samples using EPA approved “bucket” sample
systems.The system and training was
developed by the International Environmental Justice group, Global Community
Monitor (GCM) based in California in conjunction with Erin Brockovich, who
later became famous for a movie documenting a toxic pollution lawsuit.
“We are extremely disappointed that the state of South
Dakota is not monitoring for most of the toxics like benzene etc that would be
emitted by Hyperion”was the
concern of many of the local residents according to Ed Cable, spokesperson for
Save Union County LLC.
“We believe that the launch of the Bucket Brigade project
sends a clear message to Hyperion and their backers in SD as well as the public
in general that the refinery is not welcome and will be a serious threat to the
clean air and health of the region.”
Bucket Brigades have been set up in more than 20 states and
25 overseas nations to empower residents to test their air quality themselves
and expose the failures of government air monitoring programs.
The "bucket brigade" is named for an easy-to-use
air-sampling device housed inside a 5-gallon plastic bucket. The bucket idea
originated in 1995 with Edward Masry. He is the lawyer who worked with
environmental activist Erin Brockovich, a legal clerk who, despite the lack of
a formal law education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the $28
billion Pacific Gas and Electric Co. of California in 1993.
“Hyperion’s proposed tar sands refinery will create serious
toxic air quality issues for the entire region including downwind cities and
states that could go undetected by current monitoring programs,” said Denny Larson of GCM.“The Bucket Brigade program in Elk
Point will just be one more nail in the coffin of this ill conceived project,
as it will demonstrate how clean the air is now as compared to refinery
communities.”
