Columbia Residents and Scientists Urge Maryland Department of the Environment to Deny W.R. Grace Recycling Lab Permit
Community members and scientists in Columbia, Maryland, are urging the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to deny W.R. Grace's air quality operating permit for its plastic recycling research project. The Stop Grace Coalition, a local community group, and several scientists have expressed significant concerns about potential health and environmental risks associated with the facility's operations. Residents living near the plant have reported issues with air pollution, alleging that the facility burns plastics. Dr. Marsha Wills Karp, chair of the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, emphasized the well-documented negative health impacts of living near plastic processing facilities. Dr. Ana Maria Rule, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins, also highlighted residents' complaints about loud overnight noises disturbing their sleep, linking noise exposure to various health risks. W.R. Grace, however, denies burning plastics or causing...
