ST. LOUIS CONTAMINATION GETS NATIONAL EXPOSURE
Alma native compares local incident to train derailment in Ohio
An Alma native put Gratiot County in the spotlight Friday following an appearance on CNN that came right on top of her op-ed piece for the New York Times.
Vanessa Ogle, a 2010 graduate of Alma High School, penned a warning to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, after the train crash and its ensuing contamination.
After all, growing up in Gratiot County, Ogle was well versed on the contamination from the Velsicol Chemical Co. that left St. Louis dealing with the clean up of the fire retardant PBB as well as the insecticide DDT that was manufactured earlier.
Even though there are innumerable contaminated sites throughout the country, the 1973 PBB incident — when the fire retardant was mixed with livestock feed — is considered the worst agricultural disaster in the history of the country.
And as Jane Jelenek, a founding member of the Pine River Superfund Task Force pointed out, it is also deemed the worst food contamination in the U.S.
That’s because the mix up wasn’t discovered until after it entered the food chain and Michiganders consumed the tainted food. The Ohio train derailment is already seen to be impacting humans as well as animals there, and that was the trigger that inspired Ogle to write her first-ever New York Times piece.
In it, Ogle issued a cautionary note.
“The people living there must be prepared for the reality that this disaster could affect their lives in both monumental and minor ways, in a manner that is not fully visible yet. When the media frenzy fades, they should be ready to organize to ensure that the government provides necessary resources to their communities. Organizing, in my own experience, may have to continue for decades.”
Ogle was referring to the Pine
River Superfund Task Force that’s been working on the St.louis clean up for decades and is considered one of the most active citizen action groups in the country. “i could see parallels — troubling health concerns,” she said.” I feel very confident that they will get healthy monitoring. Unfortunately, there may be long lasting impacts.”
The daughter of Debra Maloney — her siblings are Mathew, Stephanie and Benjamin Ogle — she is 31 and is a graduate of Stony Brook University in New York.she also has a master’s degree from Hunter College in New York.
She now makes her home in Brooklyn, New York.
Ogle has written for “The Nation” as well as the Brooklyn newspaper called simply, “The Brooklyn Paper.”
She said CNN contacted the New York Times about her appearing on the show and the newspaper forwarded the message on. She enthusiastically agreed to be the Friday night program.
The network sent a car for her and provided hair stying and make up. And, she said she wasn’t a bit nervous appearing on national TV.
Ogle frequently comes back to Alma for visits with her family and she’s expected to be in town for the upcoming big environmental event: “The PBB Disaster at 50” a conference set for May 18 through May 20 in the Wright Leppien Opera House in downtown Alma.
The three-day commemorative event will bring the critical lessons of the disaster back into public discussion, hopefully inspiring continued action to address long term environmental and human health outcomes, according to an Alma College publication.
Those looking to attend some or all of the events may click here for more information: https://arcg.IS/1LEHHP