Fort Hall residents unhappy with results of health study of old FMC plant
The former FMC plant in Fort Hall has many people concerned there are toxic chemicals that have caused a lot of harm to those living on the reservation.
The plant was shut down in 2001. Fort Hall residents claim it shut down because of liability with dangerous chemicals being released and causing serious health problems on the reservation.
FMC funded an outside study to come in and look at what effects the chemicals released from the plant had. The study was called the Fort Hall Environmental Health Assessment, or SEP 14.
Exponent, Inc. conducted the study. It looked at four parts. The first was the occurrence of cancer. The second was childhood asthma. The third was causes of death. And the fourth was if chemical exposure led to specific diseases among Fort Hall’s population.
On Thursday, Fort Hall residents met with representatives from the study to ask questions and discuss the study.
According to the results, the study seemed to show no abnormal health effects from the chemicals. It didn’t show a very significant increase in the number of deaths or cancer cases.
Fort Hall residents disagree. Many have personal experiences with health effects from the plant. Some who worked in the plant, others who had relatives who lived near it.
Many residents feel the study is inaccurate. They feel the data is wrong or wasn’t properly compared or used. Many also feel the study did not do all it was legally required to do under Fort Hall’s decree.
The decree wanted the study to look at indirect health impacts from food, plants and animals. People in Fort Hall said the study did not look at that.
“The study they did was not a study of the people,” said Nathan Small, a Fort Hall resident. “It was a study of statistics and I guess records, nothing on the humans.”
“There are a lot more problems,” said Patrick Murillo, who used to work at the plant and has suffered some health effects. “There’s kidney problems, there’s infant problems, there’s respiratory problems that they didn’t cover in the study. And in my opinion, the study was incorrect and they should redo it.”
“There were so many things wrong with the study that I don’t feel that EPA or anybody else should accept this study because it wasn’t accurate,” Small said.
“I think a lot of frustration coming to the people is just what does this really mean? It appears that they’re complete, they’re complete with that study,” said Nancy Murillo. “And I find it unacceptable myself.”
The Fort Hall business council said it will not accept this as a valid study. It will look at what options it may have moving forward and see what else can be done.
“All of that contamination and waste that they have out there still is going to be here for 10,000 years – 10,000 years! You can’t let FMC walk away from that,” Small said.
