PCB cleanup workers exposed to cancer risks due to lax safety protocols at Wisconsin river site
By
Caitlin Looby, Tamia Fowlkes
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
An investigation reveals that workers involved in the successful environmental cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediment from Wisconsin's Lower Fox River were exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals due to lax safety protocols. Scot Meisenheimer, a front-end loader operator at the site, developed cancer after working in hazardous conditions with inadequate protective equipment. The article examines the human cost of the cleanup effort, highlighting the tension between environmental remediation success and worker safety failures.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledFrom his 240 Volvo front-end loader, Scot Meisenheimer could hardly see the ceiling lights.
Dust hung heavy and low in the warehouse, and a persistent itch crawled up his throat.
His denim coveralls scratched at his skin, crusty from the previous days' work.
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