BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The City of Brunswick is suing the previous owner of an industrial plant that’s been in the city since the 50s, saying that pollution and oversight has caused the city to lose revenue and has destroyed the fishing industry.
The lawsuit claims that the Honeywell Corporation, which owned a plant near Purvis Creek, discharged approximately 1 million pounds of mercury and hundreds of tons of carcinogenic chemicals into the environment during operation.
The city claims Honeywell International Inc. knew of the problem for decades and hasn't fixed the problem but instead, sold the industrial site when it was uneconomical to comply with environmental laws.
The city says that contamination continued at the site even after it was closed in 1994.
As a result, the city believes that crabs, oysters, fish and other wildlife within the Turtle River area have dangerously high levels of mercury and are not safe for human consumption.
The city is looking for funding to help with the impact on fishing, tourism and the environment.
The environmental group 100 Miles says clean up around the area had been slow-go. They estimate about 40 billion dollars with or natural resource damage they are excited to see the city asking for money to address the issue.
For fisherman in the area, the group says they should be cautious about eating anything caught from waterways around Brunswick.
“So the impact of those toxins is really not going to be realized immediately," said Alicia Keys the Vice President of Coastal Conservation 100 Miles. "They’re going to manifest in learning disabilities, in behavioral disorders, infertility for example, so those are the type of toxins that we’re talking about and so it’s very important that the containment get cleaned up."