Former Columbus, Miss. wood treatment plant workers say safety was ignored

By Holly Fleming

Published on June 12, 2006

The plant, which employed as many as 400 people, closed in 2003. Kerr-McGee reached a $50 million settlement with nearby residents, but Maranatha Faith Center in Columbus has sued the former plant and refuses to settle. It claims that creosote pollution wreaked financial havoc for the church.

Over 20 former Kerr-McGee workers and supervisors have given depositions to lawyers and federal health officials in the Maranatha case. The workers claim that hundreds of gallons of creosote were spilled, and that the employees were frequently exposed to the toxic chemical, including in the company refrigerator where samples of creosote-laden water were stored next to employee lunches.

Kerr-McGee spokespersons have denied any wrongdoing. The company claims to have adhered to all rules and regulations, that it held regular employee safety meetings, and made required reports to environmental agencies. Workers allege that Kerr-McGee falsified paperwork in order to cover up the creosote spills.

On June 27, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will come to Columbus for two days of hearings. ATSDR has been working since 2002 to determine if people were poisoned by the plant. Kerr-McGee functioned in Columbus from 1928 to 2003.

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