The price of progress is much too high for most of us but not for others that have built their empires on this type of business by ruining quiet small towns like Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. I do believe in the people here and I believe in their ability to fight for their small town.
There are two things that I do not gamble with and that is my health and the environment that I live in. The pollution that these plants release into the environment will damage this small town.
The air that we breathe the water that we drink and the soil that we plant gardens in will be polluted if they allow this plant to be built on Igou Ferry Road in Soddy Daisy.
What does it mean for the residents with this concrete plant in their backyard?
Dirty cars, you will be spending more time and money on car washes yet never achieving a clean car.
The outdoor recreational activities that many of us enjoy here will be ruined.
The owner of this property cannot tell us that it will not contaminate everything that the chemicals release into the air will not cause health problems, such as cancer, lung infections, asthma, and skin conditions because there are no current studies being done on this.
Yet, we do have data from other studies in communities that these plants have been built on. Concrete plant exposure is associated with higher risk of respiratory symptoms and lung function decline and there is an excess risk of a variety of cancers and mortality mainly respiratory tract cancers have been found.
The studies that have been done in communities with these plants in their backyard has shown that there were:
"Cardiovascular diseases also and an exposure compared to unexposed subjects had higher blood or urinary concentration of heavy metals and of a marker of renal damage".
"Exposure to concrete plants have significant impacts on human health".
"Concrete production emissions, such as dust, silica, and noise can lead to oxidative stress, liver dysfunction, and mental health issues as well".
"Workers and residents living near these plants are at risk of developing respiratory tract infections, and cardiovascular disease."
Cement is considered one of the most important building materials around the world and cement manufacturing emissions account for around five percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Cement plant exposure may have a health impact on both workers and the general population during the manufacturing and transportation of cement gaseous substances and particle matter.
People living in the vicinity of a concrete plant are exposed to concrete plant emissions.
Several fuels including coal, gas oil, sewage sludge, solid waste materials and petroleum have been used as sources of energy for concrete factories."
However, compared to other industrial productions the high temperatures and the alkaline conditions play apart in how these particles pollute the environment. You can Google it and it is easy to find this information but to most of us it is simply common sense.
Residents in a small community in Houston have said that since they have built a plant, that on windy days the dust from the plant covers the roofs of their homes, their cars, and they can't even go outside."
Let's put it in kindergarten language "You just can't breathe."
Another concern is the traffic congestion that this could cause with more wrecks and damaged roadways as a result from these cement trucks.
The cement trucks have been known to tear up yards, drainage ditches and other infrastructure that governments have to repair later.
We cannot afford to have anymore damage to our roadways.
This also means more work for our law enforcement.
Ask them they do not want it here either because we all know it will not be a good business deal.
There is no interstate access on this side of town.
It becomes a two lane road as you come into Lakesite on Hixson Pike, and what happens when there is a wreck how are we going to detour traffic to 153 and then that creates another problem. There have been too many fatalities on that part of the road already and we do not want to add more to it. Many of those fatalities have been teenagers, young inexperienced drivers and if you pass this through you will have blood on your hands if there are any more fatalities as a result of traffic. It just isn't going to work.
The owner of the concrete plant owns the property that that RV park currently sits on now and he owns the property that they he want to build his concrete plant on not to mention the threat it could pose to the nuclear power plant that sits across the street from this property.
So when there is a security threat to the plant what happens when they are forced to stop production of the concrete plant.
I think we can all agree that this is not a good idea for this property now or in the future and that is for several reasons that a few can't be overlooked.
Traffic, roadways, pollution, nuclear power plant, and the human life and wildlife.
We are asking that you please vote against this and keep Soddy Daisy a small quiet town that is full of history and tourist from all over the United States visit for the outdoor living that it offers, and for the peace and quiet that this town provides.
Where else can you go in Chattanooga and not have to be concerned much for crime like here in Soddy Daisy and this side of Hixson.
You can't drive down Hixson Pike and not see county patrolling their district or drive in Soddy Daisy and not see their officers visible being proactive.
I don't know about you but that gives me a peace of mind.
Please do not say to us that "this is the nature of the beast" or the price of progress".
I say to you that the residents of Soddy Daisy will not stop fighting this and you will only create more problems that will be too much for you to tackle.
I do believe that you will make the right choice for Soddy Daisy. We are counting on you please listen to us because if you do not this could be the demise of this quiet beautiful town.
I encourage everyone to show up at the meeting on Wednesday, July 31, at the courthouse on Georgia Avenue. If you reject this project then let your voice be heard. Choose your battles and this is a battle that is worth going to war for.
Tonya R McBryar
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Ms. McBryar, your argument lost all credibility when you moved less than a half mile from a nuclear plant. Why does nobody address this when crying about the cement plant?
Rusty Chastain