{"id":27150,"date":"2021-06-11T18:12:51","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T18:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=346566"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:53","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:53","slug":"breast-cancer-survivor-driven-from-her-home-by-noxious-gases-from-nearby-paper-mill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/breast-cancer-survivor-driven-from-her-home-by-noxious-gases-from-nearby-paper-mill\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast Cancer Survivor Driven from Her Home by Noxious Gases from Nearby Paper Mill"},"content":{"rendered":"

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JoAnn Carroll<\/a> lives in South Carolina, but she\u2019s been self-evacuated to her condo in Florida for the last few months as she waits for the air in and around her home to become cleaner and more breathable.<\/span><\/p>\n

When JoAnn and her husband first left for the condo in January, she says there was no issue. But when they returned in April, JoAnn could barely breathe the air near their home. The hydrogen sulfide emissions from the nearby New-Indy Containerboard\u2019s Catawba plant<\/a> was simply too strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: WCNC Charlotte<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe first day, there was a slight odor. I had a slight irritation in my throat and a little laryngitis<\/a>,\u201d says JoAnn. But within just a few days, it had gotten far worse, causing JoAnn\u2019s ears and throat to burn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so bad that I couldn\u2019t even speak,\u201d JoAnn says. \u201cMy husband said, \u2018This is insane.\u2019 We packed up the car, and we left.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: WCNC Charlotte<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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On their way back to Florida, their navigation app took them directly past the New-Indy plant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt never took us that way ever [before],\u201d JoAnn says. \u201cI started choking and gagging in my car.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily for JoAnn and her husband, they were able to escape to their condo in Florida<\/a> until things get better. Their neighbors, however, haven\u2019t been so fortunate. JoAnn believes scores of people in her neighborhood are suffering health issues related to the incident like she did.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: WCNC Charlotte<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And things aren\u2019t all butterflies and rainbows for JoAnn and her husband either. They\u2019re lucky to own two homes, but the inability to live in one of them is certainly a drag. For two months, they\u2019ve been waiting for something to happen, and nothing has.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very sad because we\u2019re paying taxes, and we\u2019re paying [homeowners\u2019 association] fees, and I can\u2019t use my home,\u201d JoAnn says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: WCNC Charlotte<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The plant has had thousands of complaints and multiple lawsuits filed against it, and it is now under federal and state orders<\/a> to clean up its emissions. However, it appears that nothing substantial has been done yet. JoAnn says she believes her neighbors are suffering substantially from the company\u2019s irresponsible behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a breast cancer survivor, JoAnn is particularly vulnerable to environmental contaminants and is careful to avoid them so as to protect her health. She hopes her story can help put extra pressure on the owners of New-Indy to make changes to their manufacturing processes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no intention of letting New-Indy kill me,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: WCNC Charlotte<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the meantime, however, she has an encouraging message for her neighbors<\/a>, who, she believes, are going through undue stress, frustration, and discomfort, as well as potential health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to hold tight and be strong and don\u2019t back down,\u201d JoAnn says. \u201cI\u2019m not even there, and I\u2019m not backing down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We hope that changes are enforced soon so that JoAnn can move back home to a healthier environment and so that her neighbors can stop enduring these noxious fumes day in and day out. No one deserves to go through this type of mental and physical suffering because of a company\u2019s irresponsible behavior. Learn more in the video below.<\/span><\/p>\n

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