Koch carbon takes over downtown Green Bay

March 27, 2015

A Koch Industries subsidiary, C. Reiss Coal, is wreaking havoc in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The mineral transport company produces enormous coal piles that have monopolized part of the downtown waterfront for over ten years. A Wisconsin county commissioner is pushing for a study to measure the potentially deleterious health effects of the dust buildup that has become menace to the facility’s neighbors.

Green Bay Mayor, Jim Schmitt, said, “We thought maybe they’d get out of this business, but they’re committed to (it) … I would like nothing more for them to self-relocate (but at a cost of) of at least $20 million, it’s not going to happen in the next four years.”

Unsurprisingly, a spokesman for the facility said they have no plans to move the piles.

This is not the first time Koch Industries has jeopardized the health of it’s neighbors. Over the last few years, a Koch carbon facility came under serious scrutiny for their storage of hazardous petroleum coke, a waste byproduct of oil refining, in turn producing large clouds of dark dust over Detroit.

This has become a predictable narrative for Koch Industries whose mishandling of hazardous materials and disregard for environmental safety has been well documented.

It’s clear the Kochs care a hell of a lot more about their bottom line than about the health of Wisconsinites. 

P.S. 
Thank you, Senator Reid, for your call to action to expose the self serving agenda of the Koch brothers. Senator Reid was one of the first to recognize that the shadowy billionaires’ ability to use their money to co-opt the Republicans Party is a solemn threat to our democracy. The Senator’s leadership has driven American Bridge’s communications, research and rapid response operations. We will continue to fight to hold the Koch brothers accountable. Thank you for your service, Senator Reid.

Paid for by American Bridge 21st Century Foundation