Riaan 
Izithombe zezinhlanzi ezifile zintanta emanzini aludaka kanye nezinsimbi eziyingozi zentuthu empunga zikhathaza amakhasi esizwe. Izingxoxiswano nezakhamuzi ezicindezelekile zihlanganiswa nezinhloko ezikhuluma ezicasukile kumathelevishini ethu. Ngemva kwenyanga kwenzeke inhlekelele yesitimela e-East Palestine, e-Ohio, iMelika isaqhubeka nokufakaza ngokuhlupheka komphakathi.
Nakuba noma yikuphi ukuphahlazeka kwesitimela esivuthayo kuyingozi, lokhu kwaba inhlekelele ikakhulukazi uma kubhekwa amakhemikhali agibele. Okuyinhloko kuzo kwakuyigesi edala umdlavuza i-vinyl chloride, izikhulu ukhululwe ngamabomu emoyeni ozungezile ukugwema ukuqhuma. Izakhamuzi zakhishwa ngesikhathi salo msebenzi, kodwa ukungcola okuhlala isikhathi eside kanye nokukhathazeka kokuchayeka kusekhona. Ngesonto eledlule i-Environmental Protection Agency wayala ujantshi ukuhlola umoya wokuthola ama-dioxin, angabangela nomdlavuza futhi uhlale endaweni isikhathi eside ngemva kokushiswa kwe-vinyl chloride namanye amakhemikhali epulasitiki.
Maduze izisebenzi zamakhamera zizopakisha futhi ukunaka komphakathi kuzoshintshela endabeni enkulu elandelayo. Kodwa ngeMpumalanga Palestine, indaba isanda kuqala, futhi izahluko ezilandelayo cishe zizoba lusizi. Siyazi ngoba ikhemikhali efanayo yangcoliswa – futhi ekugcineni yacekela phansi – amadolobha ambalwa eLouisiana emashumini eminyaka adlule.
IMorrisonville, La., yasungulwa ngemuva kweMpi Yombango ngabakhululiwe futhi yaqhakaza yaba umphakathi onempilo, iningi labantu base-Afrika baseMelika. Kodwa ngo-1958, umdondoshiya wamakhemikhali u-Dow wakha isitshalo se-vinyl chloride eduze nomfula, sasusa amasimu kashukela nekotini akuleli dolobha. Isidingo sepulasitiki ye-PVC – umkhiqizo oyinhloko owenziwe nge-vinyl chloride – sakhula, futhi lesi sitshalo saphinde sangena emphakathini. Njengoba esinye isakhamuzi sakubeka ku-Times-Picayune ngaleso sikhathi, lesi sitshalo “sasiphezu kwethu.” Inhlabamkhosi ekhalayo exwayisa ngokukhishwa okunobuthi ngokushesha yaba ingxenye yokuphila kwansuku zonke. Kule micimbi, izakhamuzi zitshelwe ukuthi zivale amafasitela nezicabha futhi ziqosheme ngaphakathi ukuze zigweme ukuphefumula intuthu enobuthi eningi.
Lapho amaqembu ezemvelo kanye ne-EPA beqala ukuqaphela ukwanda kwezifo nezinhlanzi ezifayo ngawo-1980, i-Dow yenza izipesheli eziphansi zokuthenga izakhamuzi ezindlini zazo, ngokuvamile zingakwazi ukuthenga noma ukuqasha ikhaya elisha. Lapho izakhamuzi zenqaba, zazibhekana nengcindezi. Le nkampani yasikisela ukuthi uma bengasamukeli lesi sipho, impahla yabo izoba yize ngenxa yokungcola. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1990, idolobha lase lishiywe ngokuphelele, ngaphandle kwamathuna.
I-Reveilletown, La., kwakungomunye umphakathi ophithizelayo owakhiwe abantu ababegqilaziwe futhi wacekelwa phansi imboni yamapulasitiki e-PVC. Umkhiqizi omkhulu, i-Georgia Gulf, ekugcineni yalidlula idolobha, yakhafulela i-vinyl chloride kanye nemikhiqizo yayo emoyeni nasemanzini. Le nkampani yacekela phansi umphakathi, yahlakaza abahlali kude nomunye – yanqamula izibopho zabo ezifanayo, ubulungu besonto kanye nanoma yikuphi ukuhlangana kwezombusazwe okungenzeka babenakho. Izakhamizi zakuleli dolobha zahlela umlindelo wokukhanyisa amakhandlela ngo-1989 lapho “abezemvelo abansundu nabamhlophe balilela ukufa” komphakathi, ngokusho kowayeyisakhamuzi u-Janice Dickerson.
Isiphetho esifanayo sehlela eMossville, abakhiqizi be-La. Vinyl chloride bangcolise idolobha futhi eminyakeni eyishumi edlule baqala. ukuthenga ngaphandle abahlali lapho imiphumela enobuthi ikhishwa.
Ukukhiqizwa kwe-vinyl chloride akugcinanga nje ngokucekela phansi la madolobha, kodwa kuphinde kwaba nomthelela ekutheni isifunda esizungezile saziwe ngokuthi “I-Cancer Alley.” Amanzi, umoya nomhlaba kule ndawo sekuphenduke indle yezimboni zepulasitiki namakhemikhali zaseMelika. Amapheshana ayisikhombisa kwangu-10 okubalwa kwabantu e-US anengozi ephezulu kakhulu yomdlavuza evela kubuthi bomoya akule ndawo, ngokusho kwe-2014. Ukuhlaziywa kwe-EPA. Ukuhlaziya okufanayo kwathola ukuthi izakhamuzi zedolobha elilodwa zinjalo Amathuba angama-50 ngaphezulu kunomMelika ojwayelekile ukuthuthukisa umdlavuza ngenxa yokungcoliswa komoya.
Ukukhishwa kwe-vinyl chloride e-East Palestine kwavela esitimeleni esithwele amakhemikhali, kunezitaki zomusi zesitshalo. Ngenxa yalokhu, ukucutshungulwa komphakathi okuningi kugxile enkampanini yaseNorfolk Southern Railway kanye nezinhlangano zezokuthutha esikhundleni semboni yamakhemikhali. (Isekhondi Isitimela saseNorfolk Southern siphumile emzileni e-Ohio ngoMgqibelo, nakuba izikhulu zithi lokhu kuphahlazeka akubandakanyi izinto eziyingozi.) Ukuphepha kwesitimela esithuthukisiwe nezokuthutha ngamakhemikhali kubaluleke ngokungangabazeki ekuvimbeleni lolu hlobo lwenhlekelele esikhathini esizayo.
Nokho, kubalulekile futhi ukubheka isithombe esikhulu. Isitimela sase-East Palestine besithwele le khemikhali eyingozi kwasekuqaleni ngenxa yemboni yepulasitiki ekhulayo eyanda Ohio nezinye izingxenye ze-Appalachia. Okwenzeke eLouisiana kuzokwenzeka nakwezinye izindawo ngaphandle uma kuthathwa izinyathelo ezisheshayo.
I-PVC itholakala yonke indawo, isetshenziswa emikhiqizweni ebanzi njengamathoyizi namapayipi. Kodwa futhi ishintshwa kakhulu. Ochwepheshe bezinto ezibonakalayo bathi ezinye izindlela ezihlanganisa ingilazi, i-ceramics, i-linoleum nama-polyester zingaba esikhundleni se- izimo eziningi. Kungakho kungaba wumqondo ojwayelekile ukuthi uhulumeni abeke imingcele ekusetshenzisweni okungabalulekile kwe-PVC, okuholela ekumisweni kokukhiqizwa kwe-vinyl chloride.
I-PVC isivele ivinjelwe ezindaweni eziningi zokudla Canada futhi INingizimu Koreafuthi umthetho wokuwuvala uye waba yantanta eCalifornia. Kodwa-ke, isenzo esibanzi siyadingeka ku-PVC – kanye nenkinga enkulu yamapulasitiki. Ezinyangeni ezimbili ngaphambi kokukhishwa, i- I-United Nations yaqala izingxoxo ukuze kube nesivumelwano somhlaba wonke sokukhawulela ukukhiqizwa nokusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki. Inhlekelele yase-Ohio iyisikhumbuzo esiqinile sezindleko zomuntu zepulasitiki futhi kufanele inikeze amandla izingcingo zokwenza lesi sivumelwano siqine ngangokunokwenzeka.
Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, izitshalo ze-vinyl chloride nepulasitiki zizoqhubeka zifaka ushevu emoyeni futhi zithumele izitimela ezinobuthi ezimpompini kuzo zonke izitimela zaseMelika. Okusengcupheni impilo yezakhamuzi eziseduze, imiphakathi yazo kanye nemvelo. Umlando ukhombisile ukuthi le mboni engcolile ibeka engcupheni yokushintsha imiphakathi emincane ephilayo ibe amadolobha ayizipoki.
URebecca Fuoco ungumqondisi wezokuxhumana kwesayensi eGreen Science Policy Institute. UDavid Rosner, uprofesa wesayensi yezenhlalo nomlando e-Columbia, noGerald Markowitz, uprofesa womlando eJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice, bangababhali be”Inkohliso Nokuphika: Ipolitiki Ebulalayo Yokungcoliswa Kwezimboni.”
