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The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
James R. Elliott, Professor of Sociology, Rice University

In storms like Hurricane Helene, flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent and growing threat

An overturned industrial storage tank in Asheville, N.C., shows the power of fast-moving flood water. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants were in Hurricane Helene’s path as the powerful storm flooded communities across the Southeast in late September 2024.

Near the coast and into Georgia, Helene swept over paper mills, fertilizer factories and oil and gas storage facilities. Paper mills are among the most polluting industries on the planet – some with thousands of pounds of lead on-site from prior production practices.

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