Keep Bristol Safe – Say NO to Exide’s Plans to Pollute in Bristol

Exide Technologies has filed an application with the Tennessee Division of Air Pollution Control to obtain an air contaminant permit at their plant located at 364 Exide Drive in Bristol.

The plant ceased operation in 2014 and Exide is proposing to restart its formation operation which will consist of dry unformed batteries being filled, charged, cooled and formed into batteries that will be sold off-site. This permit will allow Exide to produce and release 2,460 pounds (1.23 tons) of sulfuric acid per year into the air/water in Bristol. This will negatively impact local homes, businesses, our families’ health and safety, our environment and wildlife.

Exide and the Tennessee Division of Air Pollution Control did their best to keep notice and news of Exide’s permit and plans quiet by only filing notice of the permit in small print for one day in a Kingsport based newspaper. Fortunately, the community caught wind of Exide’s plans to resume operations and release toxic pollutants in Bristol and successfully demanded a public meeting on the matter which should be held in April.

Exide has a bad history in Bristol and one of the worst public health and environmental safety records.

Since 2010, seven Exide plants nationally have been linked to health-risk levels of airborne lead and pollutants, including in Bristol, which was also added to the EPA lead non-attainment list for lead pollution; the EPA determined that operations at the Bristol Exide plant was the primary cause of the 2008 lead air quality violation in the Area.

Between 2006-2007, Exide was fined by the EPA for releasing sulfuric acid above allowed amounts in Bristol and for failing to notify them as soon as they knew about the problem. And in 2007, the city of Bristol reported that Exide discharged excessive amounts of lead into the local wastewater treatment plant 46 times which resulted in the city capturing 1,600 tons of contaminated sludge which it buried in the city landfill; appx. 26.6 times the legal amount.

Exide is trying to hide from their terrible pollution and public safety record by saying that their management has changed. They have been fined, kicked out and even criminally charged in nearly every community where they have or continue to operate- including when they operated in Bristol. An Exide spokesperson was quoted in the Bristol Courier this month saying that “New Exide leadership has established robust Environmental, Health, and Safety [EHS] processes and management that meet or exceed requirements of national, state and/or local laws and regulations.”

If Exide has changed their ways, then why was their largest plant in Salina, KS in non-compliance for exceeding lead concentration levels twice over a 3-month period just last year, in 2016 when this “new” and allegedly more responsible “leadership” was at the helm?

Given Exide’s terrible record, we at least deserve to know more about their plans to stay in compliance this time and how they will minimize the release of toxic pollutants in Bristol. To get involved or learn more, email KeepBristolSafe@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Keep-Bristol-Safe-418775961797634/.