JournalNews Archive
The following is an archive of articles published in the Hamilton JournalNews, which merged with The Middletown Journal in 2013 to form the Journal-News. These articles provide a history of reporting on the environmental injustices perpetuated by the Chem-Dyne Corporation in the mid-1970s. The first article in this archive, published on April 2nd, 1976, details the Chem-Dyne Corporation’s request to the City of Hamilton to acquire proper licensing for an industrial incinerator. Twenty-three days later, on April 25th, a railroad tanker at Chem-Dyne caught fire and continued burning until April 28th. This brought awareness to the malpractice on the part of Chem-Dyne and lead to an investigation of the company by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. In June, the story moved to the courts when Chem-Dyne unsuccessfully sued the City of Hamilton for harming their business. In September 1976, a Chem-Dyne tanker began leaking toxic chemical in Kentucky. By the end of the month, it was revealed that Chem-Dyne dumped massive amounts of toxic chemicals in the Great Miami River, leading to five separate fish kills.
After 1976, the reporting on Chem-Dyne shifts to a focus on court proceedings without inflammatory events like fires and fish kills. By the 2000s, the accounts of Chem-Dyne exist only in the “Community Voice” section, where two residents called in to wonder about health problems and early deaths in Hamilton. In 2010, a notice was placed in the Hamilton JournalNews detailing the various chemicals and other pollutants found at the site. The notice uses primarily technical terms and does not detail the potential health effects caused by the pollutants. In 2022, the City of Hamilton purchased the Chem-Dyne superfund site for the purpose of preventing irresponsible usage of the site. The following year, Hamilton unveiled plans for a North Hamilton Crossing, which caused the economic displacement of residents who had lived in the area near the Chem-Dyne site for decades.
As a whole, this archive indicates a fundamental problem within media depiction of environmental crises. When there are active, inflammatory events like fires, leaking tankers, and court cases, actions that constitute environmental injustice are classified as news. However, once the story becomes passive — when the community is left to deal with the slow effects of pollution — there is no story that can make it to the front page of the news. The crisis is left in the minds of the people, leading them to call into the “Community Voice” section to express their fears about what is happening in their city. When there is an update from the EPA, it lands in a small insert on page 4 using language inaccessible to the average reader. Once the site is made stable, the city purchases it and gentrifies the area, displacing the residents who for decades lived nearest to the site and likely suffered the greatest effects. This forces us to consider how we deal with “news” when the danger moves slowly and subtly. There must be a change in reporting on these issues so as to not betray the welfare of the people.
Bill McDulin. 1976. “City Keeps Vigil on Chemical Tanker.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 26, 1976.
Cora Diehl. 1976. “Fish Kills ‘critical Setback’ to Hamilton, River.” Hamilton JournalNews, October 17, 1976.
Hamilton JournalNews. 1976a. “Chemical Leak Cause Mystery,” April 25, 1976.
———. 1976b. “Crisis Over, but Chem-Dyne Incident Stays on Mind of City,” May 4, 1976.
———. 1976c. “Tanker Incident Snags Firm’s Plan,” May 27, 1976.
———. 1976d. “Incinerator Bid Remains Stalled,” June 4, 1976.
———. 1976e. “Chemical Firm Sues City, Officials for $30 Million,” June 5, 1976.
———. 1976f. “Plant-City Hearing Recessed,” June 24, 1976.
———. 1976g. “PoliceBlotters,” July 2, 1976.
———. 1976h. “Tank No Peril, Chem-Dyne Says,” July 7, 1976.
———. 1976i. “Welder Injured at Chemical Plant,” August 18, 1976.
———. 1976j. “City Pleased with Charges,” September 29, 1976.
———. 1976k. “State Records Show Companies Chartered,” September 29, 1976.
———. 1976l. “The Events That Placed Chem-Dyne in Headlines,” September 29, 1976.
———. 1976m. “The Pesticides: What Were They?,” September 29, 1976.
———. 1976n. “What It Means,” September 29, 1976.
———. 1976o. “A Riverside Happening,” October 2, 1976.
———. 1976p. “Needed: Better Protection for Public Interest,” October 2, 1976.
———. 1976q. “Chem-Dyne Injunction Extended for Two Weeks,” October 14, 1976.
———. 1976r. “Who Protects You against Dangerous Industrial Practices?,” October 24, 1976.
———. 1976s. “Salesman,” October 28, 1976.
———. 1976t. “Fifth Fish Kill Found in River,” November 9, 1976.
———. 1976u. “Chem-Dyne Seeking Specifics from City,” November 22, 1976.
———. 1977a. “Firm Sues City,” February 5, 1977.
———. 1977b. “Chem-Dyne Update Sunday,” April 30, 1977.
———. 1977c. “Attorney General Seeks Chem-Dyne Information,” September 15, 1977.
———. 2004. “Community Voice,” November 17, 2004.
———. 2006. “1235 Public Notices,” January 23, 2006.
———. 2008. “Community Voice,” February 18, 2008.
———. 2010. “EPA Begins Review of Chem-Dyne Superfund Site,” June 21, 2010.
Journal-News. 2021. “Spending,” August 13, 2021.
Michael Pitman. 2023. “Crossing.” Journal-News, June 4, 2023.
Mike Graham. 1976a. “EPA to Test Dump Samples.” Hamilton JournalNews, May 12, 1976.
———. 1976b. “Can’t Find City Officials? Look for ’em in Court.” Hamilton JournalNews, June 23, 1976.
———. 1976c. “Chem-Dyne Trial Tactic Draws Protest from City.” Hamilton JournalNews, July 3, 1976.
Mike Rutledge. 2021. “Hamilton May Buy Superfund Site.” Journal-News, December 11, 2021.
———. 2022. “Hamilton to Buy Part of Chem-Dyne Site.” Journal-News, February 1, 2022.
Nancy Baker. 1976a. “Order Sought by Firm against Hamilton Denied.” Hamilton JournalNews, July 8, 1976.
———. 1976b. “Industrial Waste Disposal Rules Lacking, Council Told.” Hamilton JournalNews, September 29, 1976.
———. 1976c. “Testimony Begins in Chem-Dyne Case.” Hamilton JournalNews, October 12, 1976.
———. 1976d. “Pollution Case under Court Study.” Hamilton JournalNews, October 13, 1976.
———. 1976e. “City Names Chem-Dyne in Counter-Suit Action.” Hamilton JournalNews, October 15, 1976.
———. 1977. “EPA Taking Aim at Skinner Dump.” Hamilton JournalNews, August 22, 1977.
Nick McCrabb. 2021. “Water.” Journal-News, August 13, 2021.
Ron Reed. 1977. “Chem-Dyne Denies Agreement to Haul Away Kentucky Chemicals.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 25, 1977.
Ron Reed and Steve Clarke. 1976. “Chem-Dyne Silent on EPA Charges.” Hamilton JournalNews, September 30, 1976.
Steve Clarke. 1976a. “City Taking Long Look at Plan for Waste Burner.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 2, 1976.
———. 1976b. “City May Oust Chemical Plant.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 29, 1976.
———. 1976c. “Tanker Episodde Leaves Plant, City Officials Fuming.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 29, 1976.
———. 1976d. “EPA Searches Hamilton Plant.” Hamilton JournalNews, May 4, 1976.
———. 1976e. “EPA Dig Delayed at Union Landfill.” Hamilton JournalNews, May 5, 1976.
———. 1976f. “Danger at Landfill ‘Pure Speculation.’” Hamilton JournalNews, May 6, 1976.
———. 1976g. “Waste Burner Issue Delayed.” Hamilton JournalNews, May 7, 1976.
———. 1976h. “City Units Return to Chem-Dyne to Keep Watch on Steaming Tanker.” Hamilton JournalNews, August 13, 1976.
———. 1976i. “Leaking Truck Halted in Ky.” Hamilton JournalNews, September 17, 1976.
———. 1976j. “Chem-Dyne Dumped Pesticides, Chemicals in River, State Charges.” Hamilton JournalNews, September 29, 1976.
———. 1977. “Another Fish Kill.” Hamilton JournalNews, August 22, 1977.
Steve Clarke and Bill McDulin. 1976a. “No Solution yet on Tanker.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 27, 1976.
———. 1976b. “Hamilton Tanker Scare Ends.” Hamilton JournalNews, April 28, 1976.
Will Harbaum. 1976. “Local Clean Water Workshop Tonight.” Hamilton JournalNews, May 4, 1976.