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A smelly debate over Mincey Marble's expansion
Rezoning foes object to styrene odors; company says its in compliance
1009STYRENE1
Retired environmental health and safety expert John Kandler is one of the lead opponents to Mincey Marble’s expansion plans at their location on Browns Bridge Road. Kandler worries about the amounts of styrene released into the air and the general public’s prolonged exposure to it. “There are chemicals that don’t smell good, but they’re relatively harmless,” he said. “And there are chemicals that smell good that can be very bad for you. Styrene is one of those that smells bad and it can be bad for you.”
Pungent or pleasant, it’s a smell in automobile exhaust, copier machines and yes, even brand new cars. The chemical styrene can be found in many places, including naturally in foods. It’s also front and center of a debate over a West Hall manufacturer’s proposal to build a 100,750-square-foot plant on busy and heavily residential Browns Bridge Road — an uproar that surprises Mincey Marble officials.