CATAWBA, S.C. (From news reports) - Area residents impacted by the stench and toxic emissions released by the New Indy paper mill are seeking accountability from the mill.

On Wednesday, those residents filed to intervene in the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) litigation against the company.

The motion was filed before Judge Sherri A. Lydon in federal court in the District of South Carolina, Rock Hill Division, and if granted, residents will ask the Court to require New Indy to immediately take all measures necessary to eliminate its dangerous air emissions and comply with the Clean Air Act and EPA's outstanding order.

The motion, filed by area residents' counsel, states that the monitoring program the EPA is requiring New Indy to implement is not adequately protected in many ways, including:

* the failure to monitor the three other reduced sulfur compounds besides hydrogen sulfide, which make up as much or more than 90% of New Indy's emissions;
* only requiring three fence-line monitors when the Facility has a fence-line of over six miles in length;
* only covering with community monitoring 30 square miles of the affected area that is at least 265 square miles and up to almost 500 square miles;
* and using inconsistent monitoring methodology and equipment.

The residents also call into question the use of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Minimum Risk Level (MRL) for hydrogen sulfide, stating it is "inappropriate for the population affected by New Indy's emissions" and the risk level of 70 parts per billion is "not a 'safe level."