From July 19, 2002
Citizen Takes on
CCA-Treated Wood Manufacturer
Kevin Beasley, an Alabama state trooper, is standing up to Georgia-Pacific Corporation, a manufacturer of pressure-treated wood, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Beasley used CCA-treated wood to build a deck in May, and has become seriously ill since. He is sure his difficulties are a result of exposure to the toxic arsenic contained in the wood he used.
Beasley filed a lawsuit against the company in federal court, alleging they exposed their customers to arsenic in the products they sold. He says Georgia-Pacific concealed the dangers CCA-treated wood posed to its customers. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen. It has been linked to cancer of the lung, skin, bladder, liver, kidney, and prostate in humans. Arsenic poisoning also damages mucous membranes, irritates eyes, causes darkening and lesions of the skin, damages and inflames the liver, damages the heart, causes hearing loss, and results in degeneration of the peripheral nervous system.
Sale of CCA-treated wood will be phased out for residential uses by January of 2004. Currently playgrounds, decks, picnic tables and other commonly used structures are being built and used with CCA-treated wood. They can continue to be used after the phase-out. Learn how to protect yourself from CCA-treated wood and find out about alternatives here. For further information, please contact Beyond Pesticides.