Table 4. Major industries located near water bodies in Escambia County. 



Name 



Location 



Monsanto Chemical Co. 

 American Cyanamid Corp. 

 Container Corporation of Anerica 

 Gul f Power Company 

 Air Products, Inc. 

 St. Regis Paper Co. 



Escambia 

 Escambia 

 Escambia 

 Escambia 

 Escambia 



River 



Bay 



River 



River 



Bay 



El even Mil e Creek 

 Perdido Bay 



off 



Although Escambia Bay once supported a substantial oyster, scallop, and 

 shrimp industry, the bay scallops have virtually disappeared and the oyster 

 and shrimp production has been greatly reduced (Hopkins 1973). Urban and 

 industrial development of the land around the Escambia Bay area are held 

 responsible. Pollution has become so serious that numerous major fish kills 

 have been reported. 



The first well -documented ecological research on the coastal waters was 

 undertaken in 1952 (Hopkins 1973). Since then, numerous inventories of eco- 

 logical conditions have been carried out by various government and private 

 research groups. Analysis of conditions over time reveal the trend of increas- 

 ing pollution. 



In keeping with practices of the day, industry disposed of its pollutants 

 into Escambia Bay and Perdido Bay and their tributaries. Although the bays 

 could assimilate some wastes for awhile, the increasing pollution load started 

 to take its toll. The first incidence or complaint of pollution was in 1955 

 after the Chemstrand Plant (now Monsanto) started operations. These problems 

 were compounded by the location of the Escambia Chemical Company and American 

 Cyanamid Corporation plants on the east shore of upper Escambia Bay (Hopkins 

 1973). As examples for the area, there were 20 fish kills in 1969, and about 

 75 in 1970 and in 1971. A massive oyster kill was reported in 1971. The 

 drastic condition of Escambia Bay led to two Federal-State water quality 

 enforcement conferences in 1970 and 1971 by the U.S. Departnent of the 

 Interior. 



Industrial pollution has caused a decline in fishing success, tourism, 

 recreation, and property values (Terrebonne 1973). There was a clear conflict 

 between the economic gain by the industries and the losses to tourism and 

 fishing. 



Many of the industries that contributed to the above problems also 

 contributed to air pollution in the Pensacola area. The nature of air pollu- 

 tants ranged from particulates generated by wood and chemical industries, to 

 emissions from automobiles (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1978). 



237 



