Nitro
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Author
Nitro, West Virginia, is a small boomtown, nestled in the heart of America’s ‘Chemical Valley’.
Nitro, West Virginia, is a small boomtown, nestled in the heart of America’s ‘Chemical Valley’. Formed, maintained and entirely reliant upon the chemical and rubber industries, this humble town embodies many of the environmental issues West Virginian’s currently face. Having housed a Monsanto Plant for over 70 years, residents of Nitro have simultaneously relied upon this company for economic stability, while battling the repercussions of the toxic chemicals it produced. Elevated cancer rates, high levels of Dioxin in local water ways and homes and rare auto-immune disorders have disrupted the lives of long term residents, and have rendered the fertile valley and river surrounding this region unusable.