Stepan Chemical: The Poisoning Of A Community

For the people of Matamoros, Mexico, living close to the U.S. border has brought its share of problems. A major complaint is the multinational chemical corporations which are so concentrated in one area to have earned the nickname "Chemical Row." Filmmaker Mark Day focuses on one such U.S. multinational, the Stepan Chemical company, and the very vocal local citizens who have struggled with Stepan's extremely lax waste disposal techniques. The basic strategy seems to be burying it in the community's backyard. With concomitant health problems at an all-time high, the people are understandably furious. "In 1941, there were no chemical plants here," remembers Don Ireneo Sanchez, and Ernestine Sanchez says that thanks to the chemical plant "we have to wear masks." Despite community efforts to alert the local environmental agency about the terrible problems at Stepan, officials at Matamoros have turned the other way. The program concludes with a contingent of Matamoros citizens placing their case before U.S. officials. The outcome is uncertain. Stepan Chemical: The Poisoning of a Community is a good program in that it alerts people to a problem which--even though it's occurring outside our borders--is surely at least partially our problem. Unfortunately, the fact that the program is short and only presents the issue (without fully exploring it) make its usefulness as a documentary somewhat limited. Recommended, with reservations. (Available from: Day Communications, 2434 Alta Vista Dr., Vista, CA 92084; (619) 630-7201; FAX (619) 630-9281.)