(Commentary) Permanent linkO.K., so the chemical industry isn't dead in the Kanawha Valley, but it's definitely on life support. The not-so-subtle sign of that on Sunday was the demolition of two smokestacks at the former FMC plant.
It was so weird to be in the middle of this open field, surrounded by piles of contaminated dirt, with about 500 other people who'd come for the show.
In the story I did for Monday, I called it a carnival atmosphere, but perhaps it was more like a viewing at a funeral, or a wake.
The Kanawha Valley once made the chemicals that powered the world. Those chemicals had a dark side, of course -- we made Agent Orange in Nitro and the same chemical in Institute that killed all those people in Bhopal.
And maybe it was a bad idea to place chemical plants in a narrow valley, next to thousands of residents with no way to escape a chemical leak.
But it's sad for me to see the chemical industry go. When I first moved to Charleston 12 years ago, I taught at Charleston Catholic, and I was shocked at the diversity of our students. My kids' parents were born in India, Pakistan, Brazil, China -- all over the world. This is especially unusual in the state with the lowest rate of immigration in the U.S.
Of course, many of them were here because of Union Carbide. They were scientists and engineers. They supported the educational and cultural life of the valley. And now, many of them are gone.
Other remain, like the wife of a scientist who retired rather than be transferred, after Dow took over Carbide. We're still living off those retirees -- but what happens when they're gone?
Some people say the valley will recover. I don't know. All the data shows that this island of education and relative prosperity in the heart of West Virginia is becoming less educated and prosperous.
On the FMC site, they've built a pharmacy, a car dealership and an auto parts store. More retail is planned for the rest of the site. If we're going to find our way back to prosperity, I think we need to re-invent our identity -- what are we good at doing here in Charleston? In what markets are we going to compete?
Any ideas?