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July Profile :
Carolina On My Mind      

Carolina Eastern-Vail, Salem, NY

By Ryan Conatti

Welcome to Salem, NY.  You won’t find the Broadway blockbusters or the glitz and glamour of the Big Apple in this section of the Empire State, but if you are searching for environmental stewardship, there is an abundance within the walls of the Carolina Eastern-Vail Crop Protection and Nutrient Center.

 

“Environmental respect is arguably one of the most important issues, not only to our business, but to the world as a whole,” says Peter Vail, Jr., vice president of Carolina Eastern-Vail, Inc. “We need to raise the level of consciousness as to the importance of good conservation practices.”

 

According to Vail, the company takes extreme care in planning for accidents, spills, and emergency response situations.  In fact, Carolina Eastern-Vail was chosen by a New York State Fire Department representative to be a model for an educational program on emergency response preparations.

 

This preparedness paid off in late 2000 when the Salem area experienced what was classified as a “500-Year Flood.” The water levels inside the Carolina Eastern-Vail facilities rose over two feet and seeped over containment walls in the chemical building, but because everything was properly stored, an inconsequential amount of chemicals were released and a major environmental hazard was avoided.