The National Institute for Chemical Studies isan organization established by local leadership to assess the magnitude of chemical risks in West Virginia's Kanawha Valley and what should be done to control them. We are located in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia, which is about 35 miles long, and runs from Nitro to Belle. Within its boundaries live about 250,000 people cheek-by-jowl with approximately twenty chemical manufacturing facilities. Union Carbide was born here, and two of its largest plants remain: the famous facility at Institute, West Virginia, which makes aldicarb-based pesticides and agricultural products, and a plant in South Charleston. DuPont has a major facility in Belle where rayon was invented. Monsanto has a large plant down in Nitro. Diamond Shamrock, Owen, FMC and a number of others are scattered throughout the territory.

There are a number of nasty chemicals in the Kanawha Valley—hydrogen cyanide, phosphorous, MIC, phosgene—about ninety of which appear on EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program List. They are the kinds of chemicals that (if people knew all there is to know about them) would certainly inspire feelings of fear and loathing among the general public in this area. Moreover, for a long time, there have been rumors about the Kanawha Valley being a "cancer valley." Add to this the Bhopal incident and the highly-publicized release at Institute last August 11, and we find that people are asking some serious questions about the benefits of better living through chemistry for the very first time. Our very first act, once we were established, was to take a public opinion poll to find out what was on folks' minds.