A case of whiskey fungus has forced whiskey maker Jack Daniels to halt a building project in Lincoln County, Tennessee, US. Christi Long, a resident of Lincoln County, says that her property is coated in whiskey fungus which happens due to the escaping alcohol vapours. She is not the only one facing the problem. Others in the area told BBC that whiskey fungus is a becoming a matter of growing concern for them.
There are several Jack Daniels warehouses in the area, including the one under construction. Christi Long, who runs an events venue nearby, is suing the local county zoning office for not properly approving permits for the warehouses. She has been forced to spend a whopping $10,000 every year on power-washing her home with water and Clorox.
Locals are now demanding that Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey install air filters to ensure that the whiskey fungus doesn’t spread. The company started constructing six barrel houses in 2018 and another 14 are on the cards. Whiskey fungus is now covering everything in the area – from houses to card to trees.
Christ Long’s lawyer says that whiskey companies talk about the evaporation process also known as “the angels’ share”, but the mention of resultant mould from it is often ignored. “If you go on one of these distillery tours they will tell you about the angels’ share that goes into the atmosphere,” he says.
“And unfortunately that also results in the devil’s fungus.”
The ethanol vapour that is being released by these has also raised concerns about the quality of air in the region. People want Jack Daniels and the county to take responsibility for the air quality and decreasing home prices. They want an environmental impact study to be conducted to check how much ethanol is coming from the barrel houses and the health dangers it may pose.
“I’m extremely concerned. My wife has breathing problems. One of the neighbours got cancer,” Christi Long’s husband, Patrick Long, told Insider. “It’s in the air. And you really, probably don’t want to be breathing that in. But nobody has done a test to determine if it’s actually poisonous.”
A court order has now directed Lincoln County zoning officials to put a halt on the construction after ruling that the permitting process was never fully completed.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
