there's only so much you can see from the ground. take a look down here. what you're looking at used to be a rural community. there are now 14 chemical plants many chemical plants came here because of the promise of no property taxes promised by state. coal fired plants, petrochemical plants, many taking raw materials from plastics. in order to understand mossville, you have to understand plastic. the first plastic plant arrived after world war 2. part of a nationwide boom. the future was plastic. "the graduate" in 1968 captured the mood. >> want to say one word to you, just one word. >> yes, sir. >> are you listening? >> yes, i am. >> plastics. >> plastic is anything we ask it to be. >> plastic has changed our lives. the most common, polyvinyl chloride, pvc. it's everywhere, in pipes, vinyl