Excellent Article

[Rodney Crater]

I apologize in advance if someone else has posted this. Here is a perfect story that supports what has been echoed in this forum: http://www.toxiclegacy.com/

[jeff-o]

Scary...

Though in defense of modern industry, this type of stuff doesn't happen anymore... does it?

[Dahon.Steve]

There was a bike show not far from that area in Edison NJ which I attended. What I didn't know was the area around there was a dumping ground and off limits. It's incredible how Ford just destroyed that entire town and other sites around there just to make cars. Incredible.

[AverageCommuter]

Scary...

Though in defense of modern industry, this type of stuff doesn't happen anymore... does it?


Unfortunately, yes. A big polluter in the US is the mining industry, especially out west. As far as manufacturing goes, cheaper labor isn't the only reason most factories have moved abroad.

[Roody]

I lived for a long time next to a plant that made parts for the auto industry (Motor Wheel). After the plant closed, they had to strip all the soil on the site and bake it in a big furnace, then put the dirt back again. Meanwhile, water in the aquifer that flows under the plant is polluted for as far away as Jackson, MI, about 45 miles to the south.

Search on "superfund" and "brownfield development" to find lots of stories like this.

[Dahon.Steve]

Search on "superfund" and "brownfield development" to find lots of stories like this.

OH MY!! I just searched the word Superfund and found quite a few sites around my area. In fact, some areas are so polluted, the Superfund won't cover the costs to clean up the land.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

OH MY!! I just searched the word Superfund and found quite a few sites around my area. In fact, some areas are so polluted, the Superfund won't cover the costs to clean up the land.
How long have you lived in Northern Jersey? Get around much?

[jeff-o]

Are there any sites like the EPA, only for Canada? There's an electroplating plant in my city....

[C Law]

As far as manufacturing goes, cheaper labor isn't the only reason most factories have moved abroad.

Very good point that goes overlooked a lot.

[pedex]

many of the things we take for granted arent sustainable, China is choking itself on it, other countries like the US have already realized this, US corps being smart and wealthy and well connected have managed to rape and pillage other places, that too is waning as people wake up.........sooner or later after robbing peter to pay paul, peter will realize it and get pissed........day of reckoning is about here

[Dahon.Steve]

How long have you lived in Northern Jersey? Get around much?

I've lived all my life in Northern New Jersey and discovered two superfund sites. You never realize how many of these polluted sites are in existance. You just figure those empty lands that are fenced in are just unproductive property and not toxic waste dumps. Incredible.

[Eatadonut]

Unfortunately, yes. A big polluter in the US is the mining industry, especially out west. As far as manufacturing goes, cheaper labor isn't the only reason most factories have moved abroad.

Yeah, there was that time DuPont accidentally nerve gassed an entire Indian village. Oops.

[CentPARider]

Hadn’t read this one before. Thanks for posting.

It’s happening in other countries too. If I recall correctly, Union Carbide had a CO2 release in India, and one of the major oil companies, Exxon I think, destroyed a colony of indigenous people along with their land in South America. Incredible.

[In Absentia]

Scary...

Though in defense of modern industry, this type of stuff doesn't happen anymore... does it?

It sure does, and in the one of the most modern industries: Semiconductor manufacturing (http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/07/30/almaden1/index.html). (If you don't have a subscription to Salon, you can just view an ad for a day pass.)

[marcm]

Though in defense of modern industry, this type of stuff doesn't happen anymore... does it?
I wouldn't be so quick to defend modern industry.

For example, the biggest polluter in New York state (http://www.kodakstoxiccolors.org), and some of their violations, 1988-2001 (http://www.kodakstoxiccolors.org/violation/violation.html). From the latter page, one of the reasons why this stuff, unfortunately, still happens:

For Kodak, a company that brought in $16.4 billion in revenue in 1993, paying an $8 million fine is the equivalent of someone who makes $40,000 a year paying a $20 parking ticket.