Basic HTML Version
the workplace and general
A few years ago the EPA
arsenic, plus dangerous
environment, are concerned
"TimeBombs"
estimated only 1
O
percent
solvents, pesticides,
about another worry: brain
of U.S. chemical wastes are
plasticizers and even picric
and behaviorial disorders
Coming
disposed of by properly
acid, which has more
caused by chemicals.
controlled incineration,
explosive power than TNT.
Known causes of mental
BacktoHaunt
chemical treatment,
At another earthen dump
and behavior disorders have
Mankind
recycling or in landtills
site, sludges of paint and
been traced to excessive
properly lined with
chemical oozes of benzene,
~
amounts of lead, mercury,
impervious material to
toluene and naphthalene
!he pesticide Kepone,
Like awakening sleeping
preven! leakage. Of the
seeped from rusting barreis.
certain food additives and
giants, lethal soups of
remainder, 80 percent is
This caused a concerned
heavy metals. What these
thousands of different toxic
dumped in nonsecure
citizen living nearby to say,
tindings mean is that a
chemicals, formerly thought
landtills, ponds or lagoons,
" Every time we have a
substantial proportion of
harmless and disposed
and 10 percent is
thundershower,
1
pray, 'God,
future generations is highly
of - "out of sight, out of
incinerated without adequate don't let lightning hit out
vulnerable to learning and
mind" -are now beginning
controls. (lmproper
there.' "
behavior problems because
to seep from thousands of
incineration just spreads
Unlike surface water or
of toxicity from chemicals in
dump sites into water
residual polluting agents
the air, groundwater is all
our environment.
supplies. Or bubble to the
invisibly over broad areas of but impossible to purify
A few years ago, a high
surface in ugly puddles,
the countryside.)
once it has become
official of the EPA said, "We
polluting the air and
Chemical and toxic waste chemically polluted. Normally
look back on the Middle
landscape. Or in some
disposal in the past has
the earth's surface is a
Ages, and we say, 'No
cases, literally explode like
been so haphazard that
natural tiltration system-a
wonder they had bubonic
ammunition dumps.
deadly mixtures of
kind of geological "kidney"
plague - they used to throw
" There are a lot of time
chemicals have simply been
to cleanse naturally
garbage in the streets. '
bombs out there waiting to
carted off to municipal
occurring wastes by water
Generations to come will
go off," said a senior U.S.
dumps, or mixed with
tiltering through it. But the
look back on this generation
Environmental Protection
garbage or hidden in
system simply cannot
and say, 'No wonder they
Agency official of chemical
farmers' back tields for a
handle or break down into
had problems-look at all
dumps in America.
price. Some haulers have
harmless substances the
the chemicals just carelessly
A study for the EPA
pumped liquid wastes into
toxic overload often poured
~
introduced into the
found that 90 percent of the tank trucks and driven down upon it. Many man-made
environment, uncontrolled.' "
landtills in the eastern half
rural roads with the cock
chemicals cannot be broken
of the United States are
valve open Or dumped
down naturally and will be
leaking toxic substances
them into the nearest sewer, toxic and dangerous for
than World Health
into groundwater.
stream or lake. The
hundreds or even thousands
Organization guidelines.
These "ticking time
long-term environmental or
of years. State and local
Water samples from a
bombs" -like forgotten land health effects on future
authorities often refuse to
river dumping into Jakarta
mines of bygone wars- are
generations?
tace
up to these problems.
Bay, Indonesia, were found
only beginning to be
They are not even
Even the vast oceans
to have 62 times the
associated with a variety of
considered.
cannot continue to absorb
international safety level for
serious human health
At one dump site
and dilute all the dangerous
mercury pollution. Industrial
ailments. " Toxic waste will
thousands of rusting barreis
wastes. Many smaller seas
plants along the river
be the major environmental
of chemicals improperly
are already dying from a
introduced most of this toxic
and public health problem
labeled and left to
variety of man-injected
metal problem as well as
facing the U.S. [and we
deteriprate for a decade
pollutants. Some developed
other toxic metal pollution. In
must add, other nations] in
tinally went up in an
nations still dump low-level
many developing nations it is
the '90s," said a health
explosion and raging tire. At nuclear wastes into the
difficult if not impossible for
official.
another landtill, a bulldozer
oceans. European nations
governments to impose
" At leas! half of the
operator hit a canister of
burn dangerous chemical
costly pollution controls on
wastes [in the United States] phosphorus and was
wastes on incinerator ships
their industries without
are just being dumped
incinerated so quickly he
because pollution controls
forcing owners to go
indiscriminately," says Gary
died with his hand on the
are less stringent at sea.
bankrupt.
Dietrich of EPA. Anytime you gearshift.
Pollutants nevertheless
No nation by itself can
put hazardous waste in the
Government ofticials
escape into the air and
solve its pollution problems.
ground it will eventually leak investigating this site found
water we use.
Pollution is international. lt is
into drinking water, say
a horrifi c arsenal of
Poisoned sky. Poisoned
global. lt will take a global-
other health officials. People chemicals-some of which
water. Poisoned earth. lt will
not a piecemeal-solution.
living in a beautiful area may were so volatile they ignite
take a miracle to rescue
Any measure short of that
not realize their aquifer is
when exposed to air. Also
mankind from millions of
will lead humanity into global
being contaminated from a
found were wastes with high tons of carelessly disposed
pollution disaster!
source 50 miles away.
levels of lead, mercury and
toxic wastes.
o
February 1983
29