Improper Waste
Disposal
Marc Driscoll
Pete L’Heuruex
Skylur Jameson
Rob Wong
Waste Disposal

With technology comes hazardous byproducts

Properly disposing wastes is extremely important.

Places tragically affected by improper waste disposal
 Love Canal
 Times Beach
Love Canal: History

Who:
Niagara Falls Board of Education & Hooker Chemical Corporation

What:
Toxic Chemical Exposure

Where:
Niagara Falls, New York

When:
1976

Background:
◦ Chemicals buried since 1942
◦ Land sold in 1953
◦ Toxic chemicals Exposed 1976
Disclaimers and Construction

Hooker granted permission to dump toxins
◦ 21,000 tons: chlorinated hydrocarbons & fatty acids

Land Bought

Canal drained & filled

Land sold to Board of Education: April 28, 1953
◦
◦
◦
◦

Hooker advises against
Proof of chemical
Disclaimer issued
Property sold
99th Street School
Health Emergency

Community Involvement and Investigation
◦ Lois Gibbs-1978
◦ Love Canal Homeowners Association – surveys
◦ (56% child birth defects)

EPA adds city to environmental disaster list: 1979
◦ Eckhardt C. Beck & Robert Whalen

Financial costs
◦ Community & Chemical Companies

President Carter announces health emergency
◦ August 7, 1978
◦ Federal Disaster Assistance Agency
Aftermath

Scientific studies & surveys

Family relocation & clean-up
◦ 800 families relocated vs. 60 families stayed
◦ 248 separate chemicals

1980-Love Canal Revitalization Agency
◦ Toxic area recovered, fence put around.

Legislation Passed
◦ Companies responsible

Reimbursement for homes and later local lawsuits settled.
Times Beach

Many dirt roads due to lack of funds to pave them.

Russell Bliss hired to oil the roads

Bliss also oiled horse stables (dust)

1971 – Bliss blamed for death of 62 horses

Bliss – spreading motor oil deemed as “Ok”
- subcontracted out to Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical
Chemical company (NEPACCO)
NEPACCO was giving Bliss toxic chemicals like Dioxin.
Times Beach Contamination

1971 – reclaimed oils and waste chemicals spread for dust suppressant

Dioxin – extremely toxic chemicals compound (carcinogenic mutagenic,
teratogenic & fetotixic.
 Byproduct of burning plastic and bleaching paper.
 Usage continued until 1982
 Flooding of Merrimac River 1982 – spreading.
 EPA purchased Times Beach for $33
million and relocated the inhabitants.
Definitions

Carcinogenic – any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.

Mutagenic- Capable of inducing mutation

Teratogenic - substance capable of interfering with the development of a
fetus, causing birth defects.

Ferotoxic – toxic to fetuses
Results

CDC started investigation in 1979

NEPACCO employee admitted company’s
use of Dioxin
◦ Sued in 1980

Times Beach was only one of 100 separate regions
contaminated.

1993 – 2,000 residents moved (only a few stayed behind)

1983 – Presdident Reagan formed Dioxin task force to study
its effects.

Times Beach is now State Park.
Bibliography

Voland, Gerald. Engineering by Design. 2nd Edition. New Jersey.
Pearson Eduction, Inc., 2004.

http://www.timesbeach.org . Accessed March 16, 2009.

http://biology.edu Accessed March 16, 2009.

http://ask.com/lovecanal. Accessed March 16, 2009.