Susan - here is a report from USPIRG, but not specifically NYPIRG. You can
get more info on toxic waste sites and other issues that the PIRG's are
working on by going into www.ecomall.com, then going into the activism
section. I'm sorry it's not more direct, but that's the only place I'm found
them on the web.
~Laura
MAKE POLLUTERS PAY!
Toxic Waste Sites Threaten Our Health
In thousands of communities across the U.S., millions of gallons of highly
toxic chemicals including lead, arsenic, and mercury have been dumped in the
midst of unsuspecting neighborhoods.
These sites poison the land, contaminate the groundwater and drinking water,
and potentially cause cancer, birth defects, nerve and liver damage, and other
health effects. The worst of these are called Superfund sites, named after the
1980 law to clean up the nation's worst toxic dumps. Consider:
More than 40,000 hazardous waste sites are scattered across the nation: 1,200
of the worst sites are listed as Superfund sites, and the EPA estimates that
between 1,200 and 1,700 additional sites should be added to this priority
list.
One in four Americans live within four miles of an existing Superfund site.
50% of the U.S. population relies on groundwater for its drinking water.
Groundwater contamination is a problem at over 85% of Superfund sites.
A California study found that children born to mothers living within a
quarter-mile of a Superfund site had a higher risk of birth defects and
neurological problems.
Common Superfund Chemicals and Their Health Effects
LEAD: Lead causes health effects even at low exposure. It can cause brain
damage, and damage to the reproductive system. For infants or young children,
lead has been shown to decrease IQ stores, slow growth, and cause hearing
problems.
BENZENE: Long-term exposure to benzene can cause cancer, severe anemia and
internal bleeding. It can also be harmful to the immune system and cause
genetic changes in both humans and animals.
MERCURY: Long-term exposure at various levels can cause permanent damage to
the brain and kidneys. It also poses a risk of brain damage to developing
fetuses.
ARSENIC: High levels of arsenic can be fatal. Low level exposure can cause
decreased production of red and white blood cells and abnormal heart rhythm.
Arsenic is a known carcinogen that increases the risk of lung, kidney, liver,
and skin cancers.
Make Polluters Pay
In 1980, in response to disasters like the toxic contamination of
neighborhoods at Love Canal, NY, the Superfund law was passed. The central
principle of the law is that polluters - those responsible for creating the
waste sites - should pay to clean up the sites.
In cases where the polluter cannot pay or could not be identified, the law
established a pool of money, from a tax on chemical and oil companies, to fund
the clean up of abandoned toxic waste sites.
The law set strict clean up standards to ensure that hazardous waste sites
were cleaned up fully to protect communities. Superfund also required
reporting on toxic chemical emissions, the first national Right to Know
program.
Polluters Want You to Pay
Polluters and their insurance companies have slowed the cleanup process at
sites across the country by attempting to shift the cost of cleaning up the
toxic messes they've made from themselves to the taxpayers.
Now polluters are lobbying Congress to weaken Superfund by rolling back the
polluter pays principle and weakening the clean up standards for toxic waste
sites.
According to a 1995 report, many of these are the same polluters who are
potentially responsible for creating dozens of Superfund sites. These
polluters include:
Polluting Company # of Sites
General Electric 86
DuPont 81
General Motors 64
Union Carbide 51
Strengthen Superfund
Superfund needs to be strengthened, not weakened. Congress should support
legislation that would:
Continue to make polluters, not taxpayers, pay for cleanup of toxic waste
sites.
Clean up hazardous waste sites completely, safely, and permanently.
Prevent future pollution by expanding public reporting of toxic chemical
emissions and initiating reporting on toxic chemical use (S.769 and H.R.1636)
Give citizens a greater role in the cleanup of their neighborhoods.
Repeal the current exemption from liability enjoyed by oil companies.
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Copyright � 1998 Public Interest Research Groups
Updated 30 Oct 1998 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
