Geog 239_ Lab 7

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Dec 6, 2023

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Lab 7: Environmental Law in the US since 2010: Superfund and RCRA Daniel Gibbons 10/04/23 Dr. Laura Pangallozzi Geog 239 1. Describe the discovery of toxic waste that was the immediate cause of the passage of Superfund A community called Love Canal was built on top of what was once a toxic waste dumping ground and brought major attention to the issue of proper waste management. Chemicals in alarming concentrations were found in people’s homes, backyards, and playgrounds. Residents suffered immediate effects such as lesions and burns as well as chronic effects such as leukemia and birth defects. 2. When, according to Collins, did a wide range of synthetic chemicals, most with petroleum, begin to be sold, creating new chemicals with unknown toxicities? It occurred during the second half of the twentieth century. 3. Name at least one problem associated with petrochemical products. Petrochemical products are not biodegradable and linger in the environment and poison their surroundings for a prolonged period. 4. Describe briefly the provisions of CERCLA at the time the Carter administration presented it to Congress. CERCLA would make companies that dump toxic waste responsible for cleaning up any contaminants produced by their business practices. 5. How did Congress initially fund the ‘Superfund’ for decontaminating ‘orphan’ sites? CERCLA enforced a tax on 43 dangerous chemicals produced by the country's largest chemical companies, and the taxes collected were put into the superfund. 6. What benefit did the oil industry receive in exchange for conceding, despite heavy lobbying, to a tax on crude oil to pay for a superfund? In other words explain the ‘petroleum exclusion’.
They were able to freely dump petroleum wastes even though they are extremely toxic, which saves the companies a lot of money, but harms the environment, as many superfund sites today are contaminated with petroleum-based waste. 7. Explain what happened in 1994 to the petrochemical taxes that subsidized Superfund. Bush did not include CERCLA’s “polluters pay” policy in his tax budget proposal, so the responsibility of financing the superfund shifted to the taxpayers. 8. Does Collins think the threat of liability has been effective? Explain. No, Collins brings up the heavy amounts of toxic waste dumping General Electric did before CERCLA’s enforcement, and how they have done and will do nothing to contribute to its cleanup until they find a way to make them liable under CERCLA or some other policy. 9. Describe briefly what dioxin is. Dioxins are a family of 219 highly toxic chemicals created in the production of herbicides, wood preservatives, and germicides as well as the incineration of some solid waste. 10. What sites are known to be contaminated with dioxin? Dioxins had been sprayed at dozens of sites in Eastern Missouri, and some of the sites became unfit to support human life. 11. What are its effects on the human body? Dioxin is thought to be carcinogenic and produces birth defects, but along with that, it causes blisters and scars to erupt on the skin, sometimes so severe that it leads to permanent disfigurement. 12. Who do you think should pay for cleanup of past environmental hazards? I think whoever produced the waste and is responsible for its irresponsible disposal should pay the price of that environmental hazard even if the incident is passed. If no one is at fault the government should pay for the cleanup in the best interest of their citizens' welfare. 13. Describe RCRA. The RCRA is the United States' primary law governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste. This law was formed in response to the increasing problems the nation faced from our growing volume of municipal and industrial waste.
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