72° and Moderate rain
Image
By Frank Mariani
Special to the Express
It is well known that there’s real danger beneath the surface in Niagara County, NY. The biggest story of stories was and is Love Canal, which came to prominence in 1978. Hooker Chemical buried nearly 22,000 tons of industrial chemical waste in an abandoned canal in Niagara Falls from 1942 to 1953, leading to a massive health crisis and the creation of the federal Superfund program.
Niagara County has other chapters in this horror story; these two are particularly in the forefront of recent news.
- Manhattan Project & Industrial Slag: Past atomic weapons development and local metallurgical processing left behind radioactive residues and slag.
- Recent Property Notices: Over 120 property owners in Western Niagara County received letters from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding potential radioactive slag used decades ago as base fill for yards and driveways.
I expect this running story will have long legs.
Published in the Niagara Gazette on July 25:
Treading lightly
It’s not easy to find the funny in what isn’t, especially when public health is at risk. These two cartoons ran on successive weekends. Editorial cartoonists try to walk a narrow line and deliver serious, truthful points with levity. It’s a coping mechanism for both creator and reader. One must be sensitive to the plight of the victims.
Editorial cartoonists frequently address tragic or grim issues like buried toxic waste using dark humor, irony, and satire. This approach aims to expose corporate greed, government neglect, and human hypocrisy rather than mock the victims of the tragedy.
Source: The Revelator
Christen Civiletto: Environmental lawyer, Author
I ordered Christen’s book from a local bookstore instead of using Amazon, but you may prefer these Bezosian links:
I am eager to read the culmination of Christen’s research, and I intend to get the book signed at an upcoming event.
