They're suing..
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
March 19, 2013 10:48am CST
In central NY there is a lake, called Onondaga Lake. It's probably the most polluted lake in the United States due to a bunch of factories nearby that used to dump their chemicals into the lake. The lake has been unusable my entire life. We're not able to swim in it.. though sometimes people still fish in this lake.. though I'd never eat the fish! Ew!
Well a couple of years ago they decided to start cleaning the lake.
Now some local residents are getting ticked off because the chemicals removed from the lack are being dumped at a site near their homes, and it's making things smell, and they believe it's causing health problems for them.
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=873934#.UUiGLVfO2M8
These people now want to sue the company that is cleaning the lake because they've developed coughs, nosebleeds, and headaches due to the chemical fumes.
The story was posted on Facebook, and a lot of people are ticked over the law suit.
The cleanup of the lake is going to cost nearly $500 million and take 4 years. Once the lake is cleaned up, everyone in the central NY area will benefit from it. In the meantime these 30 households must suffer from the stench of the chemicals.
The chemical fumes should not actually be dangerous as the company states they are following very strict guidelines by environmental agencies.
People on Facebook who responded to the post are saying that those who live nearby should just deal or move. We shouldn't stop the cleaning of the lake.. and they shouldn't find a new dump site.
I'm not sure what to think. If I were affected by the fumes, I'd be upset too.. and of course I wouldn't want to move. But finding a new dump site means affecting someone else.. possibly me because I do live in the area.. just a little further out. Giving up the cleaning efforts until a solution can be found would mean waiting even longer for a cleaner lake.. and a waste of the money that's already been put into it.
What are your thoughts?
2 people like this
8 responses
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
19 Mar 13
I would think that they would have explored all the possibilities as to where to dump the waste. I expect that unfortunately, it is a case where they chose the site that would affect the least amount of people. I cetaily have the greatest sympathy with those living near the dump especially as their health is affected. Not likely they can sell or move away as who would buy their homes?
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Mar 13
Yeah.. I feel for them, and I wouldn't want to be in that situation. It sucks.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
19 Mar 13
Can't they find a dump site that isn't near anybody's house?
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Mar 13
They're already piping it 4 miles away.. there isn't much I can think of where the fumes wouldn't reach people somewhere.. this is right on the outskirts of a large city with suburban communities for miles around.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
19 Mar 13
I guess trucking it to Nevada would be a bit expensive. 
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Mar 13
Well maybe since they're faced with this lawsuit they will find better dumping grounds.. who knows.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
19 Mar 13
I would think that if the health damage is accurate, that there should be a buyout of those thirty homes. I always wonder about these clean ups. It is more like just moving stuff from one place to the next. Can the soil be purified by burning, or neutralized by something as simple as sodium bicarb? I know people do not like to have their community moved, but I think that, although it is an additional expense, the state should buy these homes and help the people relocate.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Mar 13
I'm thinking with this lawsuit, the company may find other alternatives.. either a way to reduce the fumes even more, or find a new dump site or something.
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
20 Mar 13
We used to have a meat packing company in town and when the wind was in the right direction man, did it stink. But the place employed 1500 people at one time, so I never complained even though somedays I would hang my clothes out to dry and the wind would change and the laundry would stink....sometimes you just have to put up with certain things for the better of the community...and that's my story and I am sticking to it. The plant I was talking about burned down and now we are out all those jobs....no more smell however....
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
20 Mar 13
Well the lake smells on hot days anyway.. whenever I drive by it on a summer day I smell myself because I think I forgot deodorant.. then I remember it's the lake. Imagine how bad it is for people who live near it.. smelling BO all the time when it's hot out!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
22 Mar 13
I don't necessarily think that these people are in the wrong for suing the company. However, I do think that they might be embellishing things to be worse than they actually are in hopes of getting a pay check from their "suffering."
Me, I'm not a person to complain and if I was to think about the fact that the cleanup is going to result in something that will benefit a lot of people then I would be content with dealing with minor symptoms while the cleanup was going on.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Mar 13
It's only during the summer.. and the fumes are coming from a water treatment center which is cleaning the water then taking the chemical elsewhere to dispose of properly. I can understand them being upset about the fumes.. but I think in order to clean the lake they're going to just have to deal.. it's only for another 3 years.
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
20 Mar 13
My thoughts are it shouldn't always be about money but it is. Our children are the most important resource and they should be thought of first. Money will not be of any value if the next generation can not continue on, where we left off.
As soon as I heard about difficult Global economic times immediately I thought about poor mother earth. People need to be looked after I certainly agree with that but maybe not the lawyers.
If it were just me I would move away from disaster areas and take up residence somewhere else. If I owned property, it would only seem fair that I get above market value for it though to compensate.
@natliegleb (5173)
• India
20 Mar 13
it is such efforts which brings down the effort of people and also make this dying agency go under lawsuit finally
@Mantohave (83)
• Trinidad And Tobago
20 Mar 13
Happy to see in your country they clean up things or try to. In Trinidad they cut down trees. We must have about half the trees in this island than we had before. It gets hotter and hotter every year and the politicians do nothing at all about it apart from passing the blame for everything.
