4 Manmade Disasters With Long-Term Environmental Effects

As we continue to reflect on the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, it’s impossible not to think about the long-term effects the chemical spill will have on the environment and immediate community.

Every day more news comes out about the environmental disaster, and we’d like to take some time to reflect on some other man-made issues that had a big long-term impact on the environment.

Here’s a look at 4 disasters and how TAS Environmental Services can use our emergency response team to help prevent similar incidents in your community.

Love Canal

The Love Canal incident occurred in 1942 and was an environmental disaster that exposed thousands of people to hazardous chemical waste. 

The site of the disaster was a neighborhood located in the city of Niagara Falls, New York. 

Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation had purchased a canal that ran through the neighborhood and filled it with 21,000 tons of toxic waste. 

The toxins were buried and covered over, but over time, the waste began to resurface and bleed into the surrounding homes and yards. 

This led to severe health consequences for those living in the area, including birth defects and increased cancer rates.  

The incident served as a powerful reminder of how industrial negligence can lead to devastating consequences for both people and the environment.

BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 was one of the worst environmental disasters in history. On April 20th, an explosion on the BP-operated offshore drilling platform caused a massive release of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Over 4 million barrels of crude oil were spilled over 87 days before the wellhead could be capped, adversely affecting wildlife and marine ecosystems across five states. 

The spill profoundly affected many species, including dolphins, sea turtles, and fish populations, that suffered significant losses due to contaminated waters and shorelines. 

Additionally, local communities experienced economic hardship due to lost fishing revenues and tourism dollars. 

At TAS Environmental Services, we take to heart the fact that Industrial accidents can have far-reaching consequences for both people and nature. We offer the communities we serve 24/7 emergency response. This means that in the event of any emergency, natural or manmade, our specialists will respond immediately and help mitigate long-standing problems of an incident.

California Wildfires of 2017

Global warming is a manmade disaster on its own and played a major role in the 2017 California wildfires that devastated over 1 million acres of land. 

Unfortunately, a fair chunk of the fires started from PG&E electric power lines that had come into contact with forestation. Dry temperatures allowed the fires caused to spread quickly, making the 2017 catastrophe one of the largest wildfire events in California state history. 

Air quality was severely impacted across much of the state due to smoke from the blazes, leading to health risks for those living nearby.

As far as the environment goes, vegetation was destroyed on a massive scale as the flames burned through millions of California’s trees. This aspect of the fire alone led to an overall decrease in local biodiversity as many species lost their habitats or perished directly due to fire damage. 

Flint’s Water Crisis

After the city of Flint, Michigan switched its main source of drinking water from Lake Huron to Flint River in 2014, the infamous Flint water crisis began.

The switch of water sources to the contaminated Flint River led to severe contamination of the local water supply with lead and other toxic chemicals as a result of improper treatment and corrosion control measures. This caused serious health issues for many residents, particularly children who were exposed to high levels of lead which can cause permanent damage to developing brains. 

Bacteria such as E. coli were found in some areas due to inadequate chlorination practices by government officials responsible for managing the city’s water system. 

TAS Environmental has many services in place that can help prevent the cataclysmic mistakes like the Flint water crisis. From environmental remediation to hazardous waste cleanup and thorough environmental study capabilities, we can help the communities we serve to make the right decisions regarding how they use the land to benefit the lives of community members.

Tackle Any Environmental Emergency With TAS Environmental Services

Environmental emergencies can have repercussions that haunt communities for generations. When an incident occurs in your locale, it’s vital to have a team like TAS Environmental on your side for fast response and solutions that deliver on our promise for your community’s safety.

Whether you’re experiencing the aftermath of a natural disaster or suffering an unfortunate incident like those in East Palestine, we’re here for you.

Contact us today to learn more about our services.