Nearly 30 years ago, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., a neighborhood known as Love Canal faced an environmental health crisis. The newly developed neighborhood was built on a toxic waste disposal site. City officials did little to respond to the ailing residents, leading former President Jimmy Carter to declare a federal emergency in 1978.
Environmental problems of this magnitude are not a thing of the past, even with the expansion of the Environmental Protection Agency and harsher restrictions on landfills and toxic waste sites.
As the city of Madison continues to develop more land, environmental problems continue to surface. As a result, the city has spent more than $35 million since 1999 to clean up six major landfills it operates.
Recently, the city discovered several industrial pollutants that jeopardize our city's water supply and development.
City officials blame pollutants underneath the east isthmus for the contamination of Well No. 3, which the city abandoned for an alternative water source.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison Water Utility hired a consultant who warned that the history of contamination on the isthmus would make finding a clean source of water in the area very difficult.
Madison also faces severe contamination in area lakes. The use of street salts and the city's inability to spend money on a more environmentally friendly option or cleanup process has left the city's water in a grave state. Simply using less salt is not enough.
According to the 2005 Road Salt Report, the chloride level in three of Madison's water wells increased more than 200 percent in the last 30 years. One increased more than 550 percent.
High costs leave the city with few options for the necessary cleanup and pollution prevention the city will need in the coming years.
A water purification system is dire, and we suggest the city examine the idea of the EPA Superfund, which provides federal funding for toxic waste cleanup.
Although this federal funding is incredibly difficult to obtain, it is a volatile solution for a city that may need to replace several of its wells and remove hazardous chemicals from ground soil in developing areas.
We encourage the city to stay proactive on this situation, and make sure that as the city expands and grows, we do not overlook necessary health needs that could potentially become a much larger problem.
