&achitti
The Pine River flows through the old town of Alma, Michigan looking like
it was an inspiration for a Norman Rockwell postcard. However, a legacy
of old pollutants that plagues the river, contaminated with DDT from a
chemical plant that used to be in the area. The locals don’t like to
talk about it all, but 50 or 60 years ago the town was thriving as it
slowly but surely committed suicide. Zoning was changed to allow
farmland to be converted to factories and everyone had a fun slide
downhill until they hit bottom.
I wish I could post more than one picture on the subject; not far from this sign is a large field that is surrounded by chain link fence with ‘No Trespassing’ signs at some legally required spacing. In each corner there is a large fire main with a nozzle pointed towards the middle of the empty field, as if they were expecting it to burst into flames at any moment. The monitors are controlled from outside the fence; they don’t want anyone going in there even if it was on fire. It is an empty field; they don't even mow it. It pretty scary.
Alma is a dying community in the American heartland; many of the reasons that it was founded, such as timber and farming, are all but gone in that area now. For many years those jobs were replaced by auto manufacturing jobs in nearby Detroit, or places like the chemical plant that is now gone. There is a private college downtown that is still open, but most of the businesses have migrated just over the city limits into the shopping center with a large anchor store and salted with chain restaurants and gas stations. The city wouldn't budge on the taxes, so the big box store bought just over the line in the County, who was glad to charge less Business tax. They weren't getting much from the farmland to begin with...
As beautiful as the Pine River is, you can’t drink the water or eat the fish for fear of toxic poisoning. The open field where the chemical plant stood is too dangerous to walk on for any reason. The jobs are gone and the home values have tumbled to the point where people would walk away if they could find someone to assume the debt. The city revenues are dwindling as property values plummet and business taxes disappear. City services, established in flush times of full employment, are no longer sustainable and paid staffs like police and fire are becoming large financial liabilities. They may have to go the route of other similar communities: disincorporation.
This is happening all over America as the young move away for jobs and futures somewhere else. Most places are not so chemically hazardous as to make one concerned about future generations. But here in Alma every pregnancy seems to be viewed with caution, frequent trips to the doctor, and hopes to move to a safer place. +Environment +Pollution Comments
Again, a big "Thank you!" to each and every one of you.
I wish I could post more than one picture on the subject; not far from this sign is a large field that is surrounded by chain link fence with ‘No Trespassing’ signs at some legally required spacing. In each corner there is a large fire main with a nozzle pointed towards the middle of the empty field, as if they were expecting it to burst into flames at any moment. The monitors are controlled from outside the fence; they don’t want anyone going in there even if it was on fire. It is an empty field; they don't even mow it. It pretty scary.
Alma is a dying community in the American heartland; many of the reasons that it was founded, such as timber and farming, are all but gone in that area now. For many years those jobs were replaced by auto manufacturing jobs in nearby Detroit, or places like the chemical plant that is now gone. There is a private college downtown that is still open, but most of the businesses have migrated just over the city limits into the shopping center with a large anchor store and salted with chain restaurants and gas stations. The city wouldn't budge on the taxes, so the big box store bought just over the line in the County, who was glad to charge less Business tax. They weren't getting much from the farmland to begin with...
As beautiful as the Pine River is, you can’t drink the water or eat the fish for fear of toxic poisoning. The open field where the chemical plant stood is too dangerous to walk on for any reason. The jobs are gone and the home values have tumbled to the point where people would walk away if they could find someone to assume the debt. The city revenues are dwindling as property values plummet and business taxes disappear. City services, established in flush times of full employment, are no longer sustainable and paid staffs like police and fire are becoming large financial liabilities. They may have to go the route of other similar communities: disincorporation.
This is happening all over America as the young move away for jobs and futures somewhere else. Most places are not so chemically hazardous as to make one concerned about future generations. But here in Alma every pregnancy seems to be viewed with caution, frequent trips to the doctor, and hopes to move to a safer place. +Environment +Pollution Comments
Again, a big "Thank you!" to each and every one of you.
Source Article : http://www.bubblews.com/news/8253440-ddt-and-the-pine-river
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