To start off, I would like to state that I have no intentions of stirring the pot here so to speak, as I'm sure this a very controversial and emotional subject for many.
A little about me; I was born and raised in New Egpyt. From about age 6 on, its safe to say I've spent most of my life in the pine barrens. Hiking the trails, exploring the ancient cedar swamps, kayaking through the marshes, any excuse to be out there was a good one. I was a Boy Scout for about 6 years as well, and I feel that it really introduced me to an area that so many take for granted. Currently I've been researching and trying to grasp the depths of a certain subject; Past dumping of hazardous wastes in the pine barrens.
Anyone who spends time out here will be able to tell you that dumping garbage and debris is pretty commonplace. Annual cleanups and stricter penalties seem to do little to thwart dumpers, but talk to any old timer and they'll tell you what the "dumping" used to be like.
53' trailers with tanks full of a combination of whatever any number of industrial/chemical facilities couldn't easily dispose of legally. They would pull off into any number of dirt roads, head to whatever spot they felt most comfortable at, and open the spigot. Or drop the barrels. Or dump out the lab packs. You get the idea.
Big business and big crime syndicates kept this operation going on for decades, and while I'm sure it still exists in some areas, it's a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to what previous generations endured.
Unfortunately only a small fraction of these "sites" have been exposed and remediation attempts made. The serene charm and wilderness of the pine barrens that brings us all there has also kept out public infrastructure. Most recognized superfund sites are residential or farm land, that sees quite a bit more "traffic" than most of the pine barrens ever will. This, and lack of funding and manpower, or incentive, to expand testing and detection into uninhibited areas, keeps what could be some of the most toxic sites in the state unknown. When the leachate from all of these liquid and solid wastes drains into the soil, it's only a matter of time until it becomes dispersed into the surrounding tributaries/branches.
I am trying to gather as much information as humanly possible on this subject. My hopes are to find a somewhat "accessible" method to detect recognize and plot these areas. I am looking for any and all input on this, recommendations, suspected areas, anything. I believe there is a lot we can do here, as a whole, and individually. I for one, do not want to see 2400' wells drilled for my children's children, just to buy them some more time before the plumes reach further down. I don't want to see more species eradicated from the area because they're food sources can't survive, or their reproductive systems mutate. I can go on, but it's a moot point. I need your help.
-Adam
A little about me; I was born and raised in New Egpyt. From about age 6 on, its safe to say I've spent most of my life in the pine barrens. Hiking the trails, exploring the ancient cedar swamps, kayaking through the marshes, any excuse to be out there was a good one. I was a Boy Scout for about 6 years as well, and I feel that it really introduced me to an area that so many take for granted. Currently I've been researching and trying to grasp the depths of a certain subject; Past dumping of hazardous wastes in the pine barrens.
Anyone who spends time out here will be able to tell you that dumping garbage and debris is pretty commonplace. Annual cleanups and stricter penalties seem to do little to thwart dumpers, but talk to any old timer and they'll tell you what the "dumping" used to be like.
53' trailers with tanks full of a combination of whatever any number of industrial/chemical facilities couldn't easily dispose of legally. They would pull off into any number of dirt roads, head to whatever spot they felt most comfortable at, and open the spigot. Or drop the barrels. Or dump out the lab packs. You get the idea.
Big business and big crime syndicates kept this operation going on for decades, and while I'm sure it still exists in some areas, it's a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to what previous generations endured.
Unfortunately only a small fraction of these "sites" have been exposed and remediation attempts made. The serene charm and wilderness of the pine barrens that brings us all there has also kept out public infrastructure. Most recognized superfund sites are residential or farm land, that sees quite a bit more "traffic" than most of the pine barrens ever will. This, and lack of funding and manpower, or incentive, to expand testing and detection into uninhibited areas, keeps what could be some of the most toxic sites in the state unknown. When the leachate from all of these liquid and solid wastes drains into the soil, it's only a matter of time until it becomes dispersed into the surrounding tributaries/branches.
I am trying to gather as much information as humanly possible on this subject. My hopes are to find a somewhat "accessible" method to detect recognize and plot these areas. I am looking for any and all input on this, recommendations, suspected areas, anything. I believe there is a lot we can do here, as a whole, and individually. I for one, do not want to see 2400' wells drilled for my children's children, just to buy them some more time before the plumes reach further down. I don't want to see more species eradicated from the area because they're food sources can't survive, or their reproductive systems mutate. I can go on, but it's a moot point. I need your help.
-Adam
