Widespread Contamination
What happened here is really just a symptom of a much larger problem that we see all over this country.
- U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., referring to a TCE-contaminated site in St. Louis
Because of its widespread industrial use, TCE is now one of the most ubiquitous environmental contaminants at hazardous waste sites in the United States. According to ATSDR - Trichloroethylene Toxicity, TCE has been identified in at least 861 of the 1,428 sites proposed for inclusion on the National Priorities List. The map below depicts just some examples of communities contaminated with TCE.
One of these communities, Toms River, New Jersey, has a tragically similar story to Woburn. Childhood Cancer Clusters: Revisiting Toms River is a short video from Link TV in which author and professor Dan Fagin details how the hazardous waste dumping from a chemical industry polluted the water supply in Toms River, NJ.
Another similar incident occurred at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The documentary Semper Fi, Always Faithful, follows some of the individuals, or their family members, who developed health effects ranging from childhood leukemia to male breast cancer as a result of exposure to toxic industrial solvents TCE, PCE, and benzene, among others, through their drinking water.
These stories provide evidence that TCE contamination in Woburn was unfortunately not an isolated incident, and that hazardous waste sites across the country continue to cause adverse health effects in communities. However, as was similar to Woburn, some of the affected community members in these towns have come together and successfully brought attention to their cause. Partially because of pressure from communities and knowledge gained, industrial TCE use has been substantially reduced. In 1987, TCE releases into the environment were roughly 55.6 million pounds, whereas in 2003, releases were down to 7.2 million pounds (Source: ATSDR - Trichloroethylene Toxicity).
