Transcript The Love Canal case - Laboratorio di Geomatica

Link between natural and technological risks
(Scira Menoni, Politecnico di Milano)
1. Link between natural risks and technological risks
looking at two case studies
2. Why soil and water contamination may be considered
in the sphere of risks we are analyzing in the course
The Hallandsas case in Sweden
1. Modernization
of Swedish railways
between Gothenburg
and Malmo;
The Hallandsas case in Sweden
2. The Hallandsas horst: A mass of the earth's
crust that lies between two faults and is higher
than the surrounding land (200 mt asl)
3. Critical geological factors, the solutions
The Hallandsas case in
Sweden
critical geological features
•
Crumbly soil, fructured rocks, sand
and porous material
•
Escavation lower the water
groundtable
Water shortage for agricoltural use
Figure 3. The slope of the Hallandsås ridge towards the
north-west. The
northern tunnel mouth is situated to the right of the
photo. Photo: H-G
Wallentinus, January 2000
The second EIA document
Figure 4. The northern tunnel
mouth. Photo: H-G Wallentinus,
January 2000
Figure 5. The working tunnel
on the Hallandsås ridge.
Photo: H-G
Wallentinus, January 2000
The Hallandsas case in Sweden
Figure 6. Work going on in the
northern part of the tunnel to stop
groundwater leakage. Photo: H-G
Wallentinus, January 2000
Chemical hazard:
• The Rhoca-gil product containing large percentage of
acrylamide contaminates soil and groundwater
Contaminated water: declaration of crisis area
The Hallandsas case in Sweden
Chemical hazards:
• Agricultural crisis, impossible to sell the Hallandsas products
• More than ten years of project stop
Why environmentalists did not “react”?
• Railways = environmentally “friendly”
• Perceived as a “technical” problem
A relevant problem of planning is that
everything has to be done so quickly .…
My experience is that the overall time of
design and implementation is shorter if
there is enough time to think to the entire
project
(M. Andersson, Swedish Railway Adm.)
The Love Canal case
The Love Canal case
In the 50s the Hooker
Chem. discharges
21.000
t
toxic
materials
In the canal of the
“utopian” city of
William Love
The Love Canal case
1954: the area is sold for $1
to
the
school
administration of the
Niagara
City
Municipality.
A school is built on the canal
and around it a residential
quartier develops
The Love Canal case
1978:
“disaster
discovery”: Lois
Gibbs,
consultant
Beverly Paigen
The Love Canal case
At the beginning:
1. Only pregnant women and
children below 2 years
evacuated;
are
Then:
1. 1980: Carter declares Love Canal
the first chemical disaster in the
USA
2. 1980:
Comprehensive
Environmental
Response,
Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA)
3. New York State acquires residential
properties at market value
The Love Canal case
In the meantime:
1. 26 families decide to remain in the area
2. The New York State develops a “revitalization
master plan” in the period 1982-1988.
3. 1988 EPA Habitability declaration for the area
4. Some works have been carried out in the lifelines
systems (water particularly), basements were
cleaned and houses re-sold at around $50.000
(prices mid 90s)
The Love Canal case: contamination risk,
controversy
In light grey the 100 RP
flood for the Niagara river
The Love Canal case: contamination risk,
controversy
The contamination path
according to residents and
to Beverly Paigen
The Love Canal case: the master plan
The Love Canal case: contamination risk, the
controversy
Difficulties in demonstrating the
The concept of “disaster
relationship between exposure
incubator particularly
and helth effects:
relevant in this case,
What proof do we need? How the
where there is a
probability
estimation
is
specific site origin of
considered in courts?
the
threat
(even
though there is no x
hour or moment)
Fundamental difference between epidemiology
and toxicology