Virtual Globetrotting: Pollution

Virtual Globetrotting: Pollution http://virtualglobetrotting.com/ A great way to explore everything that can be seen from space! en-us Copyright 2009 admin@virtualglobetrotting.com (Nic) admin@virtualglobetrotting.com (Nic) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:20:22 -0800 http://backend.userland.com/rss <![CDATA[Mokattam - city of garbage]]>

Mokattam - city of garbage
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By: kjfitz
@ 2009-11-25 10:20:22
It's a suburb of Cairo, called Garbage City. A community of mainly Coptic Christians were allowed to collect and dispose of Cairo's waste by feeding it to their pigs.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/mokattam-city-of-garbage/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/mokattam-city-of-garbage/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:20:22 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/mokattam-city-of-garbage/ 30.03477500 31.27522800 <![CDATA[EPA to buy Kansas town]]>

EPA to buy Kansas town
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By: kjfitz
@ 2009-10-30 14:14:20
"The Wichita Eagle reports that Congress has approved funds to relocate the population of the southeast Kansas town of Treece, which is plagued with lead, zinc and other chemical contamination left by a century of mining. Estimates say it will cost about $3 million to $3.5 million to buy out the town, which is surrounded by huge piles of mining waste called 'chat' and dotted with uncapped shafts and cave-ins filled with brackish, polluted water. 'It's been a long, dusty, chat-covered road, but for the citizens of Treece, finally, help will be on the way,' said Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas who has been pushing for a buyout of Treece for two years. The population of Treece has dwindled to about 100 people, almost all of whom want to move but say they can't because the pollution and an ongoing EPA cleanup project makes it impossible to sell a house. The EPA has already bought out the neighboring town of Picher, Oklahoma, stripping Treece of quick access to jobs, shopping, recreation and services, including fire protection and cable TV. Both cities were once prosperous mining communities but the ore ran out and the mines were abandoned by the early 1970s. Of 16 children tested for lead levels in Treece, two had levels between 5 and 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood and one had a level of more than 10, the threshold for lead poisoning."]]>

Quarry/Landfill in Chiaiano
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By: giove
@ 2009-03-20 07:54:47
Abandoned quarry now used as landfill to solve the problem of dumps of the last summer in Naples. The site is now a military zone]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/quarry-landfill-in-chiaiano/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/quarry-landfill-in-chiaiano/ Fri, 20 Mar 2009 07:54:47 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/quarry-landfill-in-chiaiano/ 40.88676800 14.21103000 <![CDATA[Coal Fly Ash Spill (December 22, 2008)]]>

Coal Fly Ash Spill (December 22, 2008)
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By: KRL
@ 2009-01-07 07:42:30
Dam Breach of wet Fly Ash from Coal Fired Power Plant covers 300 acres, several homes and into the adjacent river. Link below to more details and better resolution Landsat Image.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/coal-fly-ash-spill-december-22-2008/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/coal-fly-ash-spill-december-22-2008/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:42:30 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/coal-fly-ash-spill-december-22-2008/ 35.90253900 -84.51765100 <![CDATA[Former Oil Tank Field]]>

Former Oil Tank Field
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By: Tyco
@ 2008-10-03 13:45:32
What Exxon leaves behind.]]>

Former Oil Tank Field
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By: Tyco
@ 2008-10-03 13:45:32
What Exxon leaves behind.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-oil-tank-field/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-oil-tank-field/ Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:45:32 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-oil-tank-field/ 39.27854800 -76.56238000 <![CDATA[Two sinking fishing boats and an oil slick]]>

Two sinking fishing boats and an oil slick

BEV

Two sinking fishing boats and an oil slick
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-09-10 13:22:43]]>

BEV

Two sinking fishing boats and an oil slick
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-09-10 13:22:43]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/two-sinking-fishing-boats-and-an-oil-slick/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/two-sinking-fishing-boats-and-an-oil-slick/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:22:43 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/two-sinking-fishing-boats-and-an-oil-slick/ 27.91252000 -97.13246400 <![CDATA[Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum]]>

Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum

BEV

Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-08-28 11:06:11
It's a seven-story high tomb of radioactive waste. The mountainous site covers 45 acres and stores 1.5 million cubic yards of material. And it's there for you to explore.

The federal government says radiation levels are low enough for people to visit the mountain of nuclear weapons waste it has built and covered in St. Charles County. A building with explanatory exhibits was opened Aug 5, 2002.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/nuclear-waste-adventure-trail-and-museum/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/nuclear-waste-adventure-trail-and-museum/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:06:11 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/nuclear-waste-adventure-trail-and-museum/ 38.69682800 -90.72478600 <![CDATA[Mount Trashmore]]>

Mount Trashmore
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-08-28 10:56:09
Mount Trashmore Park, also known simply as Mount Trashmore, is a city park located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mount Trashmore is an example of landfill reuse as its creation consisted of the conversion of an abandoned landfill into a park. The park spans 165 acres (0.67 km²) with hills over 60 feet (18 m) high, over 800 feet (240 m) long. Facilities include four large and 11 small picnic shelters, playground areas, a basketball court, four volleyball areas, parking, vending machines and restrooms. Mount Trashmore Park also has multiple walking trails; a Perimeter Trail that measures 1.95 miles (3.14 km), a Lake Trail that measures 1.45 miles (2.33 km), and a Mountain Trail that measures 1.30 miles (2.09 km). The Lake Trail and the Hill Trail may be combined for a trail measuring 2.75 miles (4.43 km). The park also features two lakes where fishing is permitted. Since its opening in the 1970s, it ranks as the most popular park in Virginia Beach, with attendance of over one million visitors a year.

Mount Trashmore Skate Park is located in the northeast corner of the park, where numerous professional skateboarders have made appearances, including Tony Hawk. The 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m²) skate park features an extensive street course including an above-ground, seven-foot deep bowl. The park also has a competition-sized vert ramp over 13 feet (4.0 m) tall and 40 feet (12 m) wide. On 16 August 2006, a fire damaged a significant portion of the skate park. The skate park was completely rebuilt as of March 2007.]]>

10 million automobile tires
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-06-30 11:45:41
Millions of tires are sitting in the middle of the Sonoran Desert National Monument.

Between 3 million and 10 million of them are stacked in vast piles, lined up in rows more than 10 feet high.

The mounds of discarded rubber - believed to be the largest stockpile in the Southwest.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/10-million-automobile-tires/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/10-million-automobile-tires/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:45:41 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/10-million-automobile-tires/ 33.03348300 -112.38188600 <![CDATA[Big Pile of Something in East St. Louis]]>

BEV

Big Pile of Something in East St. Louis
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By: jbottero
@ 2008-04-19 16:41:21
It's East St. Louis, so who knows... I'm guessing it's residue from East St. Louis's industrial past.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/big-pile-of-something-in-east-st-louis/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/big-pile-of-something-in-east-st-louis/ Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:41:21 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/big-pile-of-something-in-east-st-louis/ 38.60694500 -90.18045900 <![CDATA[Black Vultures at a garbage dump in West Palm Beach]]>

Black Vultures at a garbage dump in West Palm Beach

BEV

Black Vultures at a garbage dump in West Palm Beach
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By: adrbr
@ 2008-03-13 12:41:03]]>

BEV

Black Vultures at a garbage dump in West Palm Beach
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By: adrbr
@ 2008-03-13 12:41:03]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/black-vultures-at-a-garbage-dump-in-west-palm-beach/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/black-vultures-at-a-garbage-dump-in-west-palm-beach/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:41:03 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/black-vultures-at-a-garbage-dump-in-west-palm-beach/ 26.76986500 -80.13731100 <![CDATA[Sparging (underground pollution removal)]]>

Sparging (underground pollution removal)

BEV

Sparging (underground pollution removal)
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-12-08 15:22:44
In chemistry, sparging is a technique which involves bubbling a chemically inert gas, such as nitrogen, argon, or helium, through a liquid. This can be used to remove dissolved gases (e.g. oxygen) from the liquid.

Solvents used in HPLC are often sparged with helium gas.

In chemical engineering, sparging can also be a method to remove low-boiling liquids from a solution. The low-boiling liquids tend to evaporate most quickly, hence it is removed from the bulk solution more quickly than the other components. It is an alternative to distillation, and it does not require heat.

This technique is also used in environmental chemistry to extract the oil contaminants from subsoil water and the ground.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/sparging-underground-pollution-removal/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/sparging-underground-pollution-removal/ Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:22:44 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/sparging-underground-pollution-removal/ 37.77704100 -122.29215900 <![CDATA[Recently dumped, still glowing blast furnace slag]]>

Recently dumped, still glowing blast furnace slag

Recently dumped, still glowing blast furnace slag
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-09-05 18:04:40
Found by Felippo in the GE Forums.

View this in GE or change the z value down to z=21 to really get a good look at this.

See the discussion and pictures in the link above too.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/recently-dumped-still-glowing-blast-furnace-slag/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/recently-dumped-still-glowing-blast-furnace-slag/ Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:04:40 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/recently-dumped-still-glowing-blast-furnace-slag/ 51.48554400 6.72034700 <![CDATA[Toxic cleanup using bioventing and sparging]]>

Toxic cleanup using bioventing and sparging

BEV

Toxic cleanup using bioventing and sparging
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-07-05 10:13:35
At former Mather Air Force Base.

Air sparging is an in situ technology in which air is injected through a contaminated aquifer. Injected air traverses horizontally and vertically in channels through the soil column, creating an underground stripper that removes contaminants by volatilization. This injected air helps to flush (bubble) the contaminants up into the unsaturated zone where a vapor extraction system is usually implemented in conjunction with air sparging to remove the generated vapor phase contamination. This technology is designed to operate at high flow rates to maintain increased contact between ground water and soil and strip more ground water by sparging. [amiadini.com]

Bioventing is an in situ remediation technology that uses indigenous microorganisms to biodegrade organic constituents adsorbed to soils in the unsaturated zone. Soils in the capillary fringe and the saturated zone are not affected. In bioventing, the activity of the indigenous bacteria is enhanced by inducing air (or oxygen) flow into the unsaturated zone (using extraction or injection wells) and, if necessary, by adding nutrients.

When extraction wells are used for bioventing, the process is similar to soil vapor extraction (SVE). However, while SVE removes constituents primarily through volatilization, bioventing systems promote biodegradation of constituents and minimize volatilization (generally by using lower air flow rates than for SVE). In practice, some degree of volatilization and biodegradation occurs when either SVE or bioventing is used. [EPA]]]>

BEV

BEV

Firing up the boilers off Spain
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By: Pdunn
@ 2007-06-04 15:30:02
In most the other views, the ship is at anchor. This one appears to catch her just as she's about to set sail.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/firing-up-the-boilers-off-spain/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/firing-up-the-boilers-off-spain/ Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:30:02 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/firing-up-the-boilers-off-spain/ 43.48832200 -3.75640900 <![CDATA[Closed landfill ("dump") ownd by LRI]]>

Closed landfill ("dump") ownd by LRI
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By: jbottero
@ 2007-06-01 15:26:41]]>

Closed landfill ("dump") ownd by LRI
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By: jbottero
@ 2007-06-01 15:26:41]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/closed-landfill-dump-ownd-by-lri/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/closed-landfill-dump-ownd-by-lri/ Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:26:41 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/closed-landfill-dump-ownd-by-lri/ 47.09565500 -122.29090000 <![CDATA[Pollution on Ticino River]]>

BEV

Pollution on Ticino River
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By: Effi
@ 2007-05-18 10:11:04]]>

BEV

Pollution on Ticino River
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By: Effi
@ 2007-05-18 10:11:04]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-on-ticino-river/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-on-ticino-river/ Fri, 18 May 2007 10:11:04 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-on-ticino-river/ 45.34135200 8.87848600 <![CDATA[Oil leaking ship]]>

Oil leaking ship
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By: DonMartini
@ 2007-05-18 08:29:47
This ship is apparently losing oil or maybe some kind of fuel. You can see smaller ships trying to drag the leaking ship out of the harbour.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-leaking-ship/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-leaking-ship/ Fri, 18 May 2007 08:29:47 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-leaking-ship/ 36.80917300 10.29980100 <![CDATA[Giant tent over a radioactive cleanup site]]>

Giant tent over a radioactive cleanup site

BEV

Giant tent over a radioactive cleanup site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-20 10:31:02
(This article was written in 2001 and stated the cleanup would last two years. It looks like it is still going on. At one time, it was one of the most heavily polluted bases in the nation. Cleanup started in the 1980s. As of 2005, it is still ongoing and expected to take at least another decade.)

Five stories high, two football fields long and wider than the state Capitol, the bright white polyester shell will encompass a long-abandoned grave of radioactive waste from a still-secret Cold War mission. The mammoth tent will be a compelling symbol of how big the business of environmental cleanup in the region has become.

The big top will be up for as long as it takes moon-suited workers to unearth, evaluate and ship off an estimated 1,000 corroding steel drums of waste from the 30-foot deep landfill on the west side of the decommissioned Watt Avenue base.

The job probably will take two years, according URS Corp., a global engineering company performing the $38 million cleanup for the McClellan Air Force Base Conversion Agency.

Unlike other toxic burial grounds on the 2,800-acre installation, this two-acre site is largely a mystery to environmental investigators. That's because it contains debris and chemical solutions from a top-secret analytical laboratory that operated nearly 50 years on the base without disclosing the full nature of its work or the substances involved.

"If these drums are crushed and opened, we don't know what will be released," said Ray Lidstrom, URS project manager.

Former lab workers, said Roxanne Yonn, a URS spokeswoman who interviewed several of the technicians, told cleanup officials only that they might uncover any amount of radioactive samples, solutions and tainted lab equipment at various degrees of potency.

Yonn said cleanup crews aren't taking any chances. "We're treating the whole site as radioactive," she said.

The dig will be much like an archaeological excavation. Front-loaders and excavators will gingerly remove dirt in 30-square-foot grids, one foot at a time, to avoid striking and damaging buried drums. Any barrels spotted will be removed carefully with hand shovels, and their contents will be analyzed and inventoried by a laboratory on site.

The $2 million shell of PVC polyester fabric and aluminium frames, which takes three weeks to erect, is designed to keep out wind and rain.

Workers will wear full containment suits equipped with oxygen tanks to avoid potential lethal inhalation of radioactive elements. Air in and around the shell will be monitored for contamination.

Nearly three-quarters of the project's $38 million cost goes toward the transportation and disposal of the waste, officials said. The unearthed soil and drums will be shipped to landfills in Andrews, Texas; Clive, Utah; Barnwell, S.C.; and the federal Department of Energy's Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington state.

The estimated time and cost of the cleanup mushroomed after URS crews made an unexpected discovery in an exploratory dig of the landfill last August.

Workers found a container of glass laboratory bottles labelled "Pu," for plutonium. Highly poisonous and radioactive, the metallic element is produced in nuclear reactors and is the primary fuel in nuclear weapons.

"Everything was placed on hold," Yonn said.

Air Force officials knew from earlier surveillance that the site contained low-level radioactive waste, presumably from the radium in paint once used to illuminate cockpit gauges and gun sights.

Plutonium, however, came as a complete surprise, Air Force spokesman Lt. Robert Firman said after the discovery.

Firman said the base had no records of the element's use at the military installation, where the chief mission was aircraft maintenance.

The McClellan Central Laboratory, however, had a different mission. That operation was staffed with nuclear scientists and technicians who are still sworn to secrecy about whom they worked for and their chief duties.

The plutonium find, which was locally televised, prompted some former lab workers to inform cleanup officials that the radioactive material probably came from their operation.

"When I first saw that picture (of the bottles), I chuckled, thinking, 'Gee, I wonder whether my fingerprints are still on them,' " said Mike Chinnock of Citrus Heights, a nuclear chemistry technician at the lab from 1966 to 1970.

Chinnock and other lab workers agreed to share certain details with Air Force officials in charge of the cleanup

after getting clearance from unspecified national defense authorities.

"Some workers won't talk at all," Yonn said. Those who did talk divulged enough to convince cleanup officials that the old landfill could contain material much more radioactive than previously thought.

"It made everybody pause," she said."]]>

BEV

BEV

Pond Scum
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By: daggerwell
@ 2007-04-13 09:31:19]]>

BEV

Pond Scum
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By: daggerwell
@ 2007-04-13 09:31:19]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pond-scum/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pond-scum/ Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:31:19 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pond-scum/ 37.30774900 -5.94641100 <![CDATA[Nuclear waste being discharged into the ocean]]>

Nuclear waste being discharged into the ocean

Nuclear waste being discharged into the ocean
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-02-18 10:57:52
1983 was the year of the "Beach Discharge Incident" in which high radioactive discharges resulted in the closure of a beach. BNFL received a fine of £10,000 for this discharge. 1983 was also the year in which Yorkshire Television produced a documentary "Windscale: The Nuclear Laundry", which claimed that the low levels of radioactivity that are associated with waste streams from nuclear plants such as Sellafield did pose a non-negligible risk.

In its early days, Sellafield discharged low-level radioactive waste into the sea, using a flocculation process to remove radioactivity from liquid effluent before discharged. Metals dissolved in acidic effluents produced a metal hydroxide flocculent precipitate following the addition of ammonium hydroxide. The suspension was then transferred to settling tanks where the precipitate would settle out, and the remaining clarified liquor, or supernate, would be discharged to the sea. In 1994 the Enhanced Actinide Removal Plant (EARP) was opened. In EARP the effectiveness of the process is enhanced by the addition of reagents to remove the remaining soluble radioactive species. EARP has recently (2004) been enhanced to further reduce the quantities of Tc-99 released to the environment.]]>

Pile chimney at Windscale nuclear accident site

Pile chimney at Windscale nuclear accident site
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-02-18 10:39:44
Following the decision taken in January 1947 for the UK to have an independent nuclear deterent, Sellafield was chosen as the location of the plutonium production plant with the initial fuel load into the Windscale Piles commencing July 1950. By July of 1952 the separation plant was being used to separate plutonium and uranium from spent fuel.

Unlike the early US reactors at Hanford, which consisted of a graphite core cooled by water, the Windscale Piles consisted of a graphite core cooled by air. Each pile contained almost 2000 tonnes of graphite, and measured over 24 feet high by 50 feet in diameter. Fuel for the reactor consisted of rods of uranium metal, approximately 1 foot long by one inch in diameter, and clad in Aluminium.

The piles were shut down following a fire in Pile 1 on 10 October 1957 which destroyed the core and released an estimated 750 terabecquerels (TBq) (20,000 curies) of radioactive material into the surrounding environment, including Iodine-131, which is taken up in the body by the thyroid. Consequently milk and other produce from the surrounding farming areas had to be destroyed. Following the fire Pile 1 was unservicable, and Pile 2, although undamaged by the fire, was shut down as a precaution.

In the 1990s, the UKAEA started to implement plans to decommission, disassemble and clean up, both piles; the decommissioning is now partially complete.]]>

Disposal site for nuclear submarine reactors
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-02-10 01:13:53
Area 200 / Trench 94.

The burial ground contains 138 trenches running north and south. Sixty one of the trenches are 370 meters (960 feet) long, thirty one of the trenches are 293 meters long, and the remaining trenches vary. Trench 94 contains defueled US Navy submarine reactor compartments. The burial ground is marked and radiologically posted.

Waste Description: Trench 94 is oriented in an east-west direction. The reactor compartments are composed of various types of steel and approximately 392 tons of lead shielding.

Hull sections containing defueled reactor compartments of decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines are put in disposal trenches. In 1986, the Patrick Henry's hull section was the first one placed in Trench 94.

Once full, the trench will be filled with dirt and buried. The compartments are expected to retain their integrity for more than 600 years.

Use of the thick steel submarine hull as a disposal provides extra isolation between the environment and the low-level waste and hazardous lead that remain after the spent nuclear fuel has been removed.

]]>

Oil Seep to Ocean
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By: KRL
@ 2007-02-08 09:01:07
Oil seepage to Ocean near Refinery.]]>

Oil Seep to Ocean
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: KRL
@ 2007-02-08 09:01:07
Oil seepage to Ocean near Refinery.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-seep-to-ocean/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-seep-to-ocean/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:01:07 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-seep-to-ocean/ 30.45716400 49.10204200 <![CDATA[Former uranium ore open-cast mining]]>

Former uranium ore open-cast mining
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By: mstoess
@ 2007-01-13 08:49:03
1946 - 1990 the WISMUT company, a german-soviet venture, prospected for uranium ore needed in the soviet nuclear industry at several sites in Thuringia and Saxony. The miners took high health risks. Approx. 5.000 - 15.000 men died of miners lung diseases and radiation induced cancers in the latter years. Surface devastations and rock heaps remain unresolved problems to this day.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-uranium-ore-open-cast-mining/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-uranium-ore-open-cast-mining/ Sat, 13 Jan 2007 08:49:03 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/former-uranium-ore-open-cast-mining/ 50.84367100 12.16195100 <![CDATA[Illegal Junk Yard]]>

Illegal Junk Yard
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By: jbottero
@ 2006-12-17 21:17:09]]>

Illegal Junk Yard
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: jbottero
@ 2006-12-17 21:17:09]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/illegal-junk-yard/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/illegal-junk-yard/ Sun, 17 Dec 2006 21:17:09 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/illegal-junk-yard/ 47.90542600 -122.07561000 <![CDATA[Oil slick]]>

BEV

Oil slick
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-12-15 15:40:25]]>

BEV

Oil slick
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-12-15 15:40:25]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick/ Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:40:25 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick/ 45.53980900 -122.69048200 <![CDATA[Old Tires]]>

Old Tires
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By: gamma
@ 2006-12-10 14:07:59]]>

Old Tires
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By: gamma
@ 2006-12-10 14:07:59]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/old-tires/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/old-tires/ Sun, 10 Dec 2006 14:07:59 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/old-tires/ 51.22576100 6.82140200 <![CDATA[Giant toxic gas bubbles]]>

Giant toxic gas bubbles
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By: kjfitz
@ 2006-10-16 11:29:54
Plastic membranes used to collect methane leaking from the landfill. Odor control.]]>

Giant toxic gas bubbles
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-10-16 11:29:54
Plastic membranes used to collect methane leaking from the landfill. Odor control.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-toxic-gas-bubbles/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-toxic-gas-bubbles/ Mon, 16 Oct 2006 11:29:54 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-toxic-gas-bubbles/ 51.76018700 -3.33135700 <![CDATA[Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility]]>

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
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By: jbottero
@ 2006-10-13 20:35:48
The Umatilla Chemical Depot is one of eight Army installations in the U.S. that currently store chemical weapons. The chemical weapons stored at the depot consist of various munitions and ton containers, containing GB or VX nerve agents or HD blister agent. The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is designed for the sole purpose of destroying the chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The facility was completed in 2001.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/umatilla-chemical-agent-disposal-facility/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/umatilla-chemical-agent-disposal-facility/ Fri, 13 Oct 2006 20:35:48 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/umatilla-chemical-agent-disposal-facility/ 45.84883100 -119.42177300 <![CDATA[Zelazny Most]]>

Zelazny Most
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: Hinkkanen
@ 2006-10-09 05:35:11
The Zelazny Most is depository of wastes from copper-ore processing. It iis the largest mineral waste repository in Europe. The construction of Żelazny Most began in 1974 and it was in full operation three years later.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/zelazny-most/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/zelazny-most/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 05:35:11 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/zelazny-most/ 51.51194800 16.20071400 <![CDATA[Oil Slick at Pearl Harbor]]>

Oil Slick at Pearl Harbor
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: voldude123
@ 2006-10-01 16:10:31
This oil spill is probably from oil leaking from a ship or an aircraft at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona leaks about a quart of oil a day, and a large environmental disaster in the future is feared. As the hull weakens from the pressure and the corrosive nature of salt water, a major realease of oil from the ship could cause the deaths of thousands of marine life, and threaten the extremely endangered population of Hawaiian Monk Seals. The US Navy is researching non-intrusive ways to remove the oil.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick-at-pearl-harbor/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick-at-pearl-harbor/ Sun, 01 Oct 2006 16:10:31 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-slick-at-pearl-harbor/ 21.36763300 -157.97693400 <![CDATA[Love Canal Site]]>

Love Canal Site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: mikeb9991
@ 2006-09-21 15:04:16
President Carter declared a state of emergency at Love Canal on May 21, 1980 and the EPA agreed to evacuate all Love Canal families temporarily until permanent relocation funds could be secured.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/love-canal-site/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/love-canal-site/ Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:04:16 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/love-canal-site/ 43.08029900 -78.94981400 <![CDATA[Waste Isolation Pilot Plant]]>

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: romulusnr
@ 2006-09-10 13:04:25
U.S.'s major storage bunker for military nuclear waste. A project is underway to find ways to inform the next 10,000 years of humanity to keep away from it.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/waste-isolation-pilot-plant/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/waste-isolation-pilot-plant/ Sun, 10 Sep 2006 13:04:25 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/waste-isolation-pilot-plant/ 32.37293000 -103.79419300 <![CDATA[Reef Coral Mine]]>

Reef Coral Mine
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: mgterp
@ 2006-08-15 19:50:22
This fan shaped man-made formation is a reef coral mining operation. This is off the mangrove area off the Ohwa coast on Pohnpei. The coral is mined to supply infill for road-beds and other construction projects. There are alternative natural resources, like rock. Fishing is on the decline off these reefs in the Pohnpei atol and this fragile fishing eco-system is in jeopardy.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/reef-coral-mine/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/reef-coral-mine/ Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:50:22 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/reef-coral-mine/ 6.92080300 158.33066900 <![CDATA[Niederaussem Power Station]]>

Niederaussem Power Station
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: bubaonline
@ 2006-08-15 18:18:27
The power plant's capacity
of 3,900 megawatt (MW) is distributed across
nine units, the largest and most modern being
the lignite-fired power station with optimized
plant engineering (BoA). With its efficiency
of 43.2 %, it has chalked up a new all-time
high for power generation from lignite.
(Source
Niederaussem Power Station is No. 10 of Europe's Dirty 30 (worst climate polluting) power stations.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/niederaussem-power-station/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/niederaussem-power-station/ Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:18:27 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/niederaussem-power-station/ 50.99379800 6.66887300 <![CDATA[Ordot Landfill]]>

Ordot Landfill
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: romulusnr
@ 2006-06-30 18:52:54
Ordot Landfill was a Japanese WWII supply depot, and then a US Navy landfill. The landfill's overflowing stock of toxic chemicals made it a Superfund hazardous cleanup site.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ordot-landfill/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ordot-landfill/ Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:52:54 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ordot-landfill/ 13.43904500 144.75113900 <![CDATA[Radioactive dump site]]>

Radioactive dump site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AlejoHausner
@ 2006-06-20 16:01:29
Cactus crater on Runit island, part of the Enewetok atoll, in the Marshall Islands. Radioactive debris from many nuclear bomb tests was dumped into this crater, which was capped with 18-inch-thick concrete panels in 1982. Soil from many of the contaminated islands was scraped off. The original inhabitants of the atoll were allowed to return in 1980, despite radioactive elements like Cesium 137 in the ecosystem.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/radioactive-dump-site/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/radioactive-dump-site/ Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:01:29 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/radioactive-dump-site/ 11.55226900 162.34715900 <![CDATA[Entrance to Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project]]>

Entrance to Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-11 16:19:37
The purpose of the Yucca Mountain project is to determine if Yucca Mountain is a suitable site for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste storage. The present prime contractor for the project is Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC (a consortium of government contractors Bechtel Corporation and Science Applications International Corporation). The consortium employs 1,300 people on the project. The main tunnel of the Exploratory Studies Facility is U-shaped 5 miles (8 km) long and 25 feet (8 m) wide. There are also several cathedral-like alcoves that branch from the main tunnel. It is in these alcoves that most of the scientific experiments are conducted. The galleries (smaller tunnels perpendicular to the main tunnel) where waste will be stored have not been constructed.

The proposed repository zone will cover 1150 acres (4.7 km²), be 1000 feet (300 m) below the surface of the mountain and 1000 feet (300 m) above the water table. The waste will be encased in a multilayer stainless steel and nickel alloy package covered by titanium drip shields that function also as rock shields.

By early 2002, 7 billion US dollars had been spent on the project which has made Yucca Mountain the most studied piece of geology in the world. Total cost is expected be between 50 and 100 billion dollars. The cost of the facility is being paid for by the public using nuclear generated electricity and the federal government for disposal of defense nuclear waste.
]]>

Giant smoke stack and plume
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-11 14:18:22]]>

Giant smoke stack and plume
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-11 14:18:22]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-smoke-stack-and-plume/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-smoke-stack-and-plume/ Sun, 11 Jun 2006 14:18:22 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/giant-smoke-stack-and-plume/ 29.77010500 31.30676000 <![CDATA[Oil spill]]>

Oil spill
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-03 02:17:12
At a oil transfer pier.]]>

Oil spill
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-03 02:17:12
At a oil transfer pier.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill/ Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:17:12 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill/ 51.95003800 1.31362800 <![CDATA[Playground on a nuclear waste dump]]>

Playground on a nuclear waste dump
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2006-06-03 00:24:41
MacArthur Field... is often packed with hundreds of young soccer players. Errant balls often fly off the field and into a ravine that borders both the field and the dog park, and which is surrounded by a chain-link fence. And down in that ravine is evidence that this idyllic playland may have a poisonous heart.

Players and curious kids access the ravine through an unsecured gate on the VA field, ignoring the faded paper warning signs. The ones that say: “THIS IS A CLOSED SITE.” What those signs don’t say is that this ravine is the barely covered core of a radioactive waste dump, which stretches underneath parts of the dog park and borders the athletic field. From 1952 to 1968, UCLA and the West L.A. Veterans Administration, now called the Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Healthcare Center, used the land adjacent to and under the park to bury radioactive biomedical research waste. ]]>

21st Century Texas Ranch Land
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AKpilotEMT
@ 2006-05-29 01:59:56
Suburban Sprawl. Beautiful, huh? Pack 'em in like sardines, their ain't no cattle here anymore. Hopefully even vegetarians would be sad at this site.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/21st-century-texas-ranch-land/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/21st-century-texas-ranch-land/ Mon, 29 May 2006 01:59:56 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/21st-century-texas-ranch-land/ 33.14376800 -96.78311300 <![CDATA[Limestone mine in Piechcin]]>

Limestone mine in Piechcin
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: piotr_k
@ 2006-05-05 12:30:43
Kopalnia "Kujawy" (Kuyavia Mine) in Piechcin, the largest limestone mine in Poland.]]>

Limestone mine in Piechcin
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: piotr_k
@ 2006-05-05 12:30:43
Kopalnia "Kujawy" (Kuyavia Mine) in Piechcin, the largest limestone mine in Poland.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/limestone-mine-in-piechcin/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/limestone-mine-in-piechcin/ Fri, 05 May 2006 12:30:43 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/limestone-mine-in-piechcin/ 52.82672800 17.99869500 <![CDATA[City of Chernobyl]]>

City of Chernobyl
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2006-01-06 16:34:31
The Chernobyl accident occurred on April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (originally named after Vladimir Lenin) in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). It is regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power, producing (due to a lack of a full containment building) a plume of radioactive debris that drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, UK, and eastern USA. Large areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of roughly 200,000 people. About 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus.]]>

Amos Fly Ash Pond
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-12-02 21:31:57

Resting area for Coal Combustion Products (CCP) from the nearby AEP John E. Amos Coal Plant. Waters here are contaminated with Mercury and Selenium.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/amos-fly-ash-pond/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/amos-fly-ash-pond/ Fri, 02 Dec 2005 21:31:57 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/amos-fly-ash-pond/ 38.45913400 -81.84870200 <![CDATA[Twin Cities Ordnance Plant]]>

Twin Cities Ordnance Plant
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-11-15 15:26:55
Located near Minneapolis, MN it was another of the first wave ordnance plants, and was operated by Federal Cartridge Co. Twin Cities operated from 1941 to 1945, from 1951 to 1957, and again from 1966 to 1975. One of the largest volume producers, Twin Cities made caliber 30, caliber 45, caliber 50, caliber 50 spotter-tracer, 7.62mm and 5.56mm ammunition.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/twin-cities-ordnance-plant/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/twin-cities-ordnance-plant/ Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:26:55 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/twin-cities-ordnance-plant/ 45.08600600 -93.17665800 <![CDATA[LG&E's Trimble County Coal-fired Generation Plant Showing 5-mile Emission Plume]]>

LG&E's Trimble County Coal-fired Generation Plant Showing 5-mile Emission Plume

LG&E's Trimble County Coal-fired Generation Plant Showing 5-mile Emission Plume
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-10-30 23:27:23

From http://www.lgeenergy.com/lge/lge_plant_info.asp:

Began commercial operation in December 1990, with a net generating capacity of 495 MW. Current generating capacity of 514 MW.

Burns up to 200 tons per hour of coal which is transported in 1,500-ton barges.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lg-es-trimble-county-coal-fired-generation-plant-showing-5-mile-emission-plume/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lg-es-trimble-county-coal-fired-generation-plant-showing-5-mile-emission-plume/ Sun, 30 Oct 2005 23:27:23 -0800 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lg-es-trimble-county-coal-fired-generation-plant-showing-5-mile-emission-plume/ 38.58558700 -85.41456000 <![CDATA[Red Mud Dam]]>

Red Mud Dam
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-09-13 12:47:54
"Red mud" - bauxite refinery residues associated with the Boyne Smelter aluminum processing plant just to the NE.]]>

Red Mud Dam
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-09-13 12:47:54
"Red mud" - bauxite refinery residues associated with the Boyne Smelter aluminum processing plant just to the NE.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/red-mud-dam/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/red-mud-dam/ Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:47:54 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/red-mud-dam/ -23.93738900 151.31770100 <![CDATA[Smith Ranch Uranium Production Facility Tailing Ponds]]>

Smith Ranch Uranium Production Facility Tailing Ponds
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-09-11 01:51:14]]>

Smith Ranch Uranium Production Facility Tailing Ponds
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-09-11 01:51:14]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smith-ranch-uranium-production-facility-tailing-ponds/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smith-ranch-uranium-production-facility-tailing-ponds/ Sun, 11 Sep 2005 01:51:14 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smith-ranch-uranium-production-facility-tailing-ponds/ 43.02250200 -105.68753200 <![CDATA[Smoke Outside Fallujha]]>

Smoke Outside Fallujha
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: pdunn
@ 2005-09-07 14:03:52
I imagine this has something to do with oil. Follow any of the roads radiating from the smoke, and you'll encounter a number of identical sites, each spouting smoke.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smoke-outside-fallujha/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smoke-outside-fallujha/ Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:03:52 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/smoke-outside-fallujha/ 33.36312500 43.92308200 <![CDATA[Oil spill at West Cote Blanche Bay (WCBB) Oil and Gas Field]]>

Oil spill at West Cote Blanche Bay (WCBB) Oil and Gas Field

Oil spill at West Cote Blanche Bay (WCBB) Oil and Gas Field
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: dbb4000
@ 2005-08-29 10:39:07
Looks like an oil spill.]]>

Oil spill at West Cote Blanche Bay (WCBB) Oil and Gas Field
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: dbb4000
@ 2005-08-29 10:39:07
Looks like an oil spill.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-at-west-cote-blanche-bay-wcbb-oil-and-gas-field/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-at-west-cote-blanche-bay-wcbb-oil-and-gas-field/ Mon, 29 Aug 2005 10:39:07 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-at-west-cote-blanche-bay-wcbb-oil-and-gas-field/ 29.68902200 -91.80115700 <![CDATA[Pollution near Indonesia]]>

Pollution near Indonesia
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: Kooothor
@ 2005-08-28 08:39:10
Poor little Earth...]]>

Pollution near Indonesia
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: Kooothor
@ 2005-08-28 08:39:10
Poor little Earth...]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-near-indonesia/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-near-indonesia/ Sun, 28 Aug 2005 08:39:10 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-near-indonesia/ -2.06498200 105.46875000 <![CDATA[Cheju Island]]>

Cheju Island
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: Kooothor
@ 2005-08-28 08:34:40
Jeju Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san (Halla Mountain): a volcano 1950 metres high and the highest mountain in South Korea]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/cheju-island/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/cheju-island/ Sun, 28 Aug 2005 08:34:40 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/cheju-island/ 33.36629500 126.53686400 <![CDATA[Malta Test Station]]>

Malta Test Station
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-15 23:37:12
The Malta Test Station is a 165 acre industrial R&D site surounded by a wooded buffer zone in suburban Saratoga, established in 1945 by the U.S. Government for rocket engine and fuel testing, explosives testing, and atomic energy research. It has been used over the years by government agencies including the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and was operated by General Electric until 1984. During the early period especially, exotic rocket fuels and ordnance were experimented with, however due to security concerns, many of the records from this period have been destroyed. In 1984, NYSERDA sold approximately 81 acres of the Test Station, including most of the 33 original buildings, test areas, rocket gantries, and other facilities to the WrightMalta Corporation, a campany spun-out of GE. Environmental clean-up measures have found widespread contamination at the site, including potential radiation (Exxon Nuclear worked with GE on some of the projects at the site).]]>

Possibly the world's largest sewage dump.

Possibly the world's largest sewage dump.
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: bonjbrown
@ 2005-08-15 17:02:16
For almost 10 years the City of New York sent its sewage to the impoverished Sierra Blanca, Texas to be spread across the land. Much of the sewage was improperly treated. Read more about this on the website below.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/possibly-the-worlds-largest-sewage-dump/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/possibly-the-worlds-largest-sewage-dump/ Mon, 15 Aug 2005 17:02:16 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/possibly-the-worlds-largest-sewage-dump/ 31.26828100 -105.37330600 <![CDATA[Ducktown desert]]>

Ducktown desert
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-15 15:09:17
A sulfuric acid and copper producing district, in rural southeastern Tennessee, where around 30,000 acres of natural vegetation was completely denuded off the rolling hills by the toxic sulfur dioxide fumes generated by the industry. As a result, around five feet of surface soil was lost to erosion, and the area became, as described by the geographer Grady Clay, "a fantastic expanse of raw red-and-orange terrain consisting largely of ruts, ravines, washes, and exposed subsoils". The area, industrialized since the late 1800's, has been undergoing revegitation since the 1970's, though a 500 acre exemplary plot of "desert" remains as part of the display at the Ducktown Museum. We drove through there when I was a child and even as unaware of environmental issues as a child is I remember thinking that something had gone seriously awry.]]>

Remains of Raritan Arsenal
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-10 15:40:43
The U.S. Army used the arsenal from 1917 to 1963 as a site for ammunition storage and renovation. ]]>

Remains of Raritan Arsenal
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-10 15:40:43
The U.S. Army used the arsenal from 1917 to 1963 as a site for ammunition storage and renovation. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/remains-of-raritan-arsenal/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/remains-of-raritan-arsenal/ Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:40:43 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/remains-of-raritan-arsenal/ 40.49542800 -74.34328100 <![CDATA[Weldon Spring toxic cleanup containment cell]]>

Weldon Spring toxic cleanup containment cell

Weldon Spring toxic cleanup containment cell
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-09 21:37:53
A disposal facility, or cell, is under construction in the area formerly occupied by the chemical plant production buildings. The cell will provide long-term containment and management of the waste materials. It will cover about 45 acres in an area that has been tested to confirm its geological suitability for this use. At its apex the cell will be approximately 75 feet high, and it will contain approximately 1.48 million cubic yards of contaminated material.

The cell will consist of four primary systems: the base liner with leachate collection and removal systems, the contaminated wastes, the clean-fill dike, and the cover systems.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/weldon-spring-toxic-cleanup-containment-cell/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/weldon-spring-toxic-cleanup-containment-cell/ Tue, 09 Aug 2005 21:37:53 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/weldon-spring-toxic-cleanup-containment-cell/ 38.69825500 -90.72801600 <![CDATA[Reynolds Metals Superfund site]]>

Reynolds Metals Superfund site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-04 16:21:12
The Reynolds facility is a primary aluminum reduction plant where alumina from bauxite is reduced to aluminum.

The plant was completed in 1941 for the United States government war-time operations. Reynolds first leased the plant from the government in June 1946, and purchased it in June 1949. Currently, Reynolds owns the 80.25-acre plant area and approximately 500 surrounding acres. The aluminum reduction plant has been shut down since November 1991 for economic reasons. Currently, there are approximately 100 workers for maintenance, security, administration, and casting ingots from molten aluminum transported to the plant from the Reynolds reduction plant in Longview, Washington.

Large quantities of wastes were produced at the Reynolds plant during the production of aluminum. Twenty-one separate waste streams were identified by Reynolds in response to an EPA information request letter. Major hazardous substances of concern include polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), aluminum and other metals associated with bauxite, cyanide, fluoride, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from electrical equipment. ]]>

Texaco refinery (closed)
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: robsv
@ 2005-08-01 17:46:49
This is the site of a former Texaco refinery, which operated from 1923 until 1982. It is now a Superfund site. Immediately to the east is a Sinclair refinery.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/texaco-refinery-closed/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/texaco-refinery-closed/ Mon, 01 Aug 2005 17:46:49 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/texaco-refinery-closed/ 42.86087400 -106.25224500 <![CDATA[Lockheed Rocket Test Site]]>

Lockheed Rocket Test Site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-08-01 14:56:27
Former rocket test facility, operated by Lockheed. Clean-up of the site was delayed due to a potential threat to the federally protected Stephens kangaroo rat. It remains a vast, closed-off area, with a few test stands and industrial areas, unmanned and abandoned.

A second portion of the site can be found further south along Highland Springs Road.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lockheed-rocket-test-site/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lockheed-rocket-test-site/ Mon, 01 Aug 2005 14:56:27 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/lockheed-rocket-test-site/ 33.88607500 -116.93575100 <![CDATA[Tuba City former uranium mill]]>

Tuba City former uranium mill
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: robsv
@ 2005-07-31 15:50:37
A uranium mill was built on this site in 1955 by Rare Metals Corporation of America. It provided uranium to the US government until its closure in 1966. The site was found to be contaminated, and was remediated as part of the UMTRA (Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Act) program. The site covers 145 acres, and the former location of the mill and tailings pile is covered by a huge mound of clay soil, granular material, and rock.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/tuba-city-former-uranium-mill/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/tuba-city-former-uranium-mill/ Sun, 31 Jul 2005 15:50:37 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/tuba-city-former-uranium-mill/ 36.14549900 -111.13409000 <![CDATA[Horseshoe Road Superfund Site]]>

Horseshoe Road Superfund Site
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-07-31 15:41:27
This is a heavily contaminated abandoned industrial site on the Raritan River, a toxic chemical processing site, vacated because of heavy contamination and illegall dumping practices. It consists of several crumbling buildings, the remains of chemical incinerators, acid vats, toxic storage tanks, ammonia dumps, and a number of other chemical dumping areas. As early as 1939, the 15 acre site has seen toxic material processing, primarily as recovery center engaged in extracting chemicals and minerals from industrial waste material. For example, scrap circuit boards were mined for precious metals by dipping them into sodium cyanide baths, and the recovered metal was then smelted into ingots. Companies that have operated at the site include Atlantic Resources, Atlantic Development, the International Recycling Company, Brodun Chemical, and Clover Chemical. Operations were suspended in the 1980's, and the site was listed on the Superfund list of the EPA. Dumping areas on site contain "tar-like piles," and ooze "unknown gelatinous substances," according to a governement report. The report continues: "Employee documentation...revealed that Atlantic Resources workers were directed to : (1) dump drums of unknown materials into the Raritan River; (2) dump drums of potassium cyanide, nitric, muriatic, and hydrochloric acid, and 30% hydrogen peroxide into the wooded area behind Horseshoe Road; and (3) strip gold and silver with nitric acid at night so that area residents and enforcement agencies would not be alerted by the toxic "ruby red fumes" that are emitted by the process."]]>

New River Terminus
[Info] [GM] [BM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2005-07-29 14:02:50
The New River has been called the most polluted river in the country by a number of environmental organizations. It flows out of Mexicali, Mexico, laden with that city's sewage, then is charged with agricultural chemicals and wastes, as it becomes the primary drainage channel for the intensively industrialized agriculture of the Imperial Valley. The channelized terminus of the river is at the south end of the Salton Sea.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-river-terminus/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-river-terminus/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:02:50 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-river-terminus/ 33.13032800 -115.69401700 <![CDATA[New West Hollow Impoundment]]>

New West Hollow Impoundment
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-07-22 15:02:20
Holding 609.67 million gallons of water.]]>

New West Hollow Impoundment
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-07-22 15:02:20
Holding 609.67 million gallons of water.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-west-hollow-impoundment/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-west-hollow-impoundment/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 15:02:20 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/new-west-hollow-impoundment/ 38.15056100 -81.57170500 <![CDATA[Dickerson Power Station]]>

Dickerson Power Station
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By: AlbinoFlea
@ 2005-07-11 21:54:36
This coal-burning plant, operated by Mirant, sits next to the Potomac river and generates 853MW. It has been named one of the 50 dirtiest power plants in the nation by the Environmental Integrity Project.

See also: www.mirant.com.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/dickerson-power-station/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/dickerson-power-station/ Mon, 11 Jul 2005 21:54:36 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/dickerson-power-station/ 39.20911100 -77.46449200 <![CDATA[ecological disaster]]>

ecological disaster
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By: oczeq
@ 2005-07-04 08:49:25
The effect of heavy industry in Upper Silesia. "Kłodnica" river falls into "Dzierżno duże" lake]]>

ecological disaster
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By: oczeq
@ 2005-07-04 08:49:25
The effect of heavy industry in Upper Silesia. "Kłodnica" river falls into "Dzierżno duże" lake]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ecological-disaster/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ecological-disaster/ Mon, 04 Jul 2005 08:49:25 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/ecological-disaster/ 50.35596400 18.59835100 <![CDATA[Oil spill near Qatar in the Persian Gulf]]>

Oil spill near Qatar in the Persian Gulf
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By: Veritas
@ 2005-06-23 14:02:57]]>

Oil spill near Qatar in the Persian Gulf
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By: Veritas
@ 2005-06-23 14:02:57]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-near-qatar-in-the-persian-gulf/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-near-qatar-in-the-persian-gulf/ Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:02:57 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/oil-spill-near-qatar-in-the-persian-gulf/ 25.93284100 51.60445700 <![CDATA[Route 66 State Park]]>

Route 66 State Park
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By: darkhorse219
@ 2005-06-11 21:18:08
The town of Times Beach was disincorporated, evacuated and bulldozed in the mid 1980's, after it was discovered that much of the towns roadways and parks were constructed with contaminated dirt. The contamination came from a pesticide plant, owned by Syntex Agribusiness, Inc., which sprinkled the area with dioxins as well as several other toxic chemicals. An incinerator was constructed and the toxic material was burned, along with material shipped in from 26 other contaminated sites in the country. The incineration took several years, and 265,000 tons of soil and debris was burned by the time the incineration stopped in 1997.

The site is now Route 66 State Park.]]>

It's not a sewage lagoon, it's a feature

It's not a sewage lagoon, it's a feature
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By: charlene
@ 2005-05-16 23:32:53
At least with the prevailing west wind, these homeowners are usually upwind from this lovely amenity.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/its-not-a-sewage-lagoon-its-a-feature/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/its-not-a-sewage-lagoon-its-a-feature/ Mon, 16 May 2005 23:32:53 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/its-not-a-sewage-lagoon-its-a-feature/ 50.94171500 -113.97118100 <![CDATA[BOMARC Missle Site - 46th ADMS]]>

BOMARC Missle Site - 46th ADMS
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By: photog
@ 2005-05-16 15:55:37
Site map.

The Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) site occupies approximately 218 acres within the Range and Impact Area of the U.S. Army's Fort Dix Installation. The site was operated by and continues to fall under the jurisdiction of McGuire Air Force Base (McGuire AFB), which is located 11 miles west of the BOMARC site. McGuire AFB was authorized to use the land for construction of an anti-aircraft missile facility in 1958. Rows of missile shelters were constructed during the late 1950s and early 1960s to house BOMARC's nuclear warhead-equipped missiles. Key operations at BOMARC included missile fueling and defueling, missile maintenance, and power production operations. The BOMARC site is a secure site surrounded by locked chain fences, and signs are posted along the perimeter of the site prohibiting trespassing. The site is no longer used and no definitive plans for future use of the site have been announced.

On June 7, 1960, a non-nuclear explosion and fire occurred in BOMARC Missile Shelter 204. The fire burned uncontrolled for about 30 minutes. The force of the explosion destroyed the missile, its plutonium-containing warhead, and portions of the shelter roof; flames rose to 20 feet and black smoke blanketed the area. Fire fighting crews responded to contain the fire from the explosion. Following the accident, monitoring and decontamination activities were initiated. Response teams washed and spray-painted the shelter in an attempt to immobilize the contamination. The missile wreckage and the launcher from Shelter 204 were apparently removed and disposed of off site. The pit inside the shelter was filled with soil excavated from the rear of the shelter and the pit was subsequently sealed with concrete. To further immobilize the radiologic contamination outside the shelter, reinforced concrete was poured over the asphalt apron in front of Shelter 204 and 2 inches of asphalt also were placed along the bottom of the drainage ditch that leads from the shelter. A 6-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire was installed around the site to restrict access (OHM 1998). The facility was deactivated in 1972 and all missiles were removed from the shelters. The BOMARC site remains within the domain of the Air Force (USAF 1992).]]>

Pollution in Tijuana
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By: nic
@ 2005-04-13 04:38:47]]>

Pollution in Tijuana
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By: nic
@ 2005-04-13 04:38:47]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-in-tijuana/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-in-tijuana/ Wed, 13 Apr 2005 04:38:47 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/pollution-in-tijuana/ 32.44816300 -117.11824900 <![CDATA[Atlas uranium mine site tailing ponds]]>

Atlas uranium mine site tailing ponds
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By: nic
@ 2005-04-10 18:15:12]]>

Atlas uranium mine site tailing ponds
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By: nic
@ 2005-04-10 18:15:12]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/atlas-uranium-mine-site-tailing-ponds/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/atlas-uranium-mine-site-tailing-ponds/ Sun, 10 Apr 2005 18:15:12 -0700 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/atlas-uranium-mine-site-tailing-ponds/ 38.48163100 -109.68338000