Sunday, February 14, 2010

Toxic Legacy: Paying the Price

By Amanda Valenti

There is not much about the Toxic Legacy story that does not bother me. But one thing that really sticks out in my mind is the fact that Ford managers thought they could get away with dumping such toxic material into land and water that people come in contact with. The illnesses this thoughtless process has apparently caused is simply inexcusable and the fact that many people are only just now hearing about this for the first time, including myself, is shocking to me. Ford should still be paying a price for those affected by this act of idiocy.

There is no possible way for all the toxic substances dumped by Ford to ever be completely removed, which means it will continue to be hazardous to the heath of those near the land. Ford got off easy and officials were not hard enough on the company. They should have been harassed and forced to act sooner, regardless of the money Ford has.

Ford should have to pay a continual price for the mess they caused. If this were up to me, Ford would be paying a yearly rate to lower taxes for those suffering from the act. They would also have to pay a high cost for the actual clean up that will most likely be taking place in the future, since it will never be completely clean. Ford should also be forced to have pamphlets available at their dealerships across the country so consumers will see what this company has caused.

I feel as though Ford must have known what they were doing was wrong as they were hiding it in the woods. My feelings on things done in the woods are that they tend to be secretive and not want people to know what is going on. It was such a selfish act on Ford’s part to think that paint sludge would not be toxic to those who would be encountering it. Apparently, they thought people would not trace it back to them and they thought they would get away with it. I am glad they had to do something about it, though I do not think it was enough.

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