Toxic Legacy: An On Going Problem

By Sharon Meyer

I am blogging on the “Ramapoughs” aspect of Toxic Legacy. I chose this aspect because people are suffering and have been suffering for years because the laziness, greediness, and ignorance, of a corporate company, Ford Motors. When reading up on the section about the people of this “village,” “town.” I am horrified that these poor people have been dumped on for years and have grown up in a toxic wasteland and the paint sludge still remains in large quantities where these people live. Ford has slacked off for years on cleaning up the mess they have made for the Ramapough people. Not only have they found ways of getting around cleaning up the disgusting sludge that remains on this land, but also when they are forced to clean it, more sludge appears in later days.

This ongoing problem is affecting the health of all the people living on this land. Not only that but these people farm on their land, on the land that is polluted with toxic chemicals. The vegetation and water that they use to survive is contaminated and they have no other option. These people cannot move because they will not be able to sell their homes to people because of the toxic waste that remains on the land. No one would willingly buy that property, and without selling their homes; they will have no money to purchase a new place to live. Not only that, but I could not imagine having to uproot after years of living in the same place, especially in a time where the economy is so horrible and it is hard enough to put food on the table for some. Like the Toxic Legacy series had stated, the community has a reputation for being “ignorant, barbaric, and illiterate.” This reputation makes it nearly impossible for residents with this reputation to be hired for a job. Without income leads to even bigger problems of taking care of their families.

What really bothers me the most is that the government and EPA have lied to this residents numerous times and said that the land was cleaned and safe, but still more sludge appeared. It has come to a point that some residents have begun to lie and say that there is no sludge because they are afraid of being condemned and being left with no place to live. When it comes to a point that people are lying about cancerous material that was dumped there by a company because they are in fear of losing their homes, something needs to be done. The government is supposed to protect its people and their surroundings, and so far they have done nothing but lie and continue to allow these people to suffer in this wasteland. Action needs to be taken to the next level in order to keep the health, sanity, and lives of the Ramapough people. If you put yourself in these people’s shoes, would you not expect to be protected?