Living near the source of a potential environmental hazard is a serious problem for many Americans, and it can be cause for concern. The state of Massachusetts for instance has more than 30,000 sites designated as hazardous waste sites, 3,741 of which are considered to pose serious health risks. No matter where you live, it is important to know what you can do if you are positioned near hazardous waste that may be detrimental to your health.
If you suspect that you live near an environmental hazard site, the first thing you should do is determine if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the site in its database of potential hazards. On the EPA website, you can enter your five-digit zipcode and select from a variety of options to search for hazards that may exist near you. For instance, using the EPA website, you can find information about air emissions, cleanups in your area, a toxics release inventory, or facilities near you that may be subject to environmental regulations.
If a site is listed by the EPA as a potential hazard but is in compliance with all laws and regulations, there may be little you can do about the hazard being near you. However, you can visit town council meetings or zoning board meetings to express your concern, you can request information from the entity that is the source of the hazard, and you can contact others near you to find out if they are being affected by the hazard in any way. The company creating the hazard may be able to give you a tour of the facility, or you may be able to put your name on a mailing list for fact sheets and other documents. State agencies may have mailing lists as well that can keep you updated as to any developments in whether health risks exist.
If you conclude that an environmental hazard near you is not in compliance with all laws, you should contact the appropriate governmental agency to address the problem. There are numerous agencies that exist on both the federal and state level that help regulate environmental hazards. Each state will have different departments or agencies, so you will need to search for information specific to your jurisdiction. For instance, in New York, a suspicion of a hazardous waste site containing toxics, volatile organic compounds or metal could be reported to the New York State Department of Energy Conservation (NYSDEC) regional office, to the NYSDEC Division of Environmental Remediation, or to the local fire department or building department. For industrial or commercial discharge, however, the appropriate department to contact would be the NYSDEC Division of Air Resources.
A good place to start if you are not sure who to report environmental hazards to is again the website for the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has 10 regional offices that are tasked with enforcing federal environmental protection legislation. If the hazard you are concerned about is a violation of federal clean air, land or water laws, the EPA may be able to help investigate and put a stop to bad behaviors.
The EPA website also has links to individual state agencies. Once you contact the appropriate state agency, they can direct you to the specific department that will best handle your concerns.
Beyond contacting an environmental protection agency within your state, you may also report concerns to the Department of Health and to local law enforcement. They can provide you with information about appropriate parties to contact, or they can help you determine if there are any steps that can be taken to address the potential dangers on your own.