There have been thousands of oil and chemical spills in the waters in and around the United States, ranging from massive events like the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion to relatively small problems with fuel transfers. The origins of petroleum spills can include sea vessels, drilling rigs, pipelines, terminals, tanker trucks, and service stations. Petroleum spills…

What Is PCE-PERC? The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) describes PCE-PERC (also known as perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene) as a nonflammable colorless liquid. People exposed to it in high concentrations can get sick and even die. According to the EPA, this volatile organic compound is manufactured to be used as a solvent. It…

What Is Arsenic? Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the earth’s crust, in both organic and inorganic forms. It is tasteless, odorless, and highly toxic. Trace amounts of arsenic are found naturally in rocks and sediments. These are considered organic. Inorganic arsenic is much more dangerous to humans. The inorganic forms or compounds…

In the U.S. from 1929 until the late 1970s, they were manufactured essentially by one corporation — Monsanto. Other manufacturers used these substances in hundreds of commercial products, such as lighting ballasts, caulk and paints. They introduced an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of these toxins into our air, water and soil. Currently, PCBs are widespread…

Before the April 20, 2010, BP oil well blowout that unleashed the largest oil disaster in U.S. history, the 2-½-mile-deep Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico had gotten the reputation among some crew members as “the well from hell.” But just 16 hours before the explosion, an engineer who had been dispatched to help…