generalspeaking

Toxic Sludge

It seems unlikely that any responsible government would be unaware of the potential of dangerous contamination resulting from certain types of manufacturing. There are rules and regulations, laws that are enacted for the very purpose of ensuring that safety and ecologically sound practises are met by various types of manufacturers. Yet there is also the reality that corruption exists within government, most likely at the level of inspectors of the premises and practises of those manufacturers.

Inspectors who find it prudent to overlook malfeasance and lack of diligence in observing environmentally-protective laws. Their conclusions helped along by what is commonly referred to as graft. Manufacturers who produce products which in turn produce toxic substances in the manufacturing process have an especial obligation to their country, to the people who live there, and even to their own supposed code of conduct as responsible manufacturers to make certain that best practises are followed.

So what, exactly, happened in Hungary? When it was noted by aerial photography that, as previously suspected, a holding dam was in poor repair and its ability to contain an immense amount of toxic sludge was impaired. Consequences not anticipated? Lack of imagination that would lead government officials and inspectors to conclude that should a breach occur, the result would be monumentally dreadful?

All countries of the world are concerned about the presence and viability of potable water in their territories. They are also aware of the dread consequences of contamination of groundwater and of arable land. Yet somehow it seems to escape their notice that it is imperative that they, as public administrators, must assume the responsibility, seriously, of upholding safety measures by law.

The Magyar Aluminum factory in Ajka is responsible for having produced an enormous amount of toxic waste. They had a firm, lawful obligation under the law; obligation to safely and securely contain that by-product of aluminum production. They have failed, singularly, to do just that. And surely an investigation will be launched by the Hungarian government to ascertain who, in their administration, was irresponsible.

Now, although it is maintained that a relatively small amount of the toxic sludge escaped the breached dam, its hugely destructive capacity was demonstrated as it flooded 7 nearby towns, sowing unheard-of damage on a wide scale. The wider scale is yet to fully materialize, as the Danube River, one of Europe's most important and largest, is now vulnerable to the aqua-life-toxic effects of the flooded spill.

The final accounting will be memorable. The final conclusions when a government investigation into the catastrophe produces its findings will be equally interesting.

Labels: Environment, European Union, Technology, Troublespots

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, October 07, 2010