Sites Unseen: Understanding Our Limited Knowledge About Urban Soils

As I collect contamination information for wild-harvesters on WNY public lands, my conclusions are informed guesses at best. Learning about the history of parks and surrounding property gives important clues, but we often don’t know how this translates into concrete contamination data. Even when testing is done for soil contamination, we can’t assess the levels of every possible contaminant. Some contaminants also break down into other (also toxic) chemicals that aren’t tested for.

Another issue is our lack of a complete list of industries and smaller businesses that have contributed to contamination in WNY. The 2018 book Sites Unseen is an outstanding resource for understanding the complexity of urban contamination history—particularly the quick "forgetting" of businesses that left contamination behind.

Sites Unseen looks at four US cities: New Orleans, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Portland, Oregon. Though highly varied geographically, the authors discovered that in each city, “government databases ostensibly designed to identify hazardous sites actually captured less than 10 percent of historically existing manufacturing sites” (Elliott). In 2017, US non-mining industries released over 1 billion pounds of hazardous waste on-site, or at the point of production. Since the government obtains data through voluntary reporting, and smaller polluting companies are excluded from pollution records, this estimate is low. “Government agencies typically identify and clean up large, visible sites that are known or widely suspected to be contaminated… All the while, thousands of smaller, less prominent but potentially polluted sites go unnoticed, contributing to a much more systemic environmental risk” (Elliott).

The authors found that, on average, industrial companies producing hazardous materials turn over every eight years. One lot may see several uses in a short amount of time—with little or no regulation about which uses may safely follow a polluting company. 95% of former manufacturing sites are now devoted to uses other than polluting industries. The authors found "coffee shops, apartments, restaurants, parks, child care centers and much more at these locations" (Elliott). One example in Portland is a 1950s sheet metal and neon sign producer, which was succeeded by a trucking company. It is currently a dog daycare (Elliott).

Economic forces explain the lack of publicity about a lot's past uses, as well as inadequate safety regulations around redevelopment. Developers are often given incentives to build on remediated brownfields. This includes liability waivers, protecting the developer from being sued if health issues arise from exposure to contamination (Frickel). 

The Class Equality of Contamination

In my undergraduate Environmental Studies program, I took several classes focusing on environmental justice. I left with the understanding that poor communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by environmental contamination. 

However, Elliott and Frickel draw a somewhat encouraging conclusion as we strive for equality:

"Environmental justice studies that use more limited government data on hazardous sites provide consistent evidence that polluting industries and environmental hazards are more frequently imposed on poor and minority communities... Our findings suggest that, over time, risks also accumulate over broader areas – including white working-class neighborhoods of yesteryear, lower-income and minority neighborhoods that superseded them, [and] gentrifying areas such as Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties" (Elliott).

Formerly a working-class community, Northern Liberties is now a "model of trendy urban-chic redevelopment" (Elliott). It is packed with restaurants, boutique shops, recently remodeled homes, a pedestrian mall, a large community garden, and a park. Individuals moving into the area may not be aware that the neighborhood is a remediated Superfund site, seriously polluted by Burk Brothers Tannery until it closed in 1962. The 1.5 square miles of densely residential property around the park "contains the highest density of former manufacturing sites in Philadelphia" (Elliott). 

When I learn about problems that affect poor people and rich people alike, I feel hopeful. Perhaps resources and higher education more easily accessed by privileged individuals are more likely to be channeled towards change that benefits everyone.

Communities Can Inform Themselves

Before the 1980s, there was “virtually no public documentation” of releases of hazardous material (Frickel). Sites Unseen points out that communities can’t figure out how to clean up polluted land until they learn about the possible risks in their neighborhoods. The authors promote the creation of new public databases that include smaller companies not currently listed as historical polluters. They also recognize that it may be citizens rather than governments taking the initiative in many communities.

In the appendix, the book offers a practical guide for concerned individuals who wish to begin this research. The process begins with locating New York State directories of manufacturers. Though we may not have data about the quantity and types of pollutants emitted by each company, we can learn what was manufactured, and for how long.  We can consult those experienced in industry to make best guesses about resulting contamination.

Though state manufacturer directories should be accessible in public libraries, Sites Unseen authors found that some libraries tossed these directories due to low checkout rates. They often had more luck with university resources, but noted that their academic credentials made accessing this information easier. This looks like a great opportunity for WNY college and graduate students to partner with local communities to create empowering informational resources.

Gardening and Foraging Takeaway

Learn what has happened in your neighborhood! Though soil contamination from air pollution may be hard to pin down without soil testing, finding out what has happened right on our block, and neighboring blocks, is a great place to start. This is an important process whether you're in an urban, suburban, or rural area; all three have their contamination issues. Share what you learn with those in your neighborhood, and other wild foragers. Encourage others to do a piece of this research to add to the knowledge pot.

If you live in the city, yes-- grow veggies and herbs in raised beds and containers. Buy organic potting soil, make compost, or purchase bagged compost with an OMRI stamp on it (see biosolids article #3, coming in August). 

Stay tuned for articles exploring the safety of harvesting in WNY public spaces-- now that you have an eye for the limitations of my research and knowledge.

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Sources

Elliott, James R. and Scott Frickel. “What lies beneath: To manage toxic contamination in cities, study their industrial histories.” Dec 2018. https://theconversation.com/what-lies-beneath-to-manage-toxic-contamination-in-cities-study-their-industrial-histories-104897

Frickel, Scott, James R. Elliott and Harvey Molotch. Sites Unseen: Uncovering Hidden Hazards in American Cities. Russell Sage Foundation: 2018.