Local industrial and other types of businesses are a staple of every thriving community, with employment opportunities and tax revenue making them an integral component of the area. When these businesses fail their community, though, through safety shortcuts, violations and improper policies, the residents suffer. One tragic example of this is when an industrial spill takes place. While a fire or poor business planning may only impact the company, itself, an industrial spill very often taints the entire region for years, even decades, later.
Just as local wildlife can be critically harmed by an industrial spill, so too can the viability of drinking water for an entire community. Because local water most often draws upon a nearby resource, when that river, lake, water table, etc., is damaged by an industrial spill, the region is damaged. Whether it involves dangerous chemicals, oil, lead, waste… the nature of the industrial spill is not as important as the process required, as soon as possible, to undo as much damage possible while examining what harm which has already been suffered by an unknowing public.
Is the Water Safe After an Industrial Spill?
Too many communities are left with this question, and more after the nightly news first begins to cover a nearby industrial spill. Beyond the initial concerns that might occur when a dangerous gas leaks out, industrial spills involving liquids can be far more daunting long-term. Leeching into the water table and nearby rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, sewers, etc., an industrial spill involving liquids can be a devastating event for the local ecosystem and the community as a whole.
Government officials are forced to move quickly to prevent an industrial spill from overtaking the water system within a community. Precautions are critical and ongoing testing is necessary to ensure the public’s safety is secured. Various other agencies, businesses and groups are often called upon to fix the problem, but even their actions must be examined to ensure lapses did not occur that placed lives and health in danger.
All of this is to say that an industrial spill within your community is a significant event in so many ways. Beyond just potential problems with the drinking water, your financial stability, the value of your home, the health of your pets, damage to the environment… an industrial spill can lead to a domino effect that only hurts, never helps. If you have concerns about an industrial spill in your area and want to know what your legal options are, contact us today. Doing so can help in ensuring that your rights are always preserved; that you begin properly documenting damages; and that you'll finally receive the compensation get what you deserve in light of someone else’s negligence.
Contact our offices today!