From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplain: Six of the Biggest Environment Cleanup Success Stories

From global warming to growing landfills, climate concerns have many of us feeling discouraged about our planet’s future. However, while humans may be prone to environmental follies, many of our mistakes can be fixed with a little ingenuity. The environmental cleanup success stories below prove that hope lies in even the messiest situations.
Oregon Soil
In March 2005, the State of Oregon discovered that petroleum storage tanks underneath a gas station in Eugene had severely contaminated the area’s soil and groundwater. After several failed attempts to negotiate cleaning with the property owners, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) took matters into its own hands. The DEQ removed over 620 cubic yards of contaminated soil and installed a groundwater remediation system as well as several monitoring tanks. Thanks to these efforts, the land returned to its pre-contamination state and is currently the site of a low-emission biodiesel fuel station.

Minnesota Merits

From the late 1800s to the early 1960s, a variety of industrial plants discharged heaps of toxic substances into Stryker Bay in Duluth, Minnesota. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency responded by removing 200,000 cubic yards of toxic mud and creating 13 acres of new green space. As a result, fish and other wildlife now call the area home while human residents enjoy swimming and kayaking on the now-clean water.

Brewery Brains

In 2013, the Crowley family decided to build the Stony Creek Brewery on the banks of the Branford River in Connecticut. However, lingering contamination in the soil posed health concerns. The family therefore decided to train employees in Hazardous Water Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) procedures and courses like the ones from National Environmental Trainers. The remediated soil and an advanced storm water drainage system provided a solid foundation for construction, and the brewery now hosts 5,000 visitors a week.
Toxic No More
In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency removed over 425,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Sheboygan River in in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The toxic waste, which was the byproduct of an erstwhile gas plant, was removed and over 70 acres of fish and wildlife habitat were restored.

Wildlife Wins

For several decades, local industrial plants dumped toxic waste such as oil and tar into the Mystic River in Medford, Massachusetts. The area’s once-plentiful wildlife all but disappeared in the face of this neglect, leading the Mystic Valley Development Commission (MVDC) to call for cleanup efforts. The MVDC added 50,000 cubic yards of clean soil and removed 15,000 tons of discarded debris. A total of 8,000 plants were introduced and 1.5 acres of wetlands were restored, leaving the area a beautiful sanctuary for wildlife and sustainable construction.

Calumet Culminations

Over the course of several decades, a slew of discharge from nearby industrial plants made the Grand Calumet River one of America’s most polluted rivers. In 2010, state and federal agencies removed 92,000 cubic yards of toxic mud from the Indiana waterway, and a variety of aquatic and wetland life now thrive in this once-forsaken area.

While human error can inflict some real damage to the Earth and environment, the stories above show these mistakes can be undone. With continued awareness, research, and hard work, a modern lifestyle does not need to harm the planet. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.