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UER Forum > Archived US: Mid-Atlantic > Finishing Plant, with externalities (Viewed 300 times)
sara'mer 


Location: WNC




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Finishing Plant, with externalities
< on 11/10/2013 5:25 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
DJCraig showed me this place about a year ago and I’ve been back a few times since then.

Eighty years of industry on this site. First a tannery, which burned down in 1930. Then a textile manufacturing plant was built here, and operated until 1984. The local economy took a hit when the plant closed. At around the time they closed, 900 people lived in town and 500 of them worked at the plant.

But the plant did offer the town a departing gift: they donated a well. For about 2.5 years the well was connected to the municipal water supply. However, in 1987, officials found that the well was contaminated with tri and tetrachloroethylene. At the time, the levels seemed harmless…. But just this spring DHHS has informed residents that anyone who drank the contaminated water may in fact be at risk of various cancers.

In 1989, an extra gift from the plant was discovered – one hundred barrels of industrial waste (including lead, mercury, arsenic) had been buried on the site. They were excavated and the area was cleaned up. And no cancer clusters have shown up, yet.

But the company went out of business in 1984, so the costs of cleaning up the site and any future healthcare costs will be borne by the citizens. Externality. I didn’t have but a vague idea of what that meant before I started researching this and other abandoned industrial sites. Since then, I have seen this pattern a lot. Industries come, industries go, but the contamination they leave behind is something that individuals, communities, and government agencies struggle for years and decades to clean up.

I don’t know what all this means for our futures and I have no idea how to solve it… but I do think it’s interesting that my trespassing hobby has made me a better informed citizen! Now if only I could convince my partner of that

1.


2. The power plant is really all that's easily accessible.


3.


4.


5.


6.


7. This picture is from January 2013 and may be the first time I used a tripod while exploring.


8. Yeah, they're starting to scrap it. I won't lie, I really want some of these rectangular things for my garden. They would be perfect for edging.


9.


Thanks for looking!
[last edit 11/10/2013 5:26 PM by sara'mer - edited 1 times]

they call me the hyacinth girl
archiphoto 


Location: North Carolina
Gender: Male




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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 1 on 11/10/2013 7:53 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice photos and sweet location! I hear you regarding your partner, at least they'll put up with your addiction, that's half the battle. ;)

explicitly 


Location: Augusta
Gender: Male




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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 2 on 11/10/2013 8:19 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Excellent light in #9!

relik 


Location: 44.26126°,-88.41502° (Appleton, WI)
Gender: Male


There is no truth, Only a perspective.

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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 3 on 11/10/2013 10:55 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Great shots! I too just started using a tripod. I'm hoping it makes a positive difference. Heh.

DJ Craig has all the goods!

Also, i say snag some of that scrap for your garden! I'm sure they won't miss 'em.

"When it rains, just find bigger drains."
sara'mer 


Location: WNC




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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 4 on 11/11/2013 1:52 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Thanks all! Got lucky with the light

And archiphoto, it's so true, and in fact she's very supportive. I just keep holding onto a faint hope that she'll join me someday. Nah, probably won't ever happen.

Relik, I did think of that justification (and a few others) for taking them... Anyway, once I started using a tripod I was surprised to find that my shots weren't forever grainy and blurry. Yeah I use it pretty consistently now.


they call me the hyacinth girl
andybond13 


Location: RDU
Gender: Male


Serenity Now!

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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 5 on 11/11/2013 5:09 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Good photos, sad story

Punchy 


Location: NC




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Re: Finishing Plant, with externalities
<Reply # 6 on 11/12/2013 2:21 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice stuff, sara'mer. One of my all time favorite quotes from you is the one that was something like, "Yeah, that's when I learned that tripods don't work very well from the car!"

UER Forum > Archived US: Mid-Atlantic > Finishing Plant, with externalities (Viewed 300 times)



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