Polluters: the Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment

234 Pages·2010·1.82 MB·English

by  Ross

The Polluters
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The Polluters
benjamin ross
The Making of Our Chemically
steven amter
Altered Environment
1
2010
3
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Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ross, Benjamin.
The polluters: the making of our chemically altered
environment / Benjamin Ross, Steven Amter.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-973995-0
1. Chemical industry—Environmental aspects—United States.
2. Chemicals—Environmental aspects—United States.
3. Pollutants.
I. Amter, Steven. II. Title.
TD195.C45R672010
363.7380973—dc22 2009045748
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T
his book is the fruit of ten years of research into the history of
pollution, and it has come into existence only because so many people
generously shared their time and knowledge along the way.
When we fi rst began our research into the history of pollution, Peter
Skinner and Craig Colten very generously allowed us to search and freely
copy the document collection they assembled when they wrote their pio-
neering book The Road to Love Canal. Their advice and encouragement has
continued without fail.
Many other people have assisted our research over the years. Three who went
out of their way to help us deserve special mention. Leon Billings allowed us to
use his extraordinary collection of printed congressional hearing records. Travis
Wagner shared his deep knowledge of hazardous waste regulation and its his-
tory. Anthony Travis unhesitatingly and unfailingly offered us his encourage-
ment, shared his knowledge, and, most important, gave wise advice.
Other historians generously took time to discuss issues with us, including
Alan Derickson, Alan P. Loeb, David Michaels, John Parascandola, Frederick
Quivik, and Lynn Snyder. Charlotte Sellers of the Jackson County, Indiana,
public library went far out of her way to help our research into the Say-
ers family. We also gained valuable insight and information from relatives
and friends of people who fi gure in the book. We thank Molly Gosline and
Anne Barnes, nieces of Carl Gosline; Jacqueline Tarr Dempsey and Douglas
J anney, daughter-in-law and grandson of Omar Tarr; C. Kenneth Banks, Jr.;
and Joyce Zimmerman and Margaret Budd, friends of George Best. Thomas
Burke helped us with his own recollections about looking for solvents in
ground water in the 1970s.
The idea of writing this book grew out of research we undertook for attor-
neys engaged in litigation over the responsibility for environmental damage
and the costs of cleanup. As we repeatedly encountered the same people, the
same organizations, and the same behavior in different contexts, we concluded
that there was a story that had never been brought together. This study would
never have been written were it not for the confi dence these attorneys placed
in us. Particular thanks go to Jack Atkins, Stuart Calwell, Elizabeth Crook,
Kevin Hannon, Anthony Jenkins, Kevin Madonna, Steve Medina, Ken Newa,
Mike Papantonio, Gary Praglin, Tod Robins, Victor Sher, Ron Simon, John
Skaggs, Donald Stewart, Mary Jane Thies, and Duane Westrup.
Numerous archivists assisted our research, in person or at a distance.
They include Dennis Bilger and Randy Sowell of the Truman Presidential
Library, Judy Grosberg of the National Cancer Institute Director’s Offi ce,
Nancy Miller of the University of Pennsylvania Archives, Patrick Shea of
the Chemical Heritage Foundation, Brian Shovers of the Montana Historical
Society, and Paul Theerman of the National Library of Medicine. Archivists
who helped us locate and identify photographs include Barbara Harkins of
the NIH History Offi ce, Cindy Lachin of the FDA History Offi ce, Delores
Morrow of the Montana Historical Society, Christie Peterson of the Muskie
Archives at Bates College, Daniel Whittemore of Sheppard Powell Associ-
ates, and Leila Wiles of the Izaak Walton League. We also thank Kate Barry
for her help as a research assistant.
Finally, the writing of this book would have been utterly impossible were
it not for the many historical researchers in this fi eld who came before us.
A history of this scope cannot possibly be written entirely from primary
sources. Only after years of painstaking investigations of individual episodes
is there any hope of bringing together a synthesis. We have relied on numer-
ous published monographs, and we are especially indebted to three authors
of unpublished dissertations, Marvin Brienes, Lynn Snyder, and Adelyne
W hitaker. Even where we disagree with their interpretations, we owe them
an immense debt of gratitude.
vi | acknowledgments
CONTENTS
chapter 1 The Sorcerer’s Apprentices 1
part i Summoning the Spirits
chapter 2 Pollution Goes to Washington 9
chapter 3 The Rise of the Chemical Industry 17
chapter 4 Royd Sayers’ Service Bureau 28
part ii Fetching a Flood
chapter 5 The Miracle Bug-Killer 45
chapter 6 Wilhelm Hueper and
Environmental Cancer 59
chapter 7 Bad Air in Los Angeles 73
chapter 8 Donora’s Strangler Smog 86
chapter 9 A New Deal for Clean Water 98
chapter 10 Deregulating California’s Water 107
chapter 11 The Stealth Pollutants 118
part iii Holding Back the Deluge
chapter 12 DuPont Tries to Clean Up 129
chapter 13 The Industry Responds 141
chapter 14 From Donora to Love Canal 151
chapter 15 Epilogue: Convenient Hopes and
Inconvenient Truths 167
Key to Archival Citations 173
List of Abbreviations 175
Notes 177
Index 215
viii | contents
The Polluters