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65-460: Although the borough is heavily residential, it is home to one of America's oldest traditional amusement parks, Kennywood Park . Other employers include advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology research and development facility, Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory ; monorail manufacturer Bombardier ; US Steel 's Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant ; Community College of Allegheny County 's South Campus; and

130-575: A 7-year study that specifically tested for 18 types of cancers to see if the participants had higher rates than those that do not live around landfills. They conducted this study in western Massachusetts within a 1-mile radius of the North Hampton Regional Landfill. People encounter these toxins buried in the ground , in stream runoff, in groundwater that supplies drinking water, or in floodwaters, as happened after Hurricane Katrina . Some toxins, such as mercury, persist in

195-493: A Superfund or hazardous site have a " high risk for life-long and long-term mental health and physical health challenges, including cancer, birth defects, and developmental disabilities. " There are an estimated 21 million people that reside within a mile of these sites allowing the harsh chemicals and toxins, such as lead and mercury, that have escaped to enter nearby water supplies, to affect the air quality, and ground conditions resulting in destructive environmental surroundings. In

260-493: A cleanup program for abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. There has been a long ongoing battle between communities and environmentalists versus governments and corporations about how strictly and how fairly the regulations and laws are written and enforced. That battle began in North Carolina in the late summer of 1979, as EPA's TSCA regulations were being implemented. In North Carolina, PCB -contaminated oil

325-467: A comprehensive underground storage tank program. The disposal of toxic waste continues to be a source of conflict in the U.S. Due to the hazards associated with toxic waste handling and disposal, communities often resist the siting of toxic waste landfills and other waste management facilities; however, determining where and how to dispose of waste is a necessary part of economic and environmental policy-making. The issue of handling toxic waste has become

390-610: A decade, the trolley company no longer wanted to manage the park. The standing manager, Andrew S. McSwigan, along with partners Frederick W. Henninger and A. F. Meghan, leased and operated the park as Kennywood Park Limited beginning in 1906. From its origin as a working-class picnic entertainment destination, the park grew in the first half of the twentieth century into a popular attraction that combined thrill rides with recreation venues such as swimming pools and dance halls. Kennywood ceased to be served by streetcar when Mon Street Railways successor Pittsburgh Railways Company converted

455-692: A farm overlooking the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh owned by Anthony Kenny, known as "Kenny's Grove", was a popular picnic spot for local residents during the American Civil War. In 1898, the Monongahela Street Railways Company, partially owned by prominent banker Andrew Mellon , seeking to increase fare profits on the weekends, leased the land from the Kenny family in order to create a trolley park at

520-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.89. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

585-477: A global problem as international trade has arisen out of the increasing toxic byproducts produced with the transfer of them to less developed countries. In 1995, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights began to notice the illicit dumping of toxic waste and assigned a Special Rapporteur to examine the human rights aspect to this issue (Commission resolution 1995/81). In September 2011,

650-460: A new memory", although from the 1960s through the early 1990s the slogan was "The roller coaster capital of the world" (a title which is now used by Cedar Point ). Kennywood features three wooden roller coasters still in working order ( Jack Rabbit , Racer and Thunderbolt ), along with three newer steel coasters ( Phantom's Revenge , Sky Rocket and Steel Curtain ) and one indoor coaster ( Exterminator ). The park holds several events throughout

715-401: A population at risk had to be specified; the location of the site was represented by GPS coordinates, and a description of the activities leading to contamination were outlined ." To measure the amount of lead in the soil a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was used. When this method seemed unavailable and an area was suspected of having to lead contamination, the blood of individuals

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780-416: A reason to film a documentary about the park's history. Toxic waste Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and contaminate soil and water . Disposing of such waste

845-467: A rise of dangerous chemical molecules like dioxins that are carcinogenic, which implies that they have the potential to cause cancer, that is appearing in humans and animals. For example, there has been a recent increase in sheep that have been born in contaminated areas that have, " higher rates of chromosome fragility, higher mortality, and a higher incidence of abnormal fetal development when compared with sheep raised in non-contaminated areas ." To assess

910-662: A risk to human health: The most overlooked toxic and hazardous wastes are the household products in everyday homes that are improperly disposed of such as old batteries, pesticides, paint, and car oil. Toxic waste can be reactive, ignitable, and corrosive. In the United States, these wastes are regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). With the increase of worldwide technology, there are more substances that are considered toxic and harmful to human health. Technology growth at this rate

975-515: Is a major public health issue. Toxic materials are poisonous byproducts as a result of industries such as manufacturing, farming, construction, automotive, laboratories, and hospitals which may contain heavy metals , radiation , dangerous pathogens , or other toxins . Toxic waste has become more abundant since the Industrial Revolution , causing serious global issues . Disposing of such waste has become even more critical with

1040-613: Is accessible primarily by road, though no Interstate highways pass through the area. The main road passing through most of the area is Pennsylvania Route 885 , which intersects with Pennsylvania Route 51 nearby in the borough of Whitehall . West Mifflin is the location of Allegheny County Airport , a general aviation airport; as a result, most of West Mifflin is in Class D airspace . The nearest airports with commercial service are Pittsburgh International Airport and Arnold Palmer Regional Airport . Kennywood Park Kennywood

1105-751: Is an amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania , just southeast of Pittsburgh . The park opened on May 30, 1898, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family 's Monongahela Street Railway. It was purchased in 1906 by F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan, both of whom later formed the family-owned Kennywood Entertainment Company . The company later sold Kennywood, along with four other parks, in 2007 to Parques Reunidos , an international entertainment operator based in Spain. The amusement park features various structures and rides dating back to

1170-489: Is an underlying consequence of pollution that comes from environmental exposure to hazardous waste. When people are exposed to this pollution, they suffer negative health effects. With diseases on the rise, the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) starts to decline, so the time the average person lives decreases, especially in low to middle-income countries. These low to middle-income countries (LMIC) have minimal resources to deal with toxic waste, such as "inadequate regulation,

1235-404: Is approximately 0.19% of the total population of all three countries. There was an estimation of 80,021 individuals who were women of childbearing age (15–49 years of age), and 122,084 individuals who were younger than 18 years of age. In recent years in the region of Campania, Italy there has been a rise in illegal dumping and burning of toxic and solid waste. In response to this, there has been

1300-459: Is extremely daunting for civilization and can eventually lead to more harm/negative outcomes. Some of this technology includes cell phones and computers. Such items have been given the name e-waste or EEE, which stands for Electrical and Electronic Equipment. This term is also used for goods such as refrigerators, toys, and washing machines. These items can contain toxic components that can break down into water systems when discarded. The reduction in

1365-425: Is subject to requirements under EPA's Land Disposal Restrictions Program. Injection wells are regulated under the federal Underground Injection Control program. Organic wastes can be destroyed by incineration at high temperatures. However, if the waste contains heavy metals or radioactive isotopes , these must be separated and stored, as they cannot be destroyed. The method of storage will seek to immobilize

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1430-624: The Allegheny County Airport . According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km), of which 14.2 square miles (37 km) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km), or 1.80%, is water. The landscape is largely hilly and wooded, and the borough's eastern boundary is contiguous with the Monongahela River three separate times. Much of

1495-1012: The poverty line , including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over. The unemployment rate is just over 6%. Coal mining in the area has affected the flow and water quality of small streams. Land developers have produced more level ground by clean-filling ravines and other small parcels of land to improve the land usage Toxic waste dump areas are monitored with water quality improvement with bioremediation successfully implemented. West Mifflin operates its own sewage treatment facility. The Environmental Protection agency regulates 78 facilities for environmental compliance. Asbestos waste and radioactive waste and controls were addressed in 1991. Seven schools exist in West Mifflin: four public schools and three private schools. West Mifflin public schools belong to one district- West Mifflin Area School District . School students in

1560-711: The Division of Specialized Information Services of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) that used maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency 's (EPA) Superfund and Toxics Release Inventory programs. The chemical and environmental health information was taken from NLM's Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET) and PubMed , and from other authoritative sources. The database

1625-600: The French Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War . George Washington was a colonel to Braddock, and fought at the battle before they retreated. Later the land on the bluff above the Monongahela River was part of a farm owned by Anthony Kenny. Around the time of the American Civil War , the site was a popular picnic grove for locals, known as "Kenny's Grove". A tree-filled portion of

1690-661: The Human Rights Council decided to strengthen the mandate to include the entire life-cycle of hazardous products from manufacturing to the final destination (aka cradle to grave ), as opposed to only movement and dumping of hazardous waste. The title of the Special Rapporteur has been changed to "Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes" (Human Rights Council 18/11). The Human Rights Council has further extended

1755-432: The addition of numerous technological advances containing toxic chemical components . Products such as cellular telephones , computers, televisions , and solar panels contain toxic chemicals that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly to prevent air pollution and the contamination of soils and water. A material is considered toxic when it causes death or harm by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through

1820-499: The average person. Men can result in low sperm count and females can result in miscarriages. In order to further quantify the burden of diseases caused by toxic wastes TSIP, Toxic Sites Identification Program, " identifies active and abandoned hazardous waste sites resulting from both formal and informal industrial activities in LMICs ". As an investigation begins a key pollutant is sought out and identified. For example, "Heavy metals are

1885-405: The borough was 89.64% White , 8.85% African American , 0.12% Native American , 0.25% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.25% from other races , and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 9,509 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had

1950-527: The borough. The closest Interstate connection is Exit 77 (Edgewood/Swissvale) on Interstate 376 . The Mon–Fayette Expressway will eventually go past Kennywood, which will prompt an expansion of the park when it is built. Historically, the park is on the location of the July 9, 1755 Battle of the Monongahela , where British general Edward Braddock was mortally wounded, ending his expedition to capture

2015-499: The causal relations between cancer mortality and congenital malformations in humans coming from illegal dumping a map was drawn using the geographical locations of the sites. As one can see most of these sites are located in Campania where Naples and Caserta are based. The spread of dioxin through food consumption is primarily due to the animal products from the animals that were raised in the geographical locations where dioxins were

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2080-611: The cost of these goods has allowed for these items to be distributed globally without thought or consideration to managing the goods once they become ineffective or broken. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental agencies develop and enforce regulations on the storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste. The EPA requires that toxic waste be handled with special precautions, and be disposed of in designated facilities around

2145-444: The country. Also, many US cities have collection days where household toxic waste is gathered. Some materials that may not be accepted at regular landfills are ammunition, commercially generated waste, explosives/shock sensitive items, hypodermic needles/syringes, medical waste , radioactive materials, and smoke detectors. Toxic wastes often contain carcinogens , and exposure to these by some route, such as leakage or evaporation from

2210-426: The disposal of toxic and hazardous waste were not based on sound science and adequate technology. Warren County's citizens concluded also that North Carolina's 1981 Waste Management Act was scientifically and constitutionally unacceptable because it authorized the siting of toxic, hazardous, and nuclear waste facilities prior to public hearings, preempted local authority over the siting of the facilities, and authorized

2275-520: The early 1900s. Along with Rye Playland Park , it is one of two amusement parks in the United States designated as a National Historic Landmark . Kennywood is also one of thirteen trolley parks in the United States that remain in operation. Kennywood is approximately 8 miles (13 km) from Downtown Pittsburgh , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The park is along Pennsylvania Route 837 (Green Belt), known as Kennywood Boulevard as it passes through

2340-532: The end of their line. The company's chief engineer, George S. Davidson, designed the original layout of the park and served as its first manager. A carousel , casino hall, and dance pavilion were added in 1899. A bandstand was constructed in 1900, while the Old Mill was constructed in 1901, and the park's first roller coaster , the Figure Eight Toboggan, was added in 1902. After less than

2405-558: The environment and accumulate. As a result of the bioaccumulation of mercury in both freshwater and marine ecosystems , predatory fish are a significant source of mercury in human and animal diets. In the United States today millions of Americans live near a toxic waste site that is in a radius of three miles of where they currently reside. For example, In February 2022 it was found that " Black Americans are 75 percent more likely to live near waste-producing facilities ." Residents that live in or near communities that are 1.8 miles around

2470-455: The generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), also enacted in 1976, authorizes the EPA to collect information on all new and existing chemical substances, as well as to control any substances that were determined to cause unreasonable risk to public health or the environment. The Superfund law, passed in 1980, created

2535-458: The handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. The agriculture industry uses over 800,000 tons of pesticides worldwide annually that contaminate soils, and eventually infiltrate into groundwater, which can contaminate drinking water supplies. The oceans can be polluted from the stormwater runoff of these chemicals as well. Toxic waste in the form of petroleum oil can either spill into the oceans from pipe leaks or large ships, but it can also enter

2600-433: The highest. Researchers tested mammalian milk from these areas and saw that the levels of dioxin were over the suggested amount. This was greatly seen as an issue because humans have the highest capability to concentrate the dioxin in their fat tissues. To test this, 94 women in Campania who were breastfeeding had samples of their breast milk tested and it was found that every woman had dioxin in their breast milk. A correlation

2665-445: The hilly Pittsburgh terrain to create coasters with unique layouts. Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit, both wooden coasters, place the lift chain in the middle of the ride, not at the beginning. In both cases, the car leaves the station and drops into a valley as its first drop. Phantom's Revenge uses the same valley as Thunderbolt, and its second drop passes through the supports of Thunderbolt's first drop, making Phantom's Revenge's second drop

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2730-588: The informality of many industries, poor surveillance, and improper disposal of contaminants. " For example, " lead is still used for glazing artisanal ceramics despite the availability of less hazardous alternatives. " Lead enters the soil and water sources if not kept under control. Children are more susceptible than adults to absorbing more lead if exposed early on, causing them to have "behavioral problems in adolescence, IQ decrements, cognitive impairment, and decreased visuospatial skills." If adults are exposed occupationally, they can have higher rates of hypertension than

2795-633: The longest and steepest drop in the ride. Music is provided by a 1916 Wurlitzer style #153 Military Band Organ , which is the oldest of its kind in existence. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Thomas Town opened in 2018 as an expansion of Kiddieland. The Olde Kennywood Railroad has also become part of this area, re-themed as Journey With Thomas. 1994–2004 2009–2020 1965–1973 1988–1994 1989–2005 Kennywood's world-renowned reputation and nationwide popularity has led to its mention and appearance in many forms of media, including TV shows, movies, books, records, and has even warranted

2860-503: The most commonly occurring key pollutant, with ingestion of contaminated soils being the most commonly occurring route of exposure listed in the TSIP database." Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay were chosen since they had more available data after meeting certain criteria. As of now, there are five criteria that have to be met in order for a hazardous waste site to be included in the analysis; " a biological or environmental sample had to be present;

2925-626: The neighboring boroughs of Whitaker and Duquesne also attend school in the West Mifflin School District. There are two West Mifflin elementary schools, one West Mifflin middle school, one West Mifflin High School, and 13 West Mifflin preschools. New England Elementary has been closed since June 2012. Saint Agnes School has been closed since June 2019. New Emerson has been closed since 2020. Prior to July 2016, Wilson Christian Academy existed at 1900 Clairton Road. It

2990-472: The oceans from everyday citizens dumping car oil into the rainstorm sewer systems. Disposal is the placement of waste into or on the land. Disposal facilities are usually designed to permanently contain waste and prevent the release of harmful pollutants to the environment. The most common hazardous waste disposal practice is placement in a land disposal unit such as a landfill, surface impoundment, waste pile, land treatment unit, or injection well. Land disposal

3055-470: The original landscape has been altered as a result of the historic dumping of steel mill byproducts such as slag and fly ash . West Mifflin has ten land borders, including the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Lincoln Place and Hays as well as Munhall and Whitaker , to the north, Duquesne to the east, Dravosburg to the southeast, Jefferson Hills and Pleasant Hills to the south, Baldwin to

3120-488: The past, recent years' climate change increasing severe rainstorms, flooding, and winds from hurricanes have a greater possibility to disrupt the content of these toxic waste sites allowing unstable organic compounds to go back into the environment. It can be seen that in Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay there has been an increase in industrial development, urbanization, and socioeconomic forces. As these industries grow there

3185-415: The regulation concerning the distance between the base of a toxic waste landfill and groundwater allowed the base to be only a foot above ground water if the owner/operator of the facility could demonstrate to the EPA regional administrator that a leachate collection system could be installed and that there would be no hydraulic connection between the base of the landfill and groundwater. Citizens argued that

3250-583: The route serving it, the lengthy #68 Duquesne - McKeesport line, from trolley to bus on September 15, 1958. On December 12, 2007, Kennywood Entertainment announced that it would be selling Kennywood Park, along with four other amusement parks in the Northeastern United States , to Parques Reunidos, a company based in Madrid, Spain. Kennywood uses the slogans "Welcome to the family", "America's finest traditional amusement park", and "Make

3315-417: The scope of its mandates as of September 2012 due to the result of the dangerous implications occurring to persons advocating environmentally sound practices regarding the generation, management, handling, distribution, and final disposal of hazardous and toxic materials to include the issue of the protection of the environmental human rights defenders. TOXMAP was a geographic information system (GIS) from

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3380-626: The siting of the PCB landfill in Warren County continued and studies revealed that EPA dry-tomb landfills were failing, EPA stated in its Federal Register that all landfills would eventually leak and should only be used as a stopgap measure. Years of research and empirical knowledge of the failures of the Warren County PCB landfill led citizens of Warren County to conclude that the EPA's dry-tomb landfill design and regulations governing

3445-488: The skin. The waste can contain chemicals , heavy metals , radiation, dangerous pathogens, or other toxins. Even households generate hazardous waste from items such as batteries, used computer equipment , and leftover paints or pesticides. Toxic material can be either human-made and others are naturally occurring in the environment. Not all hazardous substances are considered toxic. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified 11 key substances that pose

3510-459: The storage, causes cancer to appear at increased frequency in exposed individuals. For example, a cluster of the rare blood cancer polycythemia vera was found around a toxic waste dump site in northeast Pennsylvania in 2008. The Human & Ecological Risk Assessment Journal conducted a study that focused on the health of individuals living near municipal landfills to see if it would be as harmful as living near hazardous landfills. They conducted

3575-635: The toxic components of the waste, possibly through storage in sealed containers, inclusion in a stable medium such as glass or a cement mixture, or burial under an impermeable clay cap. Waste transporters and waste facilities may charge fees; consequently, improper methods of disposal may be used to avoid paying these fees. Where the handling of toxic waste is regulated, the improper disposal of toxic waste may be punishable by fines or prison terms. Burial sites for toxic waste and other contaminated brownfield land may eventually be used as greenspace or redeveloped for commercial or industrial use. The RCRA governs

3640-469: The toxic waste landfill regulations were based on the fundamental assumption that the EPA's conceptual dry-tomb landfill would contain the toxic waste. This assumption informed the siting of toxic waste landfills and waivers to regulations that were included in EPA's Federal Register . For example, in 1978, the base of a major toxic waste landfill could be no closer than five feet from groundwater , but this regulation and others could be waived. The waiver to

3705-550: The use of force if needed. In the aftermath of the Warren County protests, the 1984 Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act focused on waste minimization and phasing out land disposal of hazardous waste as well as corrective action for releases of hazardous materials. Other measures included in the 1984 amendments included increased enforcement authority for EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and

3770-491: The waivers to the siting regulations were discriminatory mechanisms facilitating the shift from scientific to political considerations concerning the siting decision and that in the South this would mean a discriminatory proliferation of dangerous waste management facilities in poor black and other minority communities. They also argued that the scientific consensus was that permanent containment could not be assured. As resistance to

3835-535: The west and also a short border with Clairton to the south. Three segments of West Mifflin run along the Monongahela River. Adjacent to these areas across the river are Braddock , North Braddock , McKeesport and Glassport . As of the census of 2000, there were 22,464 people, 9,509 households, and 6,475 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,586.2 inhabitants per square mile (612.4/km). There were 9,966 housing units at an average density of 703.7 per square mile (271.7/km). The racial makeup of

3900-543: The year, including Phantom Fall Fest, For the past several years, Kennywood has been rated the "Favorite 'Dark Attraction Park ' " by the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE). Kennywood ranked second to Cedar Point in the category of "Favorite Park" in Theme Park Magazine's 2004 Reader's Choice Awards. The park was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. Kennywood has made use of

3965-413: Was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $ 36,130, and the median income for a family was $ 46,192. Males had a median income of $ 36,984 versus $ 26,529 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 18,140. About 8.8% of families and 10.2% of the population were below

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4030-478: Was also discovered that the older you were the more dioxin was in your breast milk. One of the biggest problems with today's toxic material is how to dispose of it properly. Before the passage of modern environmental laws (in the US, this was in the 1970s), it was legal to dump such wastes into streams, rivers, and oceans, or bury them underground in landfills . The US Clean Water Act , enacted in 1972, and RCRA, enacted in 1976, created nationwide programs to regulate

4095-624: Was deliberately dripped along rural Piedmont highways, creating the largest PCB spills in American history and a public health crisis that would have repercussions for generations to come. The PCB-contaminated material was eventually collected and buried in a landfill in Warren County , but citizens' opposition, including large public demonstrations, exposed the dangers of toxic waste, the fallibility of landfills than in use, and EPA regulations allowing landfills to be built on marginal, but politically acceptable sites. Warren County citizens argued that

4160-477: Was merged into Cornerstone Christian Preparatory Academy, which is currently at that location. West Mifflin school administrators' use of school credit cards for meals has been called into question. The West Mifflin School District charges tuition for nearby Duquesne students to attend. Community College of Allegheny County also has its South Campus in the borough, at 1750 Clairton Road. West Mifflin

4225-415: Was tested to show the amount the people who were exposed to lead. The exposure data were collected from a total of 129 hazardous waste sites distributed across Argentina ( n  = 23), Mexico ( n  = 62), and Uruguay ( n  = 44). In Figs. 1 and 2 the sites of geographical distributions are shown. An estimated population of 316,703 individuals were at risk of exposure (mean = 2455; median = 250 per site), which

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