Chapter five of Protecting New Jersey’s Environment, called Environmental Crime was sad to learn about. The information that was presented in the chapter talked a lot about chromium and about how it has been contaminating New Jersey’s environment. I actually found it really good that the NJDEP was looking into problems and trying to find the culprit. I think that for many of the previous stories horrible things were being done and no one was really looking into solving the problem. I think its great that the USEPA put into place the RCRA law that made it mandatory to keep records. I think that this was an important step because then a paper trail had to be left for hazardous waste.
It was also interesting to read about how corruption played a big role in how waste was handled. It was clear to me that the fact that waste treatment became so expensive lead cooperation’s to find cheaper ways to get rid of their waste. It was shocking to hear that these legitimate corporations were working with the mafia, and that they were combining regular trash with chemicals. It was even more shocking to see that the plant managers were just turning a blind eye to it. I think it’s a big coincidence that as the New Jersey Police were closing in and the NJDEP was cataloging with drums, a fire just so happened to start. The fire was catastrophic and all of the incriminating materials were destroyed in the fire. As the author stated it “was a terrible travesty that the mob-controlled business was allowed to operate for so long” (87).
Another business that stuck me when it was mentioned was Honeywell, because I still see this brand all over even today. I can not believe that they were so uncooperative with the efforts to resolve the environmental problem. I remember in middle school, the “Honeywell instant alter system” was the greatest thing to hear because it meant that my school was closed for the day. Its amazes me how little I know about problems and events that were (and still are) happening right around my home. I'm glad that I know about these things now, and every time I learn about something shocking I always share it with my parents or friends. I wonder how they are going to react to what I learned in this chapter...