The Risk of Living Near a Super-fund Site

by Kimberly Hughston

Protect your family from toxic waste sites As a child of the '80s, I lived in a Houston suburb where I was part of a close-knit community. However, little did we know at the time that the youth baseball and softball fields we played on were being contaminated by one of the worst toxic waste sites in the history of the United States (1). Since then, I have seen numerous people I care about suffer the consequences of illegal dumping carried out by seven chemical companies, including Monsanto, which was both the original owner of the site and the largest dumper (2).

Did you know that the US Environmental Protection Agency has published an interactive nationwide map displaying cancer risk? You can find this map and others on the EPA's webiste.

What is a Superfund Site, you ask? In case you are unfamiliar with the term, a superfund site is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and has been identified by the EPA as a candidate for remediation, due to the risk it poses to human health (3).

Associated Health Conditions There are increased cancer rates surrounding a majority of superfund sites. Depending on the chemicals dumped into the environment, living or working near a superfund site can result in several chronic health conditions, including but not limited to respiratory problems, speech and hearing impairment, skin issues, infertility, birth defects, immune dysfunction, auto-immune diseases, cardiac anomalies, fatigue, headaches, liver and kidney damage, and other rare illnesses. Studies have also linked Superfund sites to various types of cancer, such as leukemia (4,5,6).

How can you protect yourself from toxic waste?

As our society becomes more environmentally conscious, the real estate market is following suit. Buyers today are increasingly seeking out land that is environmentally sustainable and free of toxins.

This is where Holistic Agents come in. A Holistic Real Estate Agent helps clients navigate through the potential hazards of toxic land and provides them with the information they need to make the most informed purchasing decision. By working with a Holistic Agent, buyers can ensure they are investing in a property that is both safe and environmentally responsible.

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