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Waste in Wal-Mart stores, Connecticut
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One of the major problems in the environment as of recently has had to deal with unnecessary waste being dumped into the surrounding areas of Wal-Mart stores. Though this problem has occurred all throughout the New England region, the most serious problems with the superstore have take place in the Connecticut area. Most current shoppers are entirely unaware of the various problems that introducing a new Wal-Mart store can bring to the ecosystem. Groups concerned with these arising problems have come forward in not only Connecticut, but also in Pennsylvania and Washington. Urbana-Champaign independent media center, by Lindsay Robinson The main problem the Wal-Mart stores bring when they are introduced to a new location is a strain on the environment and its many components. Also, the company violates many environmental standards. One example of this violation is that when sites are being constructed for the facilities proper codes are not met or really even enforced. Wal-Mart sites were not properly cleared before building of actual stores themselves took place. Instead of preparing for erosion during a heavy rain at construction, no barriers were made to keep dirt and other debris that was cleared from washing away. Because of the lack of responsibility for construction of the buildings during heavy rains enormous amounts of silt were washed from the site into nearby rivers and streams. This unnaturally large deposit of the silt caused damage to the marine ecosystem in the area threatening wildlife, and the waterways from being filled up. In addition the flaw in the erosion barriers, the waters people drunk from were contaminated from the high levels of debris washed from the sites. Urbana-Champaign independent media center, by Lindsay Robinson In Connecticut though, there was an even greater environmental problem with the Wal-Mart facilities. In the state, claims were made that Wal-Mart left pollutants in the parking lots that belonged to their stores . In the year 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, sued Wal-Mart for contamination of bodies of water, including the pollution of streams and rivers used for drinking water. This law suit was filed because the 11 stores that left both pesticides and fertilizers in the parking lots those chemicals ran off into surrounding waters of the stores.
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