Not all disasters are natural, some are man-made. The most devastating ones involve environmental accidents with horrible effects. Among the most memorable were:

❒Ajka Alumina Plant, Hungary. On October 4 of this year, bauxite sludge from an alumina-processing plant spilled from a 'red-mud' lake and ran into the nearby town killing six people and injuring up to 80 more. At least two villages were destroyed and two nearby rivers polluted, with the famous Danube River also being threatened.

❒Chernobyl Power Plant, Ukraine. In 1986, an explosion at a nuclear power plant resulted in approximately 350,000 people (about half the city of Kingston) being evacuated to other areas. Up to 4,000 people were said to have died since and 70,000 were disabled, with many women bearing children with birth defects.

❒Bhopal, India. In 1984, a pesticide, manufacturing plant in India accidentally released toxic fumes which resulted in the death of more than 3,000 people within days. Hundreds of thousands more were poisoned over the years. In the end, the fatality count was approximately 15,000 persons (out of a city of approximately 800,000 persons). Many persons continued to complain of illnesses and birth defects many years after.

❒The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. On April 20, 2010, a deep-water oil rig exploded sending oil gushing into the sea for a period of three months, before it was eventually stopped. Eleven men were killed during the explosion and 17 were injured. Businesses and the environment within the area were adversely affected by the spill.

Jamaica has been tremendously blessed in that most of its environmental accidents have been oil and other spills into our marine environment which resulted in fish kills in our water bodies. There is another area, however, to which much attention is not being paid. This is the area of motor vehicle accidents which results in the spillage of fuel and other contaminants into nearby rivers and streams, and also onto nearby plant life. Not only do families suffer from the tremendous pain and grief caused by the loss of lives and injuries, but the environment also suffers from these unfortunate accidents.

The damage from environmental accidents can be tremendous. Their impact cannot be confined to only the areas in which they take place. It is also more heart-rending when one considers that many of these accidents could be prevented with greater care and due diligence.

Ann Marie Rodriques

PeaceWater Services

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