#2360 - Caroline Fraser

Tacoma's Lead and Arsenic Pollution From 1800s Smelting

The Pacific Northwest, known for its picturesque landscapes, has a darker history of pollution, particularly involving lead and arsenic, which Caroline Fraser delves into, spanning from the late 19th century to recent times.

Smelting Plants Leaked Lead and Arsenic For Decades

The smelting industry, particularly in Tacoma, has leaked lead and arsenic for decades. Asarco, the American smelting and refining company, operated a smelter in Tacoma since the 1880s or 1890s, melting rocks containing various metals, including lead and arsenic, and releasing immense particulate pollution into the atmosphere. Joe Rogan painted a disturbing image of a school situated between a lead smelter and zinc plant, where the nearby river flowed with a glowing green color, indicative of the severe pollution.

Fraser recounted the aftermath of a filter failure at the Bunker Hill company in Kellogg, Idaho in 1973, which resulted in heavy exposure of lead and toxic smoke to the surrounding community. For one and a half years, heavy metal-laden dust rained down on the Kellogg area, demonstrating the lasting environmental impacts of such industrial activities.

Pollution Contaminates Soil, Water, and Air, Exposing Communities To Toxins

Fraser speaks about the impact on the environment and communities in the Pacific Northwest. In Tacoma, soil contaminated with lead and arsenic required extensive cleanup, including carting away tons of soil and testing people's yards, replacing the soil if necessary. The smelting operations have left a legacy of contamination, not only in the water and air but also in places like public parks built on the old smelter property, where slag contaminated with arsenic looks like gravel.

The pollution has had profound health implications. A doctor at the Tacoma smelter produced false papers claiming that workers were not harmed by arsenic, despite evidence of elevated rates of lung cancer. An individual working at the smelter and a member of the union played a crucial role in exposing these lies by publishing a newsletter from his kitchen table, which included a death list of colleagues who succumbed to various cancers at young ages.

Vashon Island Near Tacoma Needs Soil Arsenic Remediation For Development

Arsenic Pollution Discovery on Vashon Island Spurs Industrial History Probe In Pacific Northwest

The history of pollution in the Pacific Northwest, as Fraser learned when considering moving back to the area, is not confine ...

Caroline Fraser and Joe Rogan explore the connection between environmental toxins and a spike in aggression, including violent crime and the behavior of serial killers.

Lead, Cadmium, and Pollutants Linked To Crime and Aggression

They discuss how the rise of violent crime in the 1970s and 80s may have been influenced by environmental toxins, particularly lead and cadmium. Fraser points to research suggesting a strong association between aggression, juvenile delinquency, and crime with problems arising from exposure to even small amounts of lead.

Childhood Toxin Exposure Leads To Neurological Damage and Behavioral Issues

Fraser and Rogan note that lead, a poison that readily reaches the brain, could lead to violent behavior. They discuss how exposure to lead and cadmium can cause brain damage, impacting the proper development of crucial brain areas, such as the frontal cortex. This damage reportedly leads to deficits that influence decision-making and self-control.

Us Crime Spike in 1970s-80s Correlates With Leaded Gas and Industrial Pollution

Rogan adds that leaded gasoline and its correlation with lowered IQs hint at the possible neurological damage from toxin exposure in urban communities. Fraser specifically mentions that in the 1970s, areas around smelters became heavily contaminated with lead, which coincides with the rise in violent crimes during the same period.

El Paso, Texas: Violent Crime and Seri ...

Caroline Fraser delves into the backgrounds of infamous serial killers, highlighting environmental factors that may have contributed to their violent tendencies.

Ted Bundy, Infamous Serial Killer, Grew Up In Tacoma, Washington, Near Asarco Smelter, Exposed To High Childhood Lead Levels

Lead Pollution's Role in Bundy's Violent Behavior

While there's no direct mention of Ted Bundy in the transcript chunk, Fraser posits that though we cannot definitively connect Bundy's actions to lead exposure, there is evidence he was considerably exposed. Testing of his childhood house and yard revealed high levels of lead. Fraser notes the history of atypical crimes on Mercer Island, possibly linked to the increased levels of lead from pollution emitted by the nearby I-90 and the Tacoma smelter.

Raised Near Highways and Industry, Suggesting Toxic Exposure

Ridgway's Case and Regional Serial Killers Highlight the Role of Environment in Violent Tendencies

Fraser points out another serial killer, Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker, grew up in El Paso close to a smelter. Although his crimes were perpetrated in Los Angeles, it raises questions about his environmental influences during childhood.

The conversation does not address Gary Ridgway directly but instead references George Waterfield Russell, a s ...

Caroline Fraser and Joe Rogan discuss the significant impacts of toxin exposure on health behavior, including the historic connection to crime in the Pacific Northwest, the long-term effects on children's cognitive abilities, and the complex challenges of environmental remediation.

Lead, Arsenic, and Pollution's Impact on Crime and Behavior in the Pacific Northwest

Caroline Fraser presents a hypothesis from her research that suggests lead exposure, which is tied to increased aggression and violence, may be connected to the emergence of serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway in the Pacific Northwest. She explains that in the 1970s, children who were born in the 1950s began to show the effects of lead poisoning, which included behavioral issues, such as impulsivity and teen pregnancies. Fraser discusses the broader concept of lead contributing to the crime during that period, with the historical exposure to lead potentially impacting children who manifest these effects later in their lives.

Additionally, Joe Rogan notes that lead is a powerful neurotoxin associated with many health problems, including schizophrenia, poor academic performance, low cognitive ability, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He also states that lead exposure can harm the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones, and poses a significant danger to unborn babies via the placenta in pregnant women.

Pollution Consequences Persist Due to Costly, Time-Consuming, and Incomplete Remediation

Fraser discusses the serious challenge of remediating lead pollution, highlighting Lake Coeur d'Alene's persistent issues and the nearly impossible task of cleaning up toxic sediments without further disturbing them. She explains how a smelter in Tacoma was demolished in the 1990s; however, cleanup efforts in the area revealed the complexities and incomplete nature of pollution remediation. The costliness of these projects is apparent, as Fraser points out that clean-up efforts in Tacoma ran out of money after replacing the soil in many yards.

She expresses concern over the government's commitment to funding the necessary replacements and cleanup efforts, especially in public schools with old buildings containing lead pipes and paint. Fraser's doubts about the efficacy of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in part due to defunding, could impact the a ...