Main Causes of Water Pollution
What causes water pollution? The role of human agency may be understated, as this story shows.
Chemetco pumped process water through a secret pipe for ten years, contaminating these once-pristine wetlands.
Long Lake, Mississippi River tributary, Mitchell, nr. Hartford, Illlinois, USA. 
Use with attribution: Picture, Alistair Siddons
Causes of water pollution: choosing to pollute
We don't often hear how companies that cause water pollution behave before, during and after their actions are investigated.
We just hear the size of the fine, and that encourages a relativistic approach to pollution stories.
These pages go under the surface of a serious environmental crime. I show that the story may be far from over when a company and its executives have been punished.
Causes of air pollution?
The Chemeto criminal case was all about water pollution.
But Chemetco caused grave air pollution problems, too, with unbelievably far-reaching consequences.
And most of all, Chemetco is a fascinating story of corporate ethics.
Unregistered causes of water pollution may not be globally unusual.
But this story is characterised by a surprisingly tough and protracted battle between enforcer and polluter, in the highly-regulated economy of the United States.
Copyright notice: unless otherwise stated, all text, artwork & photographs © Alistair Siddons. All rights reserved.