ABSTRACT
“In this chapter, we introduce the variety of gasmaking processes, the general development of the manufactured gas industry of Massachusetts, and the sources of their toxic residues that today plague their derelict sites. The best appreciation of the history and of the environmental threat of bygone manufactured gas plants and of their toxic residues is to anchor a first impression on the types of manufactured gas that have been employed in Massachusetts. This story varies from state to state and country to country, in terms of the magnitude of effect of each gas process, and so here is how we see the interplay between the various processes.
While today's toxic threat uniformly represents severe threats to humans and to the environment, and, in all cases calls for rigorous and continued attention, there are distinct differences in how these threats impact public health from place to place. ”
