Raytheon’s Groundwater Contamination and the Azalea Neighborhood

I spent the weekend talking with the concerned residents of the Azalea neighborhood in St. Petersburg. These are hard working, good people whose lives have been turned upside down by the reckless and careless disregard of their corporate neighbor Raytheon. Raytheon never bothered to tell Azalea residents about a toxic plume spilling from their plant in St. Petersburg that has contaminated the local groundwater.
The decrease in property values is not their only concern. The Azalea residents spoke to me about concern for their children’s health and welfare. They had questions about their pets who may have been exposed to the toxic chemicals Raytheon let seep into the groundater. This is a very difficult time for these good people who wake up every morning what the future holds in store for them.
Unfortunately, it’s too early to tell if there will be any long term health consequences linked to this contamination. We also don’t know when the contamination will be cleaned up or if property values will return to previous valuations. The anxiety and worry caused by the bad behavior of Raytheon has wrecked havoc in the daily lives of these residents.