A new homeowner shared a photo on Reddit last year of their neighbor's incredible carelessness with messy, polluting chemicals.
In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency governs the disposal and cleanup of hazardous waste. Chemicals such as fuel, oil, and cleaners can't just be dumped in the garbage or down the drain; there are federal laws governing the storage and disposal of these substances. Depending on the violation, people can be fined or even face criminal penalties for harming the environment with chemicals.
That made what this Redditor's neighbor was doing incredibly unwise. "My yard compared to my neighbor's yard in a brand new neighborhood," said the original poster, attaching a photo of the two yards side by side. "Yes, that's spilled oil and a tub of oil."
The photo showed two sides of a gravel path leading to two iron gates. On the right, the gravel was pale gray, and the yard through the gate appeared clean except for an ordinary puddle of water on the ground.
The left-hand yard was a different story. Trash littered the ground visible through the gate, the gravel was stained black, and a large, warped plastic tub full of used motor oil leaked black fluid down its side and over the ground.
"That's just a plastic garbage bin full of used oil," said one horrified commenter. "Your neighbor is wildly careless."
Another user imagined how this scene might have unfolded, mimicking the mind of the neighbor: "Let's leave this bin of oil out here on the side of the house while it rains," they wrote. "How did this oil spread everywhere!?! Welp not my problem."
Given how close the two properties are and how heavy the oil spill is already, it is very possible oil will leak onto the original poster's land. This is bad news for any plants the OP might try to grow or any animals in the area — and oil spills are incredibly hard to safely clean up.
The OP's best hope is that the EPA or other law enforcement will hold the neighbor accountable for cleaning up the spill. "You can call the EPA and your town code enforcement," said a commenter. "Oil is toxic to the environment even this small and is not taken lightly."
"What is seen here is likely a several thousand dollar clean up because they will require soil be removed past the point of contamination," another user added. "Better to make it happen now before it contaminates your property as well."
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