Came across an article today noting 10 of the most contaminated towns in America.  How does this happen? Well it can happen due to mining heavy metals such as lead are mined for different products such as components for the military. The lead is extracted from the ground but there are several tons of soil that are left behind with a level of lead. This is  the waste product and it is left behind in piles and piles of debris.  This is the case with Picher, Oklahoma (former town of Hall Of Fame baseball player Mickey Mantle).  Now Picher is down to only 6 residents in the entire town.  Other towns were used as dumping grounds for hazardous waste prior to 1976 when the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was instituted.  An example of dumping hazardous waste in the waterways is the Love Canal in upstate NY.  Hazardous waste was dumped into Niagra Falls, NY. Approximately 220 families fled their homes due to high toxic levels.  Real Estate prices tumbled and the area was devestated for many, many years.  Other towns with severe contamination issues and consequently rock bottom real estate prices are the following: Three Mile Island  in Penn, Hinkley, CA, Libby, Montana, Times Beach, MO, Cheshire, Ohio, Cardin, OK, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, CO.  Many of these areas have been cleaned up but some are now ghost towns.  I think I will stay on the North Shore and enjoy our beautiful coastline and occasionally complain about a plastic bag in the water. HAHA.