Floodwaters from the east would carry toxic waste from the "Industrial Canal" area, nicknamed after the chemical plants there.

CNN: Expert: Katrina could unleash disaster

Industrial waste, much of it toxic, litters the landscape, poisoning the soil, water and air.

CNN: China's industrial growth fuels major pollution problems

More than 14 tonnes of toxic waste have been removed from an industrial unit in south Armagh after the discovery of a diesel laundering plant.

BBC: Fuel laundering

The debate over air pollution and, more specifically, the regulation of air pollution, raged on this week as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) watered down its cross-state pollution rule and House Republicans moved to delay new rules on toxic air pollution from cement plants, solid waste incinerators, and industrial boilers.

FORBES: Two New Reasons to Worry about Air Pollution: Obesity and Diabetes