Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Photo courtesy of here.

Every morning, on my way to work, I drive across Spring Grove Avenue, past P&G, and eventually through Carthage.  One day, I noticed one of those signs urging me to “Keep it Clean” about the Mill Creek, and I realized that I crossed a bridge.  I just hadn’t really noticed this before.  The north facing of this bridge has a very noteworthy view, in my estimation, and it just causes one to wonder what kind of pollution, if any, gets dumped into the creek by the chemical plants lining the concrete creek.

Take a look at this shot, for a good example:

Photo courtesy of here.

If you look closely (or check out this larger view), you can see, in the center, how a large stream of “water” is pouring directly into the creek. 

Is that really just plain, old, ordinary water?

And look towards the right side of the picture.  See that red flap?  Red usually means “danger.” Does something dangerous pour, occasionally, from that flap?  And look at the black residue dripping from the hole.  What is that stuff?

Here is another view:

Photo courtesy of here.

In addition to another view of both the red flap with black residue (bottom right), and the gushing liquids getting dumped (center), you can see other colors of flaps with black residue beneath them.  (Try this larger view, if necessary.) I see a yellow flap, like the red one.  “Yellow” usually means “caution,” right?  About what should we be cautious concerning that flap?  And, again, what is that black stuff?

Just some things I think about now, while driving to work each morning…

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