Pollution’s Dark Legacy: The Link Between Crime and Toxic Emissions

A new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser connects the alarming rise of violent crime in the Seattle area during the 1970s with the toxic emissions from nearby industrial activities. In her work, titled Murderland, Fraser explores how a polluted environment may have influenced the behavior of notorious criminals, including the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy and others, leading to a surge in violent crime during that era.

Fraser, who grew up in a well-to-do neighborhood near industrial Tacoma, recalls how the region’s heavy industry, particularly around Commencement Bay, contributed to its environmental degradation. “Tacoma ended up with a lot of very heavy industry centred around Commencement Bay, which was one of the best deep-water ports on the West Coast,” she explained during an interview with RNZ’s Nine to Noon. The area housed numerous facilities, including pulp mills, refineries, and the notorious ASARCO smelter, founded by the Guggenheim family, which emitted highly toxic fumes.

The ASARCO smelter was particularly harmful, producing significant amounts of lead and arsenic particulates. Fraser noted that residents were exposed to elevated levels of these pollutants. Coinciding with this environmental crisis was a surge in violent crime, with the Seattle region experiencing a murder rate increase of more than 30 percent in 1974, nearly six times the national average. She remarked, “The sheer number of these guys in the 1970s, and particularly in the Northwest, really did attract a lot of attention.”

Fraser highlights that the situation began to improve in the late 1980s and 1990s, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated stricter regulations on lead pollution. The phase-out of leaded petrol and increased scrutiny of dirty smelters led to a significant drop in atmospheric lead levels in the United States by the mid-1990s. “And that’s when the rate of violent crime really fell off a cliff,” she stated, suggesting a connection between the reduction of lead exposure and the decline in crime rates.

While Fraser acknowledges that multiple factors contributed to the decrease in violent crime, she argues that lead exposure likely played a crucial role. Research consistently shows that exposure to lead can lead to long-term psychological and behavioral issues. “Study after study shows that the more lead you are exposed to, the higher your rate of all kinds of difficulties, including psychopathology, become later in your life,” she explained.

One of the most notorious figures from this period, Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, provides a chilling example of the potential impact of pollution. Ridgway, who pleaded guilty to 48 counts of first-degree aggravated murder, had significant lead exposure from various sources, including his proximity to the Tacoma smelter and living near busy highways where leaded petrol was in use.

Fraser also points to the broader implications of corporate negligence during this time. “By the 1970s, the guys that are running these smelters have spent decade upon decade lying to the public,” she said. Despite evidence of environmental harm, these companies maintained that their emissions were harmless, paralleling the deceptive behaviors of the serial killers they inadvertently produced.

The legacy of lead pollution continues to affect communities across the United States and beyond. Fraser warns, “We still have leaded pipes, lead paint, lead in our soil. There are lots of cities in this country and around the world that have pockets of really severe lead pollution left over from that era.” As awareness of these dangerous pollutants grows, so too does the responsibility to address their lasting impact on public health and safety.

Fraser’s Murderland sheds light on the complex interplay between environmental factors and violent crime, prompting a re-evaluation of historical narratives surrounding both pollution and criminal behavior. The alarming connections she uncovers serve as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of industrial pollution and the need for continued vigilance in protecting public health.