Ithaca Gun is slated to be demolished by the beginning of September. The big question is, however, will all pollutants be removed prior to taking down the building? The demolition of a toxic building without entirely removing all enclosed pollutants poses a severe risk to the public health and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Ithaca Gun Company's former site has been the subject of much controversy as all groups involved have resisted taking responsibility for a potentially expensive cleanup after investigators uncovered lead contamination there. A group of Ithaca residents responded in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protesting the current settlement for the factory's cleanup.

Tom Harrington's backyard in Queensbury, N.Y., looks much as it used to, except for a few telltale signs: the maple tree is smaller, the swing set is in a different place, and the lawn has strange lines running through it, like a bad hair implant.