Toxics Targeting Services

ITHACA — Walter Hang has made his enormous database of toxic-site maps available for free online.

The Ithaca business owner and outspoken environmental activist makes his living compiling environmental database records from local, state and federal agencies and creating maps that show potential property buyers where pollution has been found.

“Even though the vast majority of my clients are engineers and environmental consultants, I started this company to help people who are buying homes,” Hang said.

Property owners, businesses, residents, city governments and even corporations are in for a big surprise. Toxics Targeting, Inc., an environmental data firm based in Ithaca, announced it has developed a free Internet map web site that illustrates the exact locations of more than 270,000 reported toxic dumps, leaking tanks, pollution discharges, and other known or potential environmental dangers and hazards across New York State.

Toxics Targeting is one of New York's best kept secrets. A firm devoted to making government data accessible to everyone, it focuses on mapping the sits of spills, leaking underground oil tanks and other environmental problems, both small and large.

The maps give residents -- and also, critically, home buyers about to invest their life savings in a property -- information they need to make wise choices, to address lingering pollution issues, and to hold government and industry to account for fouling the environment and threatening human health.
toxic site map

ALBANY -- State environmental and health officials are looking into at least 24 sites in the Capital Region, where toxic vapors may be rising from underground pollutants previously considered contained. "Vapor intrusion" may be exposing people -- outdoors and indoors -- to carcinogens.