The last few months, I've started to really notice how shit the quality of most buildings and infrastructure is in the US. I know a lot of people in the construction industry and grew up in it, and it's really just amazing how everything is built to maximize short term appearance and minimize cost. EVERYTHING, even ostensibly "luxury" housing, is built this way. I used to live an apartment building that was only a few years old but when you looked at the details you could already see the thing was falling apart. I've seen roads get resurfaced only to see a bunch of cracks and pot holes show up the next winter.

So as America enters terminal decline, I fully expect the buildings and infrastructure around us is just gonna fall apart and look hideous. Especially the suburbs. I feel like most suburbs are held together with paper mache and veneer. And of course Americans will deny it's happening and pretend it's totally fine.

    • Kodokushi [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Can confirm. Work for one of the largest HazMat/Enviromental remediation companies in the US. A lot of our bigger sites are dormant because it’s not profitable to proceed with remediation if the at-fault party contests.

      Also- most insurance companies have creative clauses in their policies that make it impossible for spills/contaminated areas to be 100% covered. As a consequence, the state has the obligation to mitigate but corners are cut everywhere because Environmental Services are usually some of the least funded departments in state budgets. Cleanup Funds are also finite and once the fiscal year’s coffers run dry, some projects are either completely abandoned or postponed until the fund is refilled.

        • Kodokushi [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Currently working on a couple of PFAS sites in NH. The sites are directly tied to St. Gobain Plastics. Due to outrage, the state passed tough legislation that lowered allowable ppb levels in soil. Guess who is now suing the state?