WA+landslide

The recent landslide in Washington has caused a lot of damage and resulted in many people dying or being trapped beneath the slide. Now they are saying there are no signs of life beneath the slide, which is partially made up of sewage, propane, household solvents and chemicals. The damage is likely to leave the site a "hazardous materials site for many years" according to a fire department spokesperson. In an article about the slide they discuss whether or not people should have been allowed to build their homes there, given the known risk for landslides and the expectation of a catastrophic event. I don't know how much human impact had an affect on the likeliness of the slide; because of the presence of toxic sludge it is apparent that the ground had been altered due to human inhabitation. While the article did not make it clear whether this caused the slide, it is clear that the presence of toxic sludge will make the site uninhabitable by humans and animals for years to come.