They've given credibility to grass-roots environmental efforts. By testifying before a Senate committee, they helped get federal Superfund legislation passed in 1980, which provides money for cleaning up toxic spills and abandoned hazardous-waste sites and gives authority to the Environmental Protection Agency to go after corporations responsible for pollution. And Massachusetts now has the kind of cancer registry that would have helped Young and Anderson when they first went looking for data. Still, this is a story that doesn't have a happy ending. Families suffered and continue to suffer over their loss.
Water quality is still an issue.
In fact, Young notes that the city of Woburn was never held liable for putting the two contaminated wells on line in the first place, and now, he says, south Woburn citizens are complaining about their water. Young's own public stand on this issue did not come without personal and communal cost. After spending a little time with Young, one senses how 33 years of ministry in Woburn have both filled and emptied him. There was great concern about the image of the community regarding things like economic development and property values, and Bruce took on a portion of that harshness. And, in all honesty, his ministry on this question created a divided house in his parish, especially if you count things like financial contributions and attendance.