Toxic Vernacular documents repeated journeys to small towns and flowing waters in the Pittsburgh region. Using cloth, photography, and mock postcards, this project collects and reflects upon the degradation of Pittsburgh area rivers and streams.

In a backyard in Petrolia, beyond the shade of an apple tree, loom the stacks of the Crompton Corporation Petrolia plant. Downstream is the Bruin Lagoon,designated as number 3 on the EPA's list of most hazardous waste sites in the U.S. From Nine Mile Run to Chartiers Creek, from the Allegheny to the Ohio rivers, the waters displace the silt, sewage, and industrial wastes from our backyards. It's everyday. It's ordinary. It's our toxic vernacular.

Toxic Vernacular is a collaboration with artist Ann Rosenthal and landscape architect Suzy Meyer. It was one of seven artist projects for the 2001 exhibition, "Unbound Ground," held at the Brew House Space 101 in Pittsburgh in conjunction with the Women Assessing the State of the Environment (WASTE) Summit and the Bridging the Binaries Symposium. In March 2002 Toxic Vernacular was exhibited at Lycoming College Gallery in Williamsport, PA.