Scroll to end: click web view. Heather Mcmurray 's work exposing the poisoning of 1000 square miles around El Paso by Asarco smelter through what the EPA & US DOJ said was illegal burning of illegal hazardous/radioactive wastes 1991 to 1998. We have never been told what actinides are present from illegal Asarco actions(see 73 page 1998 conf. for settlement purposes only DOJ EPA Asarco doc,10/06 nytimes) see "Asarco secret document"
Please donate (see sidebar) to help recoup costs of the work to uncover and blog the information contained here"THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING"
Friday, August 10, 2007
Flushing away our future: wastewater putting frogs on endangered list
Asarco Creditors File Suit Execs
Asarco Creditors File Suit Execs
Associated Press 08.09.07, 6:09 PM ET
WASHINGTON -
Creditors of mining company Asarco LLC have sued 13 insiders of parent Grupo Mexico, including its chief executive....
The creditors are seeking at least $100 million in damages plus additional punitive damages. They're accusing the executives of breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and unjust enrichment, among other charges.
The lawsuit names 13 officials - 12 Mexicans and one Arizona resident - who led Asarco after its acquisition by Grupo Mexico in 1999 [Asarco burned the illegal toxic waste in El Paso until at least 1998]. The group consists of several top Grupo Mexico officials, including the mining company's chief executive, German Larrea Mota-Velasco, who was also Asarco's chief executive....."
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/09/ap4006174.html
Utah Miners
miners may be alive. The rescuers don't know yet, as there hasn't been
sound from the trapped miners. Many prayers for the miners and their
families. It is good news that they have tried so hard to reach them.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Asarco Bankruptcy decision delayed until November 12, 2007
Asarco extension to file reorganization plan
Published on Friday, August 03, 2007
Bankrupt copper miner Asarco has been given an extension until Nov. 12 to finish resolving environmental issues dating back to 1983 and file a reorganization plan.
"The extension of exclusivity will allow Asarco time to complete its remaining restructuring efforts and continue what has thus far been constructive discussions with its constituent groups about various alternatives for emergence from Chapter 11," Joseph Lapinsky, CEO of Asarco, said in a statement.
Asarco is headquartered at 1150 N. Seventh Ave. It filed for bankruptcy protection in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2005.
http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2007/08/03/news/breaking_news/doc46b38bfad3a7a676122560.txt
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Pearson Forum morning of Aug-4: Superintent Garcia, EPISD
The Ray Pearson Forum
7th Annual El Paso Pride Environmental Summit
7th Annual
Ysleta Cultural Center
[Grace is with the TCEQ....h.m.]
Asarco investors appeal judge's ruling
Arizona Daily Star
Saying they hold two-thirds of unsecured bonds and debentures issued by Asarco, Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund I and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. also are appealing rulings by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Richard Schmidt preventing them from conducting financial research without signing a confidentiality agreement they said was too restrictive.
A trial is set for September to estimate the amount of asbestos claims that pushed Asarco into bankruptcy.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/194583
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
El Paso ASARCO: a Model for how Industry can shed environmental liabilities
In the 1990's all companies were suppose to be honest and declare on their tax books what evironmental liabilities (clean up costs, hazardous waste dumps etc) they had. Many didn't. It is a huge criminal liability and a huge problem for many corporations.
Asarco made a secret agreement in 1998 with our government in the Department of Justice to hide its decade of sham recycling/the burning of toxic wastes -- many from military sites--- that poisoned Mexico and New Mexico, mostly poor mexican-american peoples. It contaminated our water and an international aquifer. They are still hiding stuff.
Asarco did not declare (and has not declared to this day) its environmental liabilities. The TCEQ and EPA are compromised. Our government in the highest offices are allowing Asarco to dump these toxic costs.
Asarco was bought by Grupo Mexico (the Carlyle group) and also Glencore -- see: Metal Men: Marc Rich and the 10 Billion Dollar Scam, by A. Craig Copetas... also, see http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122,00.html Grupo Mexico owns over half the freight railroad right-of-way in Mexico.
You and me the taxpayers are getting taken. We not only are getting the toxic waste dumped on us, but are being asked to take on the debt to deal with the mess.
The Border region is getting dumped on, violating the La Paz accord (agreement) between nations. People have been exposed to terrible toxic waste and not told what it is.
The above is the story of the Anapra, Mexico; Anapra and Sunland Park New Mexico people. And no maneuvering or dodging from the responsible parties can change the irrevocable facts of how it happened and what Asarco and our regulatory officials did.
My thanks to the Sunland Park Environmental Group for this information
Monday, July 30, 2007
ROBSTOWN US ECOLOGY --- WHERE ASARCO EL PASO SENT ITS POND DIRT LAST YEAR !!!!
http://www.americanecology.com/downloads/robstown_forms/USET_Audit_Handbook.pdf
Ask what NORM WASTE is!!!!!
(hint: google "NORM WASTE")
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Downtown Bridge Blues by Sito Negron// link to the EPgtlo blog
If these are the east-west rail lines that are serviced by the crossings (mentioned by Rep. Reyes below) then this issue has something in common with ASARCO.
The rail lines run right through the ASARCO site and over the toxic land. ASARCO is owned by Grupo Mexico (an investor is CARLYLE GROUP), who owns 1/2 the freight right-of-way in Mexico. ASARCO sits in Railroad district 8, whose headquarters is in MIDLAND TEXAS, home of the Bush Family who are principle investors in the CARLYLE group. All the nuclear dump sites proposed in the last 16 years here, were sited in Railroad District 8..... the sludge dumps -- here.... the toxic burning at ASARCO... here. Everyone made money on burning and dumping waste here. Now we have the Andrews County (railroad district 8) nuclear dump; they are reopening the MERCO sludge dump; they want to restart the toxic-waste-burning ASARCO ConTop furnaces. And, the federal government is putting money into making our downtown rail crossing safer. DO YOU FEEL SAFER YET?????
DO YOU THINK THAT REP.REYES REALLY WILL PUSH THE GAO TO INVESTIGATE THE TOXIC WASTE AT THE ASARCO SITE WHEN THIS ALSO IMPACTS RAILROAD DISTRICT 8 rail lines?
Downtown Bridge Blues by Sito Negron
"The merchants who already were upset about the work being done at the city’s international bridges are fairly apoplectic about a proposal to raise bridge fees. And the upcoming move to shift pedestrians from the current El Paso Street entrance to temporary inspection that will empty to Oregon isn’'t helping the mood. The International Bridge Commission will discuss the issue next week. ....
Posted on July 13, 2007
The federal project is overseen by the General Services Administration, and involves the Department of Homeland Security because of the inspection issues involved at the international border.
“The construction will be inconvenient and I understand the frustration of business owners in the
area,” said Congressman Silvestre Reyes. “I encourage
customers to continue visiting the affected businesses
during the construction period. The safety of our railroad crossings, though, is extremely important, and the long-term public safety benefits of this construction will serve our entire community.”"
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Onslaught of Pro-Asarco News begins ...
July 26:
Reclaman en El Paso gasto por campaña vs Asarco
July 21:
Asarco: ‘¿El texto como pretexto?’
July 20:
Generaría Asarco 21 mdd en impuestos: informe
July 19:
Emitió el incendio en basurero 44 ton de contaminantes
Apertura bajaría impuestos a la propiedad: regidor paseño
July 18:
Calculan impacto de reapertura en 1,000 mdd al año
Amenazan con tomar las instalaciones de la planta
Acuerda Cabildo de EP contratar empresa para aclarar desinformación
July 17:
Cartas: opina sobre Asarco
Sin pruebas, impacto ambiental
Protección al ambiente, el argumento
July 16:
Asarco... lucha de intereses
Quién es el Grupo México
Sepulta modernización a una vieja planta
Crece el frente opositor
Historia de Asarco
Proceso de la compañía por obtener el permiso de emisiones número 20345 ante la TCEQ
Eximen estudios a la fundidora
Verdad sin prejuicios
see http://www.diario.com.mx/search.php
(for online translation, to get the gist of the articles for English-only-readers, please go to:
http://world.altavista.com/
Number of environmental cops decreasing
http://www.onelocalnews.com/duntonsprings/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=137607
Staff and agencies
26 July, 2007
By RITA BEAMISH, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes ago
Fewer U.S. environmental cops are tracking criminal polluters these days, their numbers steadily dropping below levels ordered by Congress. They are pursuing fewer environmental crimes in a strategy by the Bush administration to target bigger polluters.
An internal memorandum from one of the agency‘s top lawyers, obtained by The Associated Press, said the EPA is violating the U.S. Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990, which requires the agency to employ at least 200 criminal investigators.
In the legal memo, criminal office counsel Michael Fisher said Congress intended to increase criminal prosecutions under pollution laws by setting minimum staffing levels. Fisher wrote the memo to Assistant Administrator Granta Nakayama. Fisher did not return telephone calls and e-mails from The Associated Press over two days.
Schaeffer heads an advocacy group, Environmental Integrity Project, that compared five-year averages of the Bush and Clinton administrations and found a significant decrease in the numbers of criminal pollution investigations and civil lawsuits and the amounts of fines assessed under President Bush.
Ant Bait (a Parable about toxic waste)
Once upon a time there were many tiny ants that were hungry and looking for food. They were very busy and were looking in so many places that the housewife put out peanut butter, with sugar in it, and boric acid. The ants didn't know that the poison was there: it kept the ants busy, working hard.
The ants were so excited that they swarmed the peanut butter. More and more ants came, and slowly took the food away.
And the hidden poison in the peanut butter and sugars that the ants couldn't taste, eventually killed them.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
WHAT ABOUT THE TOXIC WASTES (NO ONE HAS TESTED FOR THE TOXIC WASTES)
(web page translated by Babelfish)
It restrains to Asarco the interests | |
| |
Gabriela Minjares | |
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Just a Little Rain
by Malvina Reynolds
Just a little rain falling all around
The grass lifts its head to the heavenly sound
Just a little rain, just a little rain
What have they done to the rain?
Just a little boy standing in the rain
The gentle rain that falls for years
And the grass is gone and the boy disappears
And the rain keeps falling like helpless tears
And what have they done to the rain?
Just a little breeze out of the sky
The leaves nod their heads as the breeze blows by
Just a little breeze with some smoke in its eye
And what have they done to the rain?
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Mr. Edmund Archuleta El Paso Water Utilities -- on water reuse, including stormwater [which means treating that stormwater to remove bad things so that it can be reused]
"My utility in
" WaterReuse members use advanced treatment processes and monitoring to produce water of sufficient quality for the intended purpose from treated municipal and industrial effluent, storm water, agricultural drainage, and sources with high salinity such as seawater and brackish water. "
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Testimony&Hearing_ID=1508&Witness_ID=2828
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Annual Report;City of El Paso and TxDOT El Paso District -- TPDES Permit No. WQ0004527000 March 26, 2007
"BMP A4-5: Use Retention Basins for Storm Water Treatment-- Currently, 271 storm water retention basins are in place throughout the City to accept and retain storm water run-off for flood control. Twelve small retention basins were incorporated into the City through new development during the 2006 reporting period." (these become mini-toxic-waste-dumps with wind and run-off deposition accumulating among other things, Asarco's ENCYCLE wastes)
http://www.elpasotexas.gov/environmental_services/_stormwater/2006%20Annual%20Report.pdf
"...the City immediately re-prioritized capital projects and was able to utilize the general operating fund to initiate the redesign and reconstruction. Additionally, the City Manager has recommended to Council the creation of a Stormwater Management & Utility District, under the possible auspices of the El Paso Water Utilities to fund such future infrastructure needs."
https://www.elpasotexas.gov/omb/_documents/fy2007_budget/BUDGET_BOOK_2007.pdf