2007 TXDOT leases TX Pacific Rail line to Grupo Mexico

"TEXAS PACIFICO RAIL LINE Project Sponsors: Texas DOT and Grupo México
...Project Description: ....The rail line is 400 miles long, running
between Forth Worth to the border of Mexico, at Presidio, where it
connects to Ferromex railroad in Mexico. TexasDOT purchased the rail
line in 2001, acquiring all rights, titles, and interests in the rail
line. The
rail line was leased and is currently operated by Grupo México."
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/freightfinancing/freightfinancing.pdf
[from 2007]

April 23 2009: Harbinger sells CALPINE common stock (20 million shares)

"April 23, 2009 4:40 PM EDT
Calpine Corporation (NYSE: CPN) announced today that Harbinger Capital
Partners Master Fund I, Ltd. has agreed to sell 20,000,000 shares of the
company's common stock in a registered public secondary offering."
http://www.streetinsider.com/Equity+Offerings/Calpine+(CPN)+Said+Holder+Harbinger+Capital+To+Sell+20M+Shares/4584876.html

20090515 "Pensiongate"

"By the way, how come the unions are not outraged by the looting of
members' pension funds by Carlyle, Morris, Rattner and the other bums? "
http://truenewsfromchangenyc.blogspot.com/2009/05/carlyle-lies-nobody-listens-gets-away.html
<cid:part1.08090006.01010502@gmail.com>

..."An affiliate of Harbinger Capital Partners won court permission on Tuesday..."

Google Web Alert for: asarco

Harbinger Competes for Asarco in Bankruptcy Court DealBook Blog ... "An affiliate of Harbinger Capital Partners won court permission on Tuesday to try to reorganize the bankrupt copper miner Asarco making the hedge fund ..."

Still as of old men....

"Still as of old men
by themselves are priced -
for 30 pieces Judas sold
himself, not Christ."
- Hester H. Cholmondeley (19th Century)

May 26'th hearing ASARCO bankruptcy court

Grupo Mexico: proposed Asarco reorganization debt load concerns S&P "Mineweb - London,England,UK S&P is afraid the $1.3 billion-plus offer of Grupo Mexico and Americas Mining Corp. to reorganize Asarco could have a significant near-term effect on the ..." Google News Alert for: asarco

"...On May 15^th, AMC proposed to contribute $1.3 billion to fund the Asarco asbestos trust to be established under the proposed reorganization plan. The company also committed to an additional $250 million contribution in a year in return for new equity interests to be issued for the reorganized Asarco. ....
A hearing is scheduled before a Texas federal bankruptcy court on May 26^th to consider both AMC's offer and  the Sterlite Industries offer to fund Asarco's reorganization by buying Asarco's assets for $1.1 billion in cash and a $600 million nine-year noninterest-bearing promissory note...."

?Our new EPA?

"Following the news that EPA would let 42 mountaintop mining operations proceed in Appalachia, protesters took to three West Virginia mining sites on Saturday, chaining themselves to giant coal trucks, draping a sign on a coal sludge pond, and taking a public stand against a practice that is threatening their homes and devastating their mountains."

"“They left a banner on top of 7 billion gallons of toxic waste and they got charged with littering,” Noerpel said."

http://solveclimate.com/blog/20090524/17-arrested-west-virginia-protesting-mountaintop-mining

NYTimes now in debt to Carlos Slim and Harbinger has two seats on its board....

"Harbinger acquired its stake in the NYTimes in 2007. Since then, the $500 million investment has lost more than three quarters of its value. Harbinger has two seats on the Times board of directors."..."The Times' $1 billion-plus in debt forced it to take a loan from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim worth $250 million earlier this year.[2009] The Times paid $4.5 million up front to borrow the money and will pay 14% interest." http://www.thewrap.com/article/fortune-geffen-almost-had-his-hands-new-york-times)

Google Alert "Harbinger seeks to make offer for bankrupt Asarco"

Harbinger seeks to make offer for bankrupt Asarco "Reuters - USA By Emily Chasan NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters) - Harbinger Capital, one of Asarco LLC's largest bondholders, is seeking to offer its own $500 million ..."

SWISS BANK ASARCO AG

Why does "Asarco Inc." show up as part of a SWISS BANK called Asarco AG?

"Asarco AG
Usteristrasse 11
8001 Zürich
Lageplan | Nachbarschaft

Status:
aktiv
Rechtsform:
Aktiengesellschaft
Kapital:
CHF 100'000

Übersicht
Eintrag ins Handelsregister:
30.09.1988
Rechtssitz der Firma:
Zürich (ZH)

Übersetzungen des Firmennamen
Asarco Inc.
Asarco SA

Asarco AG Usteristrasse 11 8001 Zurich Layout plan | Neighbourhood Status: actively Legal form: Corporation Principal one: CHF 100' 000 Overview Entry in the Register of Companies: 30.09.1988 Right seat of the company: Zurich (ZH) Translations ["other"] company names of the Asarco Inc. Asarco SA"
http://www.moneyhouse.ch/u/asarco_ag_CH-020.3.901.838-1.htm

ALSO:

"Company    Asarco AG
Translation    Asarco Inc.
    Asarco SA
CH NUMBER    CH02039018381
ADDRESS    Usteristrasse 11 8001 Zurich
Company state    Active
Legally form    Joint stick company
Capital    CHF 100 ' 000
PUR-float    Financial transactions of all kinds, switching and execution of financings, practice of trust functions and thus coherent services as well as execution of consultation and expert's assessments; can take part in other enterprises as well as properties, patents, rights and licenses acquire, hold and sell.
This company into the commercial registers    Show (on-line CR summary)
Commercial register in load    RC OF the CAN clay/tone Zurich


Climb    DATE    Category    Publication
26    4.9.2006    Commercial register
Mutation    Asarco AG, in Zurich, CH-020.3.901.838-1, financial transactions, corporation (T/plate No. 167 from 31. 08. the 1998, P. 5999).
New ADDRESS: Usteristrasse 11, 8001 Zurich.
Issue No. of 23523 OF 29.08.2006 (3532938/CH02039018381)
SOGC publication (pdf file)
100    31.8.1998    Commercial register
Mutation    Asarco AG, in Zurich, financial transactions, corporation (T/plate No. 141 from 25. 07. the 1997, P. 5311).
People deleted or signatures revoked: Beltracchi, Angela, of Basel, in upper confining rings, member, with single signature.
Peoples registration new or modified: Haberthür, Urs, of width brook, in upper confining rings, member, with single signature."

http://www.edoceo.ch/en/asarco_ag_CH02039018381.aspx

property is held in trust by Swiss company Asarco AG

Lender asserts claim on lakefront mansion Crain's Chicago Business - Chicago,IL,USA "The property is held in trust by Swiss company Asarco AG, which Mr. Mikhail controls, according to the complaint and public records. ..."

---

"....A Caribbean investment company has sued to collect on a $12-million loan to a little-known investor, asking the court to put a lien on a lakefront mansion in Highland Park. Foreign investor Mikhail Katamanin took out the short-term loan in March 2008 from Plymouth Consultants Ltd., which is based in the British Virgin Islands, ...The property is held in trust by Swiss company Asarco A.G., which Mr. Mikhail controls.... Northbrook lawyer Irving Drobny, who represents Asarco, is out of the country until next week....."

Iron Triangle: Carlyle Group Exposed (first 2 minutes in Dutch, rest in English)

TCEQ begs the question of the secret toxic waste

To:  Michael Chamberlain, TCEQ Legal Assistant
Fr:  Heather McMurray

If the TCEQ is "required to produce portions of documents that do not fall under an exemption even if other portions of the document fall under an exemption."  then why hasn't TCEQ done so?  

The TCEQ's actions appear as a deliberate evasion of open-government and access to the information I requested.  You have completely ignored my request, when I stated: "However, this time you and/or he QUALIFIED that statement by adding the words  "IN HIS POSSESSION".   Please tell me in whose possession this data is in, if not in his [Mr. Brad Wilkinson's] possession."  

My only conclusion can be that the TCEQ does not want the Paso del Norte Community to know what poisons have been left here from what the EPA/DOJ 1998 confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only-document told us was deliberate incineration of unmanifested toxic-wastes for profit over years.

"I continue to point out that it is inherently incredulous that Mr. Wilkinson claims he has no communications (email, phone, electronic-mail from the phone, correspondence) about mercury (or strontium or the other chemicals I listed).   However, this time you and/or he QUALIFIED that statement by adding the words  "IN HIS POSSESSION".   Please tell me in whose possession this data is in, if not in his possession.  It is inherently impossible for the TCEQ primary remediation contact to have no communications on record regarding these contaminates of concern."

"It is inherently incredulous that the main contact (B. Wilkinson) for all ASARCO El Paso remediation work for the last decade has no emails, wireless or otherwise (or phone logs, or correspondence) responsive to my request.  This is bordering on a deliberate withholding of information from the public.

In regards to having to submit a request for documents through the TCEQ public information - I had already done this, and these email communications were a result of Mr. Wilkinson refusing to admit he has any information responsive to my request.   Please note that I stated "If any of the information cannot be released to me in whole or in part because of confidentiality, please list those documents in question."  The latter was not done.

You will note the following records request.  Your offices have consistently failed to reply to my message stating that it is impossible for Mr. Wilkinson to not have Asarco El Paso Mercury data (for example) from the TCEQ when the TCEQ itself has sent me ASARCO mercury data.  There is no one else who oversees the remediation at the TCEQ.  He is the sole contact."

Toxic Hudson River Sediment Could Poison Texas Aquifer

And what do they do with the Toxic Rio Grande Sediment containing only gods-know-what from the old ASARCO Plant site?  Can we ship it to New York State for disposal?

Google News Alert for: toxic waste

"Toxic Hudson River Sediment Could Poison Texas Aquifer Environment News Service - USA The train cars will have plastic covers that would do nothing to hold the toxic waste in the event of a derailment. These train cars should be properly ... PCBs leaked from the GE Hudson Falls Plant site into the Hudson River (Photo courtesy U.S. EPA)"

Public comments IGNORED by both the DOJ, TCEQ and EPA in their public response to Asarco El Paso bankruptcy FRAUD statement

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Public comments IGNORED by both the DOJ, TCEQ and EPA in their public response to Asarco El Paso bankruptcy FRAUD statement
Date:	Mon, 18 May 2009 13:31:01 -0600
To:	Lorinda Gardner <LGARDNER@tceq.state.tx.us>, "pubcomment- ees.enrd"[AT]usdoj.gov, tonia.fleetwood[AT]usdoj.gov, AskDOJ[AT]usdoj.gov, jackson.lisa[AT]epa.gov, jackson.lisap[AT]epa.gov, AskDOJ[AT]usdoj.gov, pubcomment-ees.enrd[AT]usdoj.gov, Peter.Ambler[AT]mail.house.gov, eliot.shapleigh[AT]senate.state.tx.us

To: TCEQ, EPA and DOJ
Fr:  Heather McMurray
cc/bc: Concerned parties, including media and the IBWC
sb: Public comments IGNORED by both the DOJ, TCEQ and EPA in their public response to Asarco El Paso bankruptcy FRAUD statement

The Federal Department of Justice "update" to the official response to public comments concerning the ASARCO EL PASO BANKRUPTCY is excerpted below.   The link is at the bottom of this email.   The list of comments received mentions 1738 timely comments and 25 transcribed comments.    The table below and the document does not mention ANY of the concerns that I expressed.

I would like to know why.

I know from the transcribed-public-comments session that no one raised the concerns that I gave; and, that I said AT THAT SESSION that the concerned citizens of Sunland Park (Sunland Park Grassroots environmental Group/SPGEG) are tired of not having their questions answered.

In my opinion, this ongoing silence regarding the SPGEG's letter to the Governor -- handed in person to him twice over 2 years (and to the U.S. DOJ Bankruptcy Trustee) and the absence of ANY RESPONSE to these questions shows that the EPA, the TCEQ and the DOJ are failing to address the evidence in these documents.

That the EPA, the DOJ and the TCEQ have failed to mention or address the concerns in my public-comments; that they have failed to mention or address the concerns expressed by Bill Guerra Addington regarding content of the formerly confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only EPA/DOJ 1998 document and what happened at ASARCO EL PASO TEXAS; and that they have failed to do so despite multiple opportunities when they received these concerns and could have replied to these is significant.

We in the Paso del Norte Region (El Paso TX, the community of old Anapra Mexico and the residents living in Sunland Park NM) want honest answers from our government.

We are tired of the continued cover-up.

We are tired of the inability of our government to give honest answers while:

• Grupo Mexico (Ferromex/UP) (owned 20% by Carlyle Group) bids on a 45 year freight rail contract to operate and carry freight from the new Punta Colonet Baja-Mexico-seaport along northern Mexico up through the new international city of San Jeronimo/Santa Teresa, within a 15 mile-radius of the ASARCO EL PASO illegal/secret toxic-waste stacks WITHOUT DECLARING THE ILLEGAL AND STILL-SECRET TOXIC WASTE. 
• EPA/TCEQ have known for some time that Asarco contaminated the international Hueco Bolson and the Rio Grande (and, a huge desalinization-plant has since been built on Fort Bliss property for the City of El Paso to remove 99% of the contaminants from the Hueco Bolson waters) yet they are only now telling the public.  
• The IBWC workers remain sick from working right next to the old ASARCO EL PASO smelter stacks, while the OIG from our STATE DEPARTMENT (3/05) agreed that they were sick and that they couldn't get independent medical review in our region; and, while the IBWC has consistently been asking for help for the ASARCO contamination and the cracking-old American canal (build over 70 years ago after International-Treaty at American dam to separate Mexico from American waters) since 2001 -- eight long years ago.

Our government, as the CNN video on ASARCO EL PASO aptly said, is "broken government"; and we respectfully ask those within the new Presidential Administration to pay attention to our plight down here; and, begin to make things right.

[see page 33 and 34 of document linked below for the table that is mentioned]

You are subscribed to receive updates from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding the ASARCO site in El Paso, TX. 

We have added the Department of Justice's responses to public comments regarding the El Paso settlement as well as other environmental settlements under consideration by the bankruptcy court. To go directly to that 74 page document, click here.

To go directly to the ASARCO webpage,  click here.

May 15'th Grupo Mexico files offer with Bankruptcy Court for Asarco...

"NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - A Grupo Mexico SAB de CV(GMEXICOB.MX) unit
on Friday formalized its $1.55 billion offer for bankrupt U.S. copper
miner Asarco LLC by filing its own proposal for Asarco's reorganization
in a Texas court.... is competing against a $1.7 billion offer from
India's Sterlite Industries (STRL.BO).... Grupo Mexico said it is
offering $1.3 billion in cash and a $250 million fully committed loan to
regain control of Asarco. Sterlite's offer is for $1.1 billion in cash
and and about $600 million of senior secured notes, payable over nine
years."
http://www.reuters.com/article/bankruptcyNews/idUSN1530360420090515
<cid:part1.09020807.02040207@gmail.com>

Poisoned by dumping

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8049964.stm

oil residues from shortcutting refining methods

Henry, singing "Just say No to ASARCO"

Trafigura says that it never happened

Papers prove Trafigura ship dumped toxic waste in Ivory Coast
guardian.co.uk - UK
Documents have emerged which detail for the first time the potentially lethal nature of toxic waste dumped by British-based oil traders in one of west ...
See all stories on this topic

Chicontepec oil project

"Mexican energy giant Pemex has delayed a 170-well tender for the Chicontepec oil project citing technical reasons.

Baker Hughes submitted the lowest bid earlier this year on a contract for the drilling and 170 wells on the Chicontepc paleocanyon, in a region overlapping both Veracruz and Puebla states.

Industry sources said Baker Hughes bid $160.7 million, just ahead of Mexico's Zapata drilling outfit, with $160.9 million, while US giant Halliburton was in third place with $170 million."

Mexico delays Chicontepec bids