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"THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING"
--Burke

Friday, July 9, 2010

University of Arizona research should declare conflicts of interest $$ concerning ASARCO involvement

UA first to study contaminants in dust and water
"KVOA Tucson News
KVOA contacted Asarco, the leading mining company based in Tucson, for reaction. A spokesperson says, "Asarco share's the study objective of minimizing ..."



ASARCO and Univ. of Arizona research on dust contamination

July 8 2010 KTSM News Channel 9 ASARCO EL Paso water contamination


"Asarco's Contamination
KTSM News Channel 9
By Phillip Mena - Multimedia Journalist EL PASO, TX - As the debate continues over what to do with Asarco, Dr. Philip Goodell wants people to understand ..."

ASARCO water contamination

"Sham Recycling Creates Sham Decision?
 
The TCEQ Executive Director's Asarco Air Permit Renewal decision ignores
hidden contamination in international waters, soils and air from secret
burning of toxic waste; What are elected officials, TCEQ and EPA
concealing?


    EL PASO, Texas, May 8 [2007]/PRNewswire/ -- Representative Reyes and the GAO
 fail to investigate the specific incident that involved Asarco - instead,
 "will focus on the overall procedures and processes that DOD follows for
 disposing of hazardous waste that is created by military facilities and how
 the transport and disposal of this type of waste by the contractors is
 monitored and tracked."
     At the base of the Asarco smelter, the International Boundary and Water
 Commission's (IBWC) American Dam diverts Rio Grande River water to over 70
 miles of public drinking supply and irrigation canals. American Dam
 employees are sick, and the State Department Office of the Inspector
 General (OIG) recommended bringing in expert independent medical review.
     The first canal travels along the Asarco ore handling staging area and
 chemical ponds. Representative Reyes' office calls the 9-04-06 Asarco levee
 collapse, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of poisons into this
 drinking water, a "minor incident." El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) reports
 showed elevated poisons at the Canal Street station after the event. The
 EPWU Canal St. plant pumps water up the Franklin Mt. and distributes it
 throughout El Paso.
     IBWC data shows leakage of 24 million dollars worth of Asarco
 groundwater contamination into the canal, near where Asarco Hydrometrics
 consultants found groundwater arsenic levels at 35,000 times the legal
 limit. Alluvial sediment beneath the Rio Grande is filled with faultlines
 above the international Hueco Bolson aquifer.
     EPA Water officials cannot find any data for Rio Grande water tests at
 the smelter meant to confirm EPA data taken five years earlier, even though
 EPA mentioned the testing on public radio.
     Asarco is sending poisons from the bottom of its ponds to TX US
 Ecology, the company that also manages Hanford Reservation Nuclear Waste in
 Washington State. A complete chemical analysis of these poisons has not
 been made available despite requests.
     The El Paso GTLO, SPEG (Sunland Park Environmental Group), El Paso
 Sierra Club members and concerned groups want the Asarco Contamination
 exposed, the responsible officials to "step down," and correct clean-up to
 begin."

ASARCO El PASO to auction off assets without testing for or declaring the secret toxic-wastes used on that site

"By Phillip Mena - Multimedia Journalist
Friday, July 9, 2010 - 9:43am

EL PASO, TX - Roberto Puga, the man who will oversee the cleanup and eventual sale of the Asarco property will be in El Paso today to meet with an auctioneer company about the sale of Asarco's assets. 

Walter Parker Auctioneer Inc.  is the company picked to auction off Asarco's assets beginning August 2."

http://www.ktsm.com/news/asarcos-assets-to-be-auctioned

Thursday, July 8, 2010

July 2010 ASARCO restructuring of Asarco LLC CAPCO Pipe Company (asbestos)

Google Alert:

HPCwire HPC Market Watch
ASARCO BANKRUPTCY NEWS tracks the restructuring of Asarco LLC CAPCO Pipe Company Inc ... ASARCO BANKRUPTCY NEWS is distributed to paying subscribers by ...
markets.hpcwire.com/taborcomm.hpcwire/?GUID...Page...

Monday, July 5, 2010

Why is there an ASARCO Swiss bank (Asarco inc., Asarco S.A.)?

Why on earth is there an ASARCO Swiss bank ("ASARCO A.G."associated with
Asarco inc and Asarco S.A.).

(search inside this blog for "Asarco A.G.")

Sunday, July 4, 2010

20050408 Banks backing Noble corp.- deep ocean oil drilling that has platform now renting to Mexico.... and UBS LOAN FINANCE LLC --- 26 Banks, total....

About the time that Grupo Mexico's ASARCO declared bankruptcy, and went from an "Inc." to an "llc.":

20050408 Banks backing Noble corp.- deep ocean oil drilling that has platform now renting to Mexico.... and UBS LOAN FINANCE LLC --- 26 Banks, total....

"EXECUTION COPY CREDIT AGREEMENTParties: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | BANK OF NEW YORK | BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI, LTD. | CITIBANK, NA | COMERICA BANK | DEUTSCHE BANK AG | DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC | DNB NOR BANK | FORTIS CAPITAL CORP | HARRIS NESBITT FINANCING, INC | HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | ING CAPITAL LLC | JP MORGAN SECURITIES INC | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NA | KBC BANK NV | MIZUHO CORPORATE BANK, LTD | MORGAN STANLEY BANK | NOBLE ENERGY, INC | ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND PLC | SECTION 711 Financial | SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION | SUNTRUST BANK | UBS LOAN FINANCE LLC | UFJ BANK | US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION | WELLS FARGO BANK, NA
Law Firm: Thompson Knight;Mayer Brown
Document Date: 4/8/2005
Industry: OILPRD
Sector: ENERGY
Governing Law:Texas
http://agreements.realdealdocs.com/Thompson-Knight-law-firm/



Well, well…
From two years ago: July 28 2008
By richmx2
"Petróleos Mexicanos will pay $484,000 a day to Noble Corp. for an oil rig that will allow the company to drill in waters up to 7,000 feet deep for the first time.
Pemex, as Mexico’s state oil company is known, will take delivery of the Noble Max Smith rig in August under a three-year contract, Noble Corp. said in a statement.

The rig is being moved to Mexico from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following upgrades and maintenance."


JUNE 28 2010 "Noble Corp (NE.N) said it would buy Norway's privately held Frontier Drilling for $2.16 billion"

"Noble's all-cash acquisition of Frontier, officially known as FDR Holdings Ltd, will add to cash flow immediately and to earnings from early 2011, the company said...Carlyle Group [owns 20% of Grupo Mexico who owns ASARCO] and Riverstone Holdings are investors in Frontier....Frontier, which is domiciled in Norway and headquartered in Houston, is building two ultra-deepwater drillships designed to operate in Arctic waters under a partnership with Shell."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65R2C520100628

Birkenfeld, the UBS Banker who exposed UBS

Whistle-blower advocates seek review of former UBS banker's treatment

"Whistle-blower advocates are asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to review the treatment of tipster Bradley C. Birkenfeld, the former UBS banker who was sentenced to 40 months in prison despite his pivotal help in the groundbreaking case against the Swiss banking giant."

20070917 ASARCO principle-bondholder Harbinger Capital sues Wachovia Capital Markets under "Cause:18:1962 Racketeering (RICO) Act just 5 months after Wachovia sues UBS and Harbinger...

"Harbinger Capital Partners Master Lund I, Ltd. et al v. Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC et al .... 
Case Number:     1:2007cv08139... 
Nature of Suit:     Other Statutes - Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.."   9/17/2007

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/new-york/nysdce/1:2007cv08139/313179/

"Wachovia Bank, N.A. et al v. Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd. et al
Plaintiffs:     Wachovia Bank, N.A. and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
Defendants:     Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund I, Ltd., ....UBS Willow Fund, L.L.C...."
 
"Case Number:     3:2007cv00123
Filed:     March 22, 2007....
Cause:     28:1441 Petition For Removal--Other Contract..."

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/north-carolina/ncwdce/3:2007cv00123/48458/

Bank of America Corp and Wachovia Bank caught laundering huge Drug-monies

 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-29/banks-financing-mexico-s-drug-cartels-admitted-in-wells-fargo-s-u-s-deal.html 

"The smugglers had bought the DC-9 with laundered funds they transferred through two of the biggest banks in the U.S.: Wachovia Corp. and Bank of America Corp., Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its August 2010 issue."
 

Council of the Americas NAFTA and ASARCO

"Who's on the Council of the Americas? The following is a list of board members of the New York-based Council of the Americas, a globalist organization composed of banksters and corporate fat cats that is working with the Bush administration to expand NAFTA into a continental free trade zone."

"Francis R. McAllister, Pres. & Chief Operating Officer ASARCO Inc."
"Richard de J. Osborne, Chairman of the Board(Retired) ASARCO Incorporated"
"Brian d. O'Neill, Managing Director & Latin America Executive The Chase Manhattan Bank"
"William R. Rhodes, Vice Chairman Citibank, N.A."
"Federico Sacasa, Group Vice Pres. Bank of America"

"This list of members of the Council of the Americas was obtained from the group's web site located at www.counciloftheamericas.org."

http://www.libertylobby.org/articles/2001/20010521council_americas.html

Court upheld Grupo Mexico (ASARCO and Ferromex Railroad owner) acquisition of Carlos Slim Ferrosur railroad

"Grupo Mexico plans to sell shares in its railroad business in an
initial public offering, Chief Financial Officer Daniel Muniz said in an
May 21 interview. Grupo Mexico owns the Ferrocarril Mexicano SA, or
Ferromex, and Ferrosur SA railroad companies. A federal court upheld its
acquisition of Ferrosur, owned by billionaire Carlos Slim, which had
been halted by the antitrust commission in 2006 and prompted a
government probe."

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-31/grupo-mexico-lures-funds-as-railroad-mines-are-free-update2-.html

Saturday, July 3, 2010

"BP is using federal agencies to shield itself from public accountability"

From the Ground: BP Censoring Media, Destroying Evidence

"...BP is using federal agencies to shield itself from public accountability.

For example, while flying on a small plane from New Orleans to Orange Beach, the pilot suddenly exclaimed, "Look at that!" The thin red line marking the federal flight restrictions of 3,000 feet over the oiled Gulf region had just jumped to include the coastal barrier islands off Alabama."...



Friday, June 18, 2010

Will BP get a confidential for settlement purposes-only EPA DOJ agreement like ASARCO did back in 1998??

How many confidential for settlement purposes-only EPA DOJ agreements exist?  How common are these secret agreements with the Federal DOJ ?

Google Web Alert
BP Bankruptcy Would Offer No Protection From Costs (Update2 ...
After a federal judge discharged Asarco from bankruptcy in December, Associate U.S. Attorney General Tom Perrelli said taxpayers got more than a dollar back ...
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=a55...

"...“The bankruptcy option is clearly there,” said John Olson, managing partner of Houston Energy Partners, a hedge fund unit of Sanders Morris Harris Group Inc. “BP’s board and CEO can say they’ve ruled it out, but you can’t rule it out, realistically.” Olson doesn’t hold any BP shares.

On June 13, White House Adviser David Axelrod called on BP to establish an escrow account for claims tied to the spill. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid requested that the London-based company set up a $20 billion fund administered by an independent trustee, according to a letter from his office." [Asarco was asked to set up a fund for its wastes, too in the early days before its bankruptcy  - it then went through a bankruptcy that refrained from any mention or knowledge about liabilities from Asarco's nearly ten years of burning secret toxic-wastes for profit]

Saturday, June 5, 2010

effects of Lead (Pb) -- like the Lead (Pb) found around ASARCO EL Paso TX

"[Lead is a naturally occurring bluish-gray metal found in small  amounts in the earth's crust. Lead can be found in all parts of our  environment. Lead itself does not break down, but lead compounds are  changed by sunlight, air, and water. When lead is released to the  air, it may travel long distances before settling to the ground. Once  lead falls onto soil, it usually sticks to soil particles. Movement  of lead from soil into groundwater will depend on the type of lead  compound and the characteristics of the soil.  Lead is a heavy metal that can be toxic to living bodies, humans and  animals, in certain high levels. Lead can be found in paints on  houses, on pottery, and other objects. Lead can be found in water, in  air around smelters, and in such objects as batteries.  When lead enters the body, generally through ingestion but also  through inhalation from dust and lead smelters, it may be seen as a  lead line on the metaphysis of growing bones in radiographs.  Lead can be especially detrimental to children as many tissues are  growing and developing and lead is easy incorporated into those  cells. It may slow growth, cause hearing problems, hyperactivity and  behavior changes.  Children with high lead burdens may have  neurological damage, including brain damage. This may present as  headaches or learning difficulties, muscle cramps, twitches or  spasms. It may be more severe, leading to seizures and death.  Adults may also suffer from lead poisoning. Adults may experience a  variety of neurological problems, among them, memory and  concentration problems. They may also have muscle and joint pain,  reproductive problems, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Adults  may also suffer from neurological problems as well.  Heavy metal intoxication almost always affects the gastrointestinal  system, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and as a  consequence, weight loss. Anemia may also be seen in lead poisoning,  which further increases the weakness the victim experiences.  The effects of lead are the same whether it enters the body through  breathing or swallowing. Lead can affect almost every organ and  system in the body. The main target for lead toxicity is the nervous  system, both in adults and children. Long-term exposure of adults can  result in decreased performance in some tests that measure functions  of the nervous system. It may also cause weakness in fingers, wrists,  or ankles. Lead exposure also causes small increases in blood  pressure, particularly in middle-aged and older people and can cause  anemia. Exposure to high lead levels can severely damage the brain  and kidneys in adults or children and ultimately cause death. In  pregnant women, high levels of exposure to lead may cause  miscarriage. High-level exposure in men can damage the organs  responsible for sperm production.  Children are more vulnerable and more sensitive to lead poisoning  than adults. A child who swallows large amounts of lead may develop  blood anemia, severe stomachache, muscle weakness, and brain damage.  These same clinical signs mimic other childhood illness. If a child  swallows smaller amounts of lead, much less severe effects on blood  and brain function may occur. Even at much lower levels of exposure,  lead can affect a child's mental and physical growth.  Exposure to lead is more dangerous for young and unborn children.  Unborn children can be exposed to lead through their mothers. Harmful  effects include premature births, smaller babies, decreased mental  ability in the infant, learning difficulties, and reduced growth in  young children. These effects are more common if the mother or baby  was exposed to high levels of lead. Some of these effects may persist  beyond childhood.  Lead in the groundwater may be an issue in this case. Lead can be  absorbed from the drinking water. In the US, the level of lead in the  water is allowed at less than 0.15 ml of lead per liter of water  (less than 0.15 ppm). A number of water filtration units such as  reverse osmosis can filter out the lead. If the situation is more  primitive than this, I am unsure what to treat a well with. Calcium  disodium EDTA has been used to treat people, and putting it into a  water well may work to bind it, but I have no data support. Certainly  using a water system that is not contaminated with lead is the best  option.  If this is a case of lead in the air, then it is appropriate to cover  the mouth and nose and to remove one's self from the area.  Lead has no known physiological function in the body. It can be  tested for in the blood, but chelators are necessary to help  eliminate the metal from the body. Effective chelators include  dimercapterol and succimer.  Portions of this comment have been extracted from:  <http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts13.html> - Mod.TG]"

Sweeping the Asarco El Paso secret haz-wastes under the rug....

" Redevelopment of the Asarco plant offers El Paso a bright future ...
By admin
Redevelopment of the Asarco plant in El Paso offers the city and the state of Texas the opportunity to take the lead in solar research. According to the El Paso Times, possible contamination of the 600-acre site will keep homes, ...
Gateway El Paso - http://gatewayelpaso.com/"

"The EPA kept a secret from us for nearly 8 years, signing a confidential settlement document with ASARCO through the Federal Dept. of Justice. Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Reyes said that ASARCO paid MILLIONS on the condition that details of what it had done would never become public."

The SECRET? ASARCO had illegally burned unlabeled secret hazardous-wastes throughout the 1990's --- just to make money. God only knows what poisons remain here from that. No one will tell us. This whole ASARCO development saga is not about DISCLOSURE it is about CLOSURE of that site so that it can all be "swept under the rug".

As it is, the land has been exposed to God only knows what (ASARCO was accepting unlabeled stuff from both industrial and military sources!).

We the community wait for honest answers to our questions: how much radioactive lead (Polonium) is there? What other radioactive materials remain there and how much? What about dioxins - how much? Mercury? Beryllium? What has gotten into our water supply (it is in the Hueco bolson and the Rio Grande now)?

We want answers. What is the point of "developing" this land and stirring up the dusts next to our water supply (60% of our water passes right by ASARCO in an open-canal) until we know what we are dealing with??

Does ANYONE buy a bill of goods ("developing the site") without knowing exactly what they are being sold, first??"




Five years later -- WHOSE LIABILITIES IS THE CITY OF EL PASO PROTECTING?

"Google News Alert for: asarco

EDITORIAL: Asarco input: Citizens can influence zoning
Trading Markets (press release)
Citizens with concerns regarding new usage of contaminated Asarco smelter land will get what they ask for -- putting in their proverbial two cents worth. ..."

WHOSE LIABILITIES IS THE CITY OF EL PASO PROTECTING?  And will we all be smart enough to finally put a stop to this cover-up and demand honest answers? (see "Letter to Governor Richardson" in the SCRIBE documents section, along with the 13 exhibits).

City of El Paso sits back, March 2005 and allows the City/County Health and Environ. District Director to receive lifetime award -- after a lifetime of ignoring ASARCO toxins...

Back in 3/05 the Federal State Department said that IBWC American Dam workers by ASARCO and old-smeltertown could not get independent medical review in the entire region.   A worker told me that this has been going on for 30 years.  Meanwhile in March 2005...."Dr. Jorge Magaña, El Paso City-County Health and Environmental District Director, was awarded a 2005 Border Health Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Mexico Border Health Council at a banquet that was held April 22, 2005 in Las Cruces, NM. Dr. Magaña was honored for his work to improve health in the Paso del Norte Region in areas including ... Child Lead Poisoning Prevention." (from City of El Paso employee connection newsletter Issue 5 05/13/05).

also see "

January 20, 2005 -- A History Of El Paso’s Top Health Officials Failure To Protect Border Residents"
http://www.gettheleadout.net/news_detail.sstg?id=9