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

Friday, December 31, 2010

Asarco El Paso TX ... "such are the places where every man woman and child seeks EQUAL JUSTICE"...

       “Where after all, do universal human rights begin?  In small places, close to home—so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world.  Yet they are the world of the individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works.  Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity, without discrimination.  Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.” 

Eleanor Roosevelt

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Seven years ago Carlyle Group created a team to begin investing in Mexico...

"In January 2004, the Carlyle Group put together a new team to begin investing in Mexico. The team consisted of Luis T?llez, who was then an executive vice president of Desc, one of Mexico's largest companies; Joaquin Avila, who was then a managing director of Lehman Brothers; and Mark McLarty, the president of Kissinger McLarty Associates and chief of staff to and special envoy to the Americas for President Bill Clinton."....'At the March 2005 meeting at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, President Bush, President Fox of Mexico and Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin announced a joint decision to form a tri-lateral partnership named "The Security Prosperity Partnership of North America," or SPP."

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50334

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

What do ASARCO, Grupo Mexico, NEBRASKA, CLEAN COAL ENERGY and RAILROADS all have in common?

Asarco is suing EPA  in Nebraska (EPA Region 7) -- home to Union Pacific Railroad Co. and also Peru's FCCA Railroad (owned by 'Railroad Development Corp.')

“We’re aware of the filing and are reviewing it,” Justice Department spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said in a phone interview today. “We will respond appropriately in court.”

In a separate lawsuit in federal court in Nebraska, Union Pacific Railroad Co., which the EPA also blamed for the pollution at the Omaha site, refused to settle and sued the agency seeking the same contamination studies that Asarco had requested."

see:
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Southern_Copper_%28PCU%29/Class_Actions
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-12-17/asarco-claims-epa-lied-destroyed-evidence-in-nebraska-lead-pollution-case.html

An interesting aside is that Asarco is owned by Grupo Mexico whom (along with Carlyle Group) controls over 50% of the Freight-rail-right-of-way in Mexico; and, whom wants to merge Ferromex with Ferrosur and deliver Pacific NAFTA goods from a proposed-Mexico-seaport to the USA Eastern Seaboard through Chicago (search for "Punta Colonet" on this blog).  Carlyle owns CSX railroad (USA eastern seaboard).

Besides being home for Union Pacific Railroad Co., Nebraska is headquarters to an international-railroad-company  that is uniquely situated to deliver NAFTA goods from various points in the central USA to Chicago, RDC.  Its management also serve as executives to the Hawthorne Group (apparently the same group mentioned by Wikipedia in connection with the "2009 debate over the [Clean Coal] Waxman/Markey bill").  One of the RDC officers "played a key role in RDC's activities in Peru" (see below), where Asarco has the SPCC (Southern Peru Copper Corp.).   RDC operates FCCA in Peru along with connections to neighbor(s); Grupo Mexico has its own railroad in Peru for SPCC.

"Iowa Interstate Railroad, LTD (acquired by RDC in 2004) is a privately held Delaware Corporation and subsidiary of Railroad Development Corporation. It is also one of the few Regional Railroads that connects with the entire Class 1 railroad system (BNSF, UP, CN, CP, KCS, CSXT, and NS) at multiple locations. ...As a result, IAIS customers have the capability to ship and receive their goods to or from anywhere in North America. ...Our service pattern is 7 days per week between the Omaha area and Chicago. We also offer access to the Mississippi and Illinois River terminals....http://www.iaisrr.com/

Mgt. of RDC:
"Henry Posner III ...serves as Chairman of RDC; Chairman of Iowa Interstate Railroad; Chairman of Ferrovias Guatemala; a Director of América Latina Logística-Central & Mesopotámico (Argentina); and as Vice Chairman of The Hawthorne Group." http://www.rrdc.com/mgmt_bio_posner.html

Mr. Pietrandrea [President of RDC] also serves as ...Chief Operating Officer of The Hawthorne Group.
http://www.rrdc.com/mgmt_bio_pietrandrea.htmlWilliam J. Duggan [is] Vice President-Operations [of RDC and the ] President, Ferrovias Guatemala...[he] has since played a key role in RDC's activities in Peru and Guatemala....
Since 2003, Mr. Hensler has served as RDC's Chief Financial Officer.....[he] is also a Vice President of The Hawthorne Group, a private investment and management company which invests through affiliates primarily in media and communication companies."
http://www.rrdc.com/mgmt_bio_hensler.html
"The intention of Grupo Mexico is to maintain and improve the productive plant of SPCC, - that means continuing with the mine and concentrator facility expansion in Toquepala, the construction of an SXEW facility in Cuajone or the expansion of the one located in Toquepala."
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Grupo+Mexico,+S.A.+de+C.V.+Strategies+for+Southern+Peru+Copper...-a058295607

"Rail transport in Peru [Home of Grupo Mexico Southern Peru Copper Corp]: ...
Since 1999 it has been operated as the Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA)... by the Pittsburgh-registered Railroad Development Corporation. ....The Central is extended by the Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica ...Also connecting with the Central, at La Oroya, is the Cerro de Pasco railway ...The owning company was nationalised as Centromín in 1974 and operation of the railway was taken over by FCCA...The newest railway in Peru is a standard gauge line opened in 1959 by the Southern Peru Copper Corporation from its opencast mine at Toquepala to the port of Ilo (187 km/116 mi) with a later branch largely in tunnel to its workings at Cuajone. "  http://www.thefullwiki.org/Rail_transport_in_Peru

"Controversy:  During the 2009 debate over the Waxman/Markey bill, Bonner & Associates, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm subcontracted by ACCCE ["American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity"]  though the Hawthorne Group to drum up "grassroots support" for this effort, sent a number of fraudulent letters to lawmakers on behalf of ACCCE. ..."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Coalition_for_Clean_Coal_Electricity"
 

Asarco Omaha NE smelter shut down in 1997 - did it also burn the illegal secret hazardous wastes?

Asarco's Omaha NE smelter shut down in 1997 - did it also burn the illegal secret hazardous wastes that Asarco's whistleblower let us know were handled by Asarco-ENCYCLE (and then sent to smelters in E. Helena MT and El Paso TX) for the years throughout the 1990's??   Will we ever know? (Rep. Reyes, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee said that ASARCO paid millions of dollars on the condition that the details of what it had done would never become public (El Paso Times online article 2006))

"Google Alert - asarco bankruptcy
DJ Grupo Mexico Seeks To Recover $210M In Asarco Lead Damages
Trading Markets
Asarco paid $1.6 billion in environmental liabilities as part of a settlement with the US Justice Department when the company exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy ..."

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Energy Renewal Partners who is cleaning up ASARCO ENCYCLE worked for Carlyle/Riverstone Holdings

"Some of the clients our employees have supported include:
  • Carlyle/Riverstone Holdings"
http://www.energyrenewalpartners.com/

More than 3 million dollars slated for asbestos removal at ASARCO site that sent untracked-unmanifested hazardous wastes for disposal for years to E. Helena MT and El Paso TX

"Asbestos removal and demolition of the Encycle/ASARCO plant approved

U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved a $3.6 million contract to demolish 50 buildings, silos and storage tanks and remove asbestos at the Encycle/ASARCO plant in Corpus Christi, Texas....According to the agreement between the bankruptcy trustee and Energy Renewal Partners, the project deadline is May 29, 2013 and seven general use buildings will not be demolished, but rather offered for sale once demolition of the other structures is complete."

http://www.mesothelioma.com/news/2010/12/asbestos-removal-and-demolition-of-the-encycleasarco-plant-approved.htm

Friday, December 17, 2010

"Asarco tries to revive its own EPA records lawsuit" While ASARCO still conceals details of its decade of multi-state illegal hazardous waste handling/incineration...

"Google Alerts
Asarco tries to revive its own EPA records lawsuit

Washington Examiner
AP Business Writer The Asarco mining company wants to revive its public-records lawsuit over Environmental Protection Agency information about lead ..."

While ASARCO still conceals details of its decade of multi-state illegal hazardous waste handling/incineration...

Monday, December 6, 2010

Grupo Mexico : " FULL OWNERSHIP OF ASARCO WITH NO LEGACY LIABILITIES OR CLAIMS" (now *how* did they do THAT?)

"Fitch Upgrades Grupo Mexico & AMC to 'BBB'; Affirms SCC at 'BBB'
Business Wire
Grupo Mexico successfully emerged from the five-year long Asarco bankruptcy proceedings with full ownership of Asarco with no legacy liabilities or claims ..."

fr: Google Alert - asarco bankruptcy

Sunday, November 14, 2010

TCEQ testing soil next to ENCYCLE ASARCO for unknown metals

"Soil Testing Near Shuttered Asarco Plant Posted: Nov 12, 2010 5:13 PM by Toni Miles
CORPUS CHRISTI - Field crews with the Texas Commison on Envioronmental Quality are testing the soil in the Dona Park neighborhood [next to ASARCO ENCYCLE].The testing started Friday after a number of residents expressed concerns that there might still be toxic levels of heavy metals in the area....Despite that some residents are still worried the soil might be contaminated and they blame emissions from the [ASARCO] plant for making them sick."
http://www.kristv.com/news/soil-testing-near-shuttered-asarco-plant/




Tuesday, November 9, 2010

"Nevada Prosecutor has been preparing to file criminal charges" against former ASARCO A.G. Swiss Bank President for gambling debts

Estate of North Shore businessman under judge's control
Oct 07, 2010 18:12 EDT (33 days ago)  on  Chicago Breaking News  (Original Article)

"The [Chicago] Tribune in August first outlined [Mikhail] Katamanian's [President of ASARCO A.G. Swiss bank]  eight-figure debts and the legal battle brewing over his estate since his death in Switzerland at age 53.

The report also outlined how, at the time of Katamanin's death, a Nevada prosecutor had been preparing to file criminal charges against Katamanin over the millions in total that, according to court and casino records, he owned to various Las Vegas gambling establishments.

[The Judge] also appointed Lake County Public Guardian Keith West to oversee the identification and liquidation of Katamanin's assets...Parties in the case are due back in court Nov. 15..."


Investors allege Sham ("spoof") Silver-Futures by HSBC Holdings Plc and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-25/u-s-state-officials-investigate-after-gmac-halts-evictions.html

Laskaris v. JPMorgan Chase & Co., 10-08157
Beatty v. JPMorgan Chase, 10-08146, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)

"JPMorgan, HSBC Accused of Manipulating Silver Futures
By Joel Rosenblatt and Bob Van Voris - Oct 27, 2010 10:27 PM MT

"HSBC Holdings Plc and JPMorgan Chase & Co. were accused in an investor’s lawsuit of placing “spoof” trading orders to manipulate silver futures and options prices in violation of U.S. antitrust law....The investor...alleges that starting in March 2008, the banks colluded to suppress silver futures so that call options, or the right to buy, would decline, and put options for the right to sell would increase....A separate, similar complaint filed yesterday....and naming the same banks as defendants, claims a whistleblower contacted the CFTC last year and reported the banks’ conspiracy to suppress prices of silver futures to profit from “enormous” short positions in silver futures"

Grupo Mexico Finance Director from 1994-2003 (and Asarco CEO for 2 yrs) now is on El Tigre Silver Corp. Board

"El Tigre Silver Corp. ("El Tigre" or the "Company") ... is pleased to welcome to its board of directors Mr. Daniel Tellechea....From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Tellechea was President and CEO of Asarco LLC ("Asarco") [Asarco Inc. - it became an LLC in 2005] . Previous to that, from 1994 to 2003, Mr. Tellechea served as the Managing Director of Finance and Administration of Grupo Mexico, Asarco's [present] parent corporation. For the period between 1999 and 2003, he also served as Asarco's Chief Financial Officer and as Vice-President of Finance for Southern Peru Copper Corporation, which was majority owned by Grupo Mexico"
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/el-tigre-appoints-new-director-2010-11-09?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Clients apparently included Asarco AG (Asarco Inc., Asarco SA) President

http://www.marketmicrostructure.org/about.html

"Established in 1999, the European Market Microstructure Institute (Европейский Институт Микроструктуры Рынка) provides Russian institutional investors with market microstructure modeling, quantitative research, consulting, and investment strategies with a focus on market maker behaviour for Eurozone index futures and oil futures....Representative Clients  [included] Bahrain International Bank; Banc Caribe; Bank Menatep (Group Menatep); British Trade and Commerce Bank; CreditTrust; Dialog-Optim Bank; Dr. Bent Hansen; Dr. Frank Modigliani; Dr. Reginald Zelnik; Dr. Richard Holton; Fargoil; Global Direct Dealing AG; Gold Bear (Moscow); Kommerchesky Bank Sberezheny; Mr. Alexander Slesarev; Mr. Andrei Kozlov; Mr. Jean-Pierre Aguilar; Mr. Konstantin Meshcheryakov; Mr. Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky; Mr. Mikhail Katamanin; Mr. Oleg Zhukovsky; Mr. Stephen Curtis; Mr. Vladimir Dubov; Prof. Coimbatore Krishnarao (C.K.) Prahalad; Prof. Kuldeep Shastri; Promeximbank; Ratibor; Ratimer; Sir Clive Granger; Sodbusinessbank; Yukos Oil".

Asarco A.G.'s deceased President Mikhail Katamanin Chicago Lakefront estate to be settled in Lake County, not Russia

".....the Highland Park home -- as well as an adjacent mansion at 975 N. Sheridan Road, in which Katamanin's relatives apparently lived -- were owned by a trust in Katamanin's name.

[the Judge] also appointed Lake County Public Guardian Keith West to oversee the identification and liquidation of Katamanin's assets and then distribute the assets to his heirs and many creditors.

Parties in the case are due back in court Nov. 15, at which time Kennedy said he plans to file a petition to recover assets for Plymouth Consultants."

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/estate-of-north-shore-businessman-under-judges-control.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/ct-x-n-katamanin-20101015,0,5328102.story

Mansion owned by recently deceased President of the Swiss bank called ASARCO A.G. (Asarco Inc., Asarco SA)

(after you click on this link, look for "play slideshow" to see the slides of the property from the realty database)
Lakefront mansion

Friday, October 15, 2010

"(ASARCO LLC) Bankruptcy Litigation Team Offi ce of the General Counsel, Washington, D.C." "pollution control team"

'American Smelting and Refi ning Company (ASARCO LLC) Bankruptcy Litigation Team OGC: "Pollution Control Team" '
"Image taken on 2010-08-03 13:22:03 by USDAgov" see
http://bankruptcyscotland.com/10di1454-0044-pollution-control-team-american-smelting-and-refi-ning-company-asarco-llc-bankruptcy-litigation-team-ogc.html

"62nd Honor Awards ceremony held on August 3, 2010 in the Thomas Jefferson Auditorium at the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed present the award to Pollution Control Team - American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO LLC) Bankruptcy Litigation Team Offi ce of the General Counsel, Washington, D.C., group leader Ronals S. McClain for successful recovery of over $171 million in the ASARCO LLC bankruptcy to be used for environmental cleanup and natural resources restoration at 12 contaminated sites of Forest Service land."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/4859616665/in/photostream/

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Project Navigator Trustee Website : public input....... less than one week left and counting

Community has almost the full six weeks left to comment on the first two:
Demolition Health and Safety Plan (HASP), October 8, 2010
Draft Final Site Health and Safety Plan, October 8, 2010


Community has less than a week left to comment on the following:
Draft Community Assurance Plan (CAP), September 2010
Draft Community Relations Plan, September 2010

Asphalt Cap at Asarco El Paso TX more than a foot thick next to storm ponds

[click on image to zoom] This image is from
http://www.recastingthesmelter.com/wp-content/themes/recastingasarco/images/community_scholars_02.jpg

"Malcolm Pirnie responsible for IDENTIFYING ANY DATA GAPS" at the Asarco El Paso site...

"On May 20th [2010] the Site Trustee selected Malcolm Pirnie (www.pirnie.com) as the Environmental Engineering Consultant. Malcolm Pirnie has a high-level of experience successfully completing similar complex remediation jobs in Texas. The initial tasks of the consultant will be to: create an updated Site safety plan, analyze past site data and identify any data gaps and participate in the City’s upcoming charrette process."

Malcolm Pirnie is represented locally by a senior Project Manager and El Paso City School Board Trustee, David Dodge.  Mr. Dodge's resume, online at recastingthesmelter states that he is a member of the Paso del Norte Group. 

Santa Teresa Int. Port of Entry: 10 miles from the Asarco El Paso toxic epi-center











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