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

Friday, April 19, 2013

EPA begs the question again on Asarco. No honest services when split samples are denied.


From: heamc 
To: "Sanchez,Carlos" , "aguavida, "kvia@kvia.com" , lorinda.gardner@tceq.texas.gov, "rardovino
Cc: "Gray,David" , "Fisher,Charles" , "Phillips,Pam" , "Meyer,John" , "Anderson,Israel"
Subject: RE: El Paso Demolition
Date: Apr 19, 2013 4:41 PM


Dear Mr. Sanchez,
You are begging the question, providing no samples, claiming that "The EPA has released all non-confidential documents associated with past site activities" which is not true ---- the former EPA administrator promised us the open records release of all the invoices listed by number in the 73 page now public EPA U.S. D.O.J. 1998 Asarco confidential for settlement purposes only document.   We never got those invoices listing the illegal radioactive and hazardous wastes.  AND THEY ARE now PUBLIC DOMAIN.  The EPA never told us EVER that Asarco, Engelhard and Dupont were acting as high level radioactive waste disposal contractors.

The top of both stacks clearly has been photographed during demolition releasing massive amounts of soot, which would contain at the least those illegal materials; and definitely sulfur, radioactive lead, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and asbestos/silica. Likely Beryllium. Definitely dioxins.

The EPA HAS taken samples at Corpus Christi (refused to split samples) and here and it is wrong to assure us that everything is "Safe" without being willing to split samples with us.  Especially when there is precedent -- we already are correctly storing official soil samples.  If TCEQ is in charge of samples and not you, then you needed to include the Regional Director in your "cc" or "to" addresses.

We have had wind gusts up to 35 mph all week, low visibility and everyone I have met is complaining about the symptoms.   People with COPD are coughing up very dark dusts, trying to clear their lungs.   Does EPA care?  They never have shown us full cooperation and help EVER here.  The children of Mexico across the smelter are not the only ones affected.   Mexico was smart enough to shut its closest elementary school down one week to thoroughly clean.  THAT DID NOT HAPPEN HERE.  The children still went to school in the dust.  When that happens it is common to see nose bleeds.  Lower Immune systems may occur, given the chemicals common to the illegal hazardous wastes that we know of (nerve agent quench water).  There are entire families with flu this week, now.   coincidence or not

We have the map (on epgtlo) that shows the area marked by our EPA where the Asarco Encycle material was stored when it reached Asarco El Paso.   They were that worried about those illegal hazardous chemicals.  But during the demolition no one seemed worried about that same material exiting the tops and breaks in both stacks and flowing over neighborhoods and our water.  Why?

The demolition of the stacks was not handled well.   The dust should have stayed on site; or the community and the water utilities notified that they'd be exposed. Mr. Puga claimed he had covered the American canal -- he failed to tell me on the telephone that he had not covered ANY of the open canal running right next to the 80 foot wall of Asarco slag (the cloud of dust flowed over the canal, the river into Mexico) but led me to believe he had covered the american canal.  

The demolition could have been delayed until after the spring windy season.  Mr. Puga grew up here.   He knew we had a spring windy season.

AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE AT EPA the Trustee/TRUST is NOT required to test for or clean up any of the hazardous wastes that went through ASARCO that ten years (http:epgtlo.blogspot.com).   They test, tell us everything is fine and refuse to give us key samples that would put all questions to rest -- so did Mr. Charles Fisher and the TCEQ rep. and Mr. Puga refuse to give us a two-inch official sample when we wanted a piece of slag from the Ionics brine distillation unit fire that had removed low level radioactive wastes from the plant's process waters.

You say that the Governor is responsible for handling the issue of the dust that flowed into Mexico.  You failed to mention that the La Paz Accord EPA "JAC" committee chaired by EPA Bill Luthans since the years that Asarco illegally burned hazmat materials (and an Asarco rep. was on the council then, too) and a similar chair from Mexico usually have dealt with such problems, without avail.   Over 3 years ago I presented a Medical Peer review paper on the critical Radon (radium) problem in El Paso TX to the JAC and JAC/EPA did NOTHING.

As I said, my confidence in the EPA is very low given how we have been consistently lied to or omitted key info. from the EPA over eight years.   I have called the White House and the new Admin.' office.  Something has to change.  We in El Paso, our children, deserve better than this.  You know that.  So do all the staff who live here near the Asarco stack; or the EPA staff who work in an office overlooking the site.

Mrs. McMurray, m.s. biology certified science teacher 8-12


-----Original Message-----
From: "Sanchez, Carlos" 
Sent: Apr 17, 2013 2:04 PM
To: heamc , "aguavida , "kvia@kvia.com" , "lorinda.gardner"  
Cc: "Gray, David" , "Fisher, Charles" , "Phillips, Pam" , "Meyer, John" , "Anderson, Israel" 
Subject: RE: El Paso Demolition

Ms. McMurray,

The EPA is not collecting spilt samples at the ASARCO site and therefore cannot provide samples to you.  EPA works through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality who has the lead for the oversight of cleanup activities at the site.  Please coordinate with them regarding the collection of spilt samples.

The EPA believes that the stack testing conducted by the Trustee and information included in my previous e-mail, addresses your concerns regarding other contaminants that may be present at the site. The Trustee has conducted extensive testing during all cleanup activities and will continue testing site materials until the cleanup is completed.

The EPA has released all non-confidential documents associated with past site activities.  We are including previous information that was provided to you regarding your concerns on radiation.  We are also including information regarding the Molycorp NORM materials.

The EPA believes that the dust suppression methods being used at the site will address dust from the site.  If dust levels are exceeded, additional measures will be taken.

Regarding the questions submitted by the children of Anapra, New Mexico to the New Mexico Governor, the EPA believes that the Governor’s office should respond to those questions.

Carlos A. Sanchez
Chief, Ark/Tx Section (6SF-RA)
Superfund Division
214-665-8507
sanchez.carlos@epa.gov

From: heamc [mailto:heamc@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 11:24 PM
To: Sanchez, Carlos; aguavida@valornet.com; kvia@kvia.com; lorinda.gardner,rardovino
Cc: Gray, David; Fisher, Charles; Edlund, Carl; Phillips, Pam; Meyer, John; Anderson, Israel
Subject: Re: El Paso Demolition


Mr. Sanchez,

Will your bosses authorize you to give us an official chain of custody split stack sample(s)?  We have other samples in proper storage, and this is not an idle request.  Although the TCEQ has cooperated, the EPA has refused twice to release split samples to us.

Otherwise I have no confidence in your test results, given the secrecy and lies our community has had to handle and deal with since this began back in 1987.   Our health, environmental governmental agencies, our courts have all failed to protect public health; and, worse of all given the documents we now have we realize the extent of it.  NO ONE in eight years in any FOIA or PIA request let us know that ASARCO had been acting as a High Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Contractor for the U.S. D.O.E. handling sites like Hanford and Oakridge.  In 1998 when the smelter decided to idle the plant, El Paso had the highest Beta radiation levels in the nation according to the EPA.    When I asked BIll Luthans and his health physicist about it, they played word games with me, saying it was normal background radiation and did not tell us about Molycorp and its high levels of NORM going through our plants.  Luthans has been here through the 1990's, serving as chair of the La Paz "JAC" for the USA along with an Asarco executive for many years.   That JAC has not even responded to the critical Radon problem documented in El Paso TX years ago, and presented to the JAC.

Several years ago, Mr. Charles Fisher came here to the Asarco El Paso site and refused (along with the TCEQ rep. and Puga)  to release to me a 2 inch piece of slag from the Ionics Brine Distillation plant' fire that handled all the site's process waters, was installed during the 1990's, and was rated to remove LLRW.  He was not helpful, gave no new information, and maintained the status quo for the EPA.  Meanwhile, Puga was picking other stuff off the ground in buildings and handing it to me to "save".

You know that our wind picks up late afternoon and goes full force at night.  Dust suppression "to control dust generated during the movement of stack concrete materials to the onsite landfill." will be of no help to us.  The dust can be tasted in the air and people need dust masks.  Good rated dust masks.  Handed out for free by our Public Health Dept.  Oops.  We do not have a public health dept. as of 3 years ago.  What shall we do -- ask our government for help?  Ask our medical community?  Ask our community leading citizens? (quote: "this site is perfect for infill"  "is a valuable piece of real estate" "do not worry, the smoke stayed in the valley".

Thank you for writing but your response is hardly reassuring after the eight years I have put into trying to get actual scientific samples and real data from our government.

IF YOU WANT MY CONFIDENCE then release all the invoices listed by invoice number in the 1998 73 page EPA US D.O.J. confidential for settlement purposes only document.  I was promised copies.   I am still waiting, years later.  I wonder why there is such resistance to releasing what is Public Information (once the invoice numbers were released in a public document, they became public information).  Release a full metals analysis like the one on my blog site done by a local citizen on the sludge sent from the Asarco El Paso main circulation pond to the dump in Robstown TX for disposal in 2006.  Answer the questions submitted by the children of Anapra N.M. regarding Asarco El Paso to the N.M. Governor/Ron Curry.

You know that this site, even more than East Helena MT should be a Superfund Site, to be protective of public health and drinking water.

Sincerely,
Heather Mcmurray, m.s. biological sciences, certified science teacher

-----Original Message----- 
From: "Sanchez, Carlos"
Sent: Apr 15, 2013 2:39 PM
To: "heamc@earthlink.net"
Cc: "Gray, David" , "Fisher, Charles" , "Edlund, Carl" , "Phillips, Pam" , "Meyer, John" , "Anderson, Israel"
Subject: El Paso Demolition


Ms McMurray,
I am sending to you information regarding the testing of the ASARCO stack conducted prior to demolition.  Additional stack testing will be conducted prior to placement of the concrete materials in the onsite cell. Also, dust samples collected during demolition activities will be tested.  As soon as that information is available, we will provide it to you.
During the handling of demolition materials, dust suppression methods, in accordance with the site workplan, will be used to control dust generated during the movement of stack concrete materials to the onsite landfill.  CAS

Carlos A. Sanchez
Chief, Ark/Tx Section (6SF-RA)
Superfund Division
214-665-8507

Asarco: Free from accountability for the ten years of illegal hazardous and radioactive wastes ?? Why.

Called Office of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Foundation.  They could not help and referred me to the EPA.   NSF gives grants to University Professors, like at UTEP, and should be holding those people accountable for any work pertaining to the diseases associated with the illegal hazardous Asarco wastes, our water supply's integrity; and, the integrity of the practice of science.

But that is not their initiative.  I was told that they give monies to new students to learn "science"; and, for stem cell research.

The Office couldn't wait to get me off the phone, which is very sad.  NSF was always the bulwark of science when I was growing up; and to see them turn away from the corruption of science, well that was just pathetic.

There is very little independent basic research being funded; and most Universities and it has traveled down to the high school level -- are focused on making monies, and teaching students the tools necessary for Industry.   True science teaching, like the background Rachel Carson got ("Silent Spring") and governmental agencies with the integrity that hers had, in Fish and Wildlife, are becoming rare.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Winds in El Paso TX are 35 mph currently at 2 PM WSW and beginning to gust on westside near asarco

NO ONE has promised to stabilize the asarco site with all its demolition debris and illegal hazardous waste chemicals during the night when winds in the desert can pick up significantly.  

EPA has not yet answered my request for split samples of the chemicals they are testing and sending "results".  It is all about monies.  We have 50 million for the cleanup plus whatever the Trust can sell.   His profit increases accordingly since he is part owner of the cleanup company.  They all just want all of us to forget asarco, and sweep it under the rug.

EPA insists that none of the asarco material is classified, but failed since 1987 to tell us that asarco was a high level radioactive waste disposal contractor;  failed to make the bankruptcy court hold asarco responsible for over ten years of secret hazardous and radioactive waste disposal; and allowed the trust off the hook, too.

I was told that the Trust tested the stack concrete for radioactive materials but did not incinerate any sample, which is how you test for alpha particles.

Now former Mayor rancis and others talk about this valuable real estate.  Land that they would not live or work on themselves.... Former Senator Shapleigh is no where to be seen - impossible to be held accountable for failing to tell his GTLO meeting folks about the planned developments of highways at the site.  At the end he had switched sides so far that he said all the land needed was a good powerwashing and had his UTEP students recommending adding student housing to the site.   Fortunately rumor is that UTEP now won't take the land even if given it.


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ASARCO demolition smoke that flowed like water through miles of neighborhoods and the lower valley/Rio Grande

For all concerned, buy or get a library copy of Epidemiologist Dr. Devra Davis book " When smoke ran like water" @2005  or her copy of "A secret history of cancer" (Chptr. 13)

EPA offers information. But not the information we were promised. And, will they agree to split samples?


Cc: "Gray,David" , "Fisher,Charles" , "Edlund,Carl" , "Phillips,Pam" , "Meyer,John" , "Anderson,Israel"
Subject: Re: El Paso Demolition
Date: Apr 16, 2013 10:24 PM

Mr. Sanchez,

Will your bosses authorize you to give us an official chain of custody split stack sample(s)?  We have other samples in proper storage, and this is not an idle request.  Although the TCEQ has cooperated, the EPA has refused twice to release split samples to us.

Otherwise I have no confidence in your test results, given the secrecy and lies our community has had to handle and deal with since this began back in 1987.   Our health, environmental governmental agencies, our courts have all failed to protect public health; and, worse of all given the documents we now have we realize the extent of it.  NO ONE in eight years in any FOIA or PIA request let us know that ASARCO had been acting as a High Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Contractor for the U.S. D.O.E. handling sites like Hanford and Oakridge.  In 1998 when the smelter decided to idle the plant, El Paso had the highest Beta radiation levels in the nation according to the EPA.    When I asked BIll Luthans and his health physicist about it, they played word games with me, saying it was normal background radiation and did not tell us about Molycorp and its high levels of NORM going through our plants.  Luthans has been here through the 1990's, serving as chair of the La Paz "JAC" for the USA along with an Asarco executive for many years.   That JAC has not even responded to the critical Radon problem documented in El Paso TX years ago, and presented to the JAC.

Several years ago, Mr. Charles Fisher came here to the Asarco El Paso site and refused (along with the TCEQ rep. and Puga)  to release to me a 2 inch piece of slag from the Ionics Brine Distillation plant' fire that handled all the site's process waters, was installed during the 1990's, and was rated to remove LLRW.  He was not helpful, gave no new information, and maintained the status quo for the EPA.  Meanwhile, Puga was picking other stuff off the ground in buildings and handing it to me to "save".

You know that our wind picks up late afternoon and goes full force at night.  Dust suppression "to control dust generated during the movement of stack concrete materials to the onsite landfill." will be of no help to us.  The dust can be tasted in the air and people need dust masks.  Good rated dust masks.  Handed out for free by our Public Health Dept.  Oops.  We do not have a public health dept. as of 3 years ago.  What shall we do -- ask our government for help?  Ask our medical community?  Ask our community leading citizens? (quote: "this site is perfect for infill"  "is a valuable piece of real estate" "do not worry, the smoke stayed in the valley".

Thank you for writing but your response is hardly reassuring after the eight years I have put into trying to get actual scientific samples and real data from our government.

IF YOU WANT MY CONFIDENCE then release all the invoices listed by invoice number in the 1998 73 page EPA US D.O.J. confidential for settlement purposes only document.  I was promised copies.   I am still waiting, years later.  I wonder why there is such resistance to releasing what is Public Information (once the invoice numbers were released in a public document, they became public information).  Release a full metals analysis (like the one on my blog site done by a local citizen on his attic dust) on the sludge sent from the Asarco El Paso main circulation pond to the dump in Robstown TX for disposal in 2006.  Answer the questions submitted by the children of Anapra N.M. regarding Asarco El Paso to the N.M. Governor/Ron Curry.

You know that this site, even more than East Helena MT should be a Superfund Site, to be protective of public health and drinking water.

Sincerely,
Heather Mcmurray, m.s. biological sciences, certified science teacher

-----Original Message----- 
From: "Sanchez, Carlos" 
Sent: Apr 15, 2013 2:39 PM
To: "heamc@earthlink.net" 
Cc: "Gray, David" , "Fisher, Charles" , "Edlund, Carl" , "Phillips, Pam" , "Meyer, John" , "Anderson, Israel" 
Subject: El Paso Demolition

Ms McMurray,
I am sending to you information regarding the testing of the ASARCO stack conducted prior to demolition.  Additional stack testing will be conducted prior to placement of the concrete materials in the onsite cell. Also, dust samples collected during demolition activities will be tested.  As soon as that information is available, we will provide it to you.
During the handling of demolition materials, dust suppression methods, in accordance with the site workplan, will be used to control dust generated during the movement of stack concrete materials to the onsite landfill.  CAS

Carlos A. Sanchez
Chief, Ark/Tx Section (6SF-RA)
Superfund Division
214-665-8507
sanchez.carlos@epa.gov

Monday, April 15, 2013

click on following

photo show of 100 stack/smoke asarco demolition pics

asks for a survey in the middle very annoying.  your choice or not to do the survey
Called regional office.  called national office who called regional office, who called back and will try to help during this windy season


The big wigs are drooling over development of this land, and have been since I was told that same thing at the 2005 Asarco Air Permit hearing. They are ignoring the 10/2006 Front Page NY Times story that we got from the EPA US DOJ 1998 confidential for settlement purposes only document (posted on my blog http://epgtlo.blogspot.com/) that tells us how poisonous that place is. Asarco was acting as an US Dept of Energy official high level radioactive waste disposal contractor (and where would a mining/smelting company get rid of HLRW stuff??) and so were two other companies listed in that secret 73 page document. It is appalling that a former mayor, mayor Cook and others were more concerned about salivating over the land (they think that 3 to 5 feet "infill" will make it clean for children or workers -- have they heard about underground arroyos there, and slag off-gassing and are they going to outlaw trees and other very deep rooted landscaping?) than they were about the children being exposed in Sunset Heights and Juarez. SHAME on these people. They have children. Why don't they seem to care about children?? Is MONEY more important to all of them -- the Love of Money -- than public health and safety? And by the way, we don't even have a City Health Dept. now. Gone for 3 years.... appalling just appalling.
-hmcmurray

Friday, April 12, 2013

Talked with County Judge office and then an attorney at the County Attorney's office.   The County does not believe that they had the jurisdiction ("right") to stop the demolition until after the Spring Storm windy season to protect public health, despite UTEP research by prominent scientists showing the dangers of the asarco/industrial re-suspended dusts here to the elderly, children, the ill.
Or the knowledge that after a chemical event like this there is a subtle 4 month die-off by that same demographic group (sick, old, very young) who are susceptible (Dr. D. Davis "when smoke ran like  water".

We can only pray that God will protect us with no winds for months, so that the people of old anapra mexico, anapra sunland Park and this region will be protected until the rebar is removed from all the concrete and the debris is covered.   But it will not protect us from the dusts that will escape and rest on our mountains until the next winds....

enticing children to view ASARCO STACKS demolition from near La Calvera (Trustee had offered to put those folks up in hotels that day)

Is it really true that there are jumping balloons being set up off of the Asarco stacks demolition dignitary viewing site on Executive drive?

Who is doing this --- enticing children to be within the one mile range of the site, near the demolition, when their body size to surface ratio is so great, and arsenic is absorbed (particularly arsenate) into their skin, lungs, their mouths/hands from the playing in the balloon --- and we and the Trustee know as FACT that arsenic exposure is dangerous, and for children it can cause M.S. when they grow up (Messita school study).  They are also claiming to be taking down the lead smelter.

I cannot believe that the demolition teams/contractors/trust would encourage children to view this like that.




Thursday, April 11, 2013

Trustee hedging the truth?


Fugitive Dusts at Sunland Park and current Asarco demolition schedule
(email correspondence)

Roberto Puga
8:34 AM (2 hours ago)

Dear Ms. McMurray,

Thank you once again for your interest in the ASARCO project.

As is explained in detail on our website (here: http://www.recastingthesmelter.com/?page_id=86 ) the Trust has implemented an array of dust control measures to minimize the dust from the demolition.  Additionally, we have collected core samples from the stacks that show that the constituents of the stack concrete do not pose a danger.

The demolition plan has been prepared has been reviewed and accepted by both EPA and TCEQ (please see news article quoting TCEQ and EPA here: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_22999917/prep-work-finished-demolition-at-asarco?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com ).

We have assembled a world class team of contractors to perform the demolition, who have decades of experience on high profile projects such as the ASARCO site.  We are confident we have done all we can to perform the demolition in as safe a manner as possible.

Regards,

Roberto Puga, P.G.
T:(714) 388-1802




Dear Mr Puga,
You still did not answer my question about face masks and ratings.

" Additionally, we have collected core samples from the stacks that show that the constituents of the stack concrete do not pose a danger."

That is impossible that the constituents so not pose a danger.   Why do you persist in saying that to the public?

We have enough peer reviewed published research to show that what you are doing --- and in the windy season -- is dangerous to public health; and, possibly up to 4 months after the event.

East Helena MT TV station recently replayed the footage of their stack demolitions ---- done by the same firm (Dykon, hired by you and Brandenburg) and there is a huge amount of dust just from that.

project Navigator will be breaking up the pieces of asbestos containing concrete from our stacks to manually pull out the rebar.

You should not have scheduled this demolition (see KVIA's recent weather interview about our spring storms)  during the time of our spring storms because of fugitive dusts.

Hmcmurray, ms biology

ps. followed up with personal phone call.  Trustee insists that they found no asbestos in the concrete. (there are several ways to test and several kinds of asbestos -- some tests will not show it). Said that workers will be breaking up the concrete, shaking it off the rebar to recover this metal, and that the workers will be wet, since they are working under dust control (water) protocol.  He said that they did not incinerate any samples when testing for radiation.  He would not comment on his incorrect comment to the public stating that slag is safe.  He would not give me an official chain of custody sample of the stack concrete -- absolutely refused.  Would not comment on him, the epa, the tceq absolutely refusing to give us an official chain of custody sample from the water distillation unit's slag (from its fire) that was rated to remove radioactive wastes.  Would not comment on the FACT that Asarco and two other companies caught sending illegal stuff to asarco (MASSIVE quantities) were US Dept. of Energy high level radioactive waste disposal  contractors and we were never told.  ever.  Would not comment on the hafnium data (found in nuclear control rods).
I thanked him for covering the american canal (our drinking water) for the demolition.   I hope that before the road closures citizens go out and get photos.

p.p.s.  Trustee lied by omission and did not explain that they covered only a partial section of the american canal in the IBWC area, and they did not cover (as of thursday) ANY of the drinking water flowing past asarco's stacks between Paisano and Asarco, in an open canal.   By the way, where will all that 500,000 gallons of jet-propelled water drain to?  Can the Asarco contrainment ponds contain this?  Rubber Lakes was never officially repaired after being shored up after the 2006 collapse of the side of it.  All that ran off into our drinking water at the entrance of Asarco.....

Wednesday, April 10, 2013



http://www.kvia.com/video/StormTRACK-Weather-Spring-Dust-Storms/-/421452/19675106/-/q67g45z/-/index.html


Hello, Mr Puga,
as I notified (by voice) Brandenburg's project manager, demolishing the stacks during the middle of our spring windy season is not protective of Public health.

UTEP has done research on the fugitive dusts (dusts stirred up again and again over time by winds) in the Sunland Park area caused by a single point source, Asarco, and said that these hurt people.

Why on earth are you and these contractors ignoring our public health to take down the stacks, dump the large stack into a hazardous waste arroyo next to it, and then break the asbestos concrete up to pull out the rebar ---- when it is our windy season?!

See KVIA link above.

You have said that the one project mgr will leave the same day and you will leave 2 days later.  Neither of you will be exposed the next four months constantly to these new fugitive dusts.

Delay the demolition or be known as the man who did not care about Public health, the principles as explained in the fugitive dust research paper (UTEP)

Most of the people I have talked with have already stated that the TRUST/Project navigator in continuing this blast-date despite all the UTEP research, show that they do not care about our public health.

What a shame, since it means people will get sick for 4 months after this event (if you need the reference call me), and it could be mitigated by delay until after the windy season.


hmcmurray
On Sat. morning, Mr Puga (project navigator) contracted Brandenburg Industrial services to contract Dykon demolition company to blow up both Asarco stacks.  Yesterday we had 50 MPH winds.  These winds pick up dirt into the air which are called "fugitive dusts".  When these dusts have chemicals in them that are bad for us, it hurts Public health.  Particularly it affects the elderly, ill and young.  Those people with asthma or c.o.p.d. are especially susceptible.

After the largest stack comes down it will fall into an arroyo feeding the Rio Grande, right on top of our aquifers.  This hazardous waste dump will be on top of a forty year old liner that may not last that long.   Workers will be taking the rebar out of the stack pieces.  It will make smaller pieces that despite water sprays can over many months become airborne dusts ---- fugitive dusts.

so why are these companies refusing to delay demolition until after the windy season??

(see KVIA channel 7 el paso tx current online video story about the spring windy season with weather reporter John Fausett, story from april 8 and http://www.kvia.com/video/StormTRACK-Weather-Spring-Dust-Storms/-/421452/19675106/-/q67g45z/-/index.html



Saturday, February 16, 2013

"Each year the River Rouge coal plant in Detroit releases enough pollution to cause approximately 44 deaths, 72 heart attacks, and 700 asthma attacks, according to a 2010 study by the Clean Air Task Force" ( page 5 March 2013  "GREEN AMERICA").   Imagine how many potential deaths and illnesses might have resulted from the pollution coming out of the ASARCO facility, including the off-gassing from the slag on site and the ten years of illegal radioactive and other noxious/hazardous waste burning from Asarco El Paso ( NY Times 10/06 and report(s) from local citizen who ran CA emission firm tests on his attic dust -- see the scribe link-- and the Idaho national Laboratory).  

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A book on Rocky Flats released today

To be published today June 5, Dr. Kristen Iversen " Full Body Burden: growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow".  



Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Wal-mart land by Executive-N.Mesa Drive to be developed next to Monticello by Geltmore

"EPT Land Communities, meantime, breaks ground May 12 [2011] on its massive $777-million Westside urban village named Montecillo. It will be located on almost 300 acres along Mesa Street between Castellano Drive and Festival Drive, and extending to Interstate 10. Less is known about a smart growth community[near Montecillo called "Aldea"] being developed by Geltmore, LLC... The property at Executive and I-10, adjacent to the Montecillo community, is owned by retail giant Wal-Mart, according to city economic development officials. ...."

http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/top_story/article_24b835f2-7738-11e0-bb50-0019bb30f31a.html

Geltmore has a history of doing land/retail development and sale to clients such as Wal-Mart (e.g. http://www.geltmore.com/geltmorestory.html ), which included at least one slap-suit (that the developers lost) against local citizen group(s) who did not want that development in their neighborhood.

The Aldea development would be located next to the El Paso west side sewage treatment plant, and the former Asarco facility (that the federal EPA and Dept. of Justice stated burned illegal hazardous wastes from 1991-1998).

Wal Mart installing concrete parking lots (2004)

"So why is the notoriously pennypinching company installing concrete parking lots? Simple – it recognizes that minimizing maintenance maximizes its investment in distribution centers that
serve an ever-growing number of stores. "

http://www.tnconcrete.org/tnconcrete/images/pdf_files/magazine/winter2004.pdf

USA Concrete Block maker in a China joint-venture

"In 1997, US-based SureBlock entered a joint venture with China's Tianjin People's Building Material Products Factory to make concrete masonry units (CMUs). Commonly known as concrete blocks....

"The ongoing challenge is to develop a [China] market for products for which there are no industry standards or construction codes. "This hinders sales until codes can be written," Crowley said....We often reprocess raw materials because of contamination."

http://www.munsonmachinery.com/CaseHistories/article.asp?ArtID=704

Wal-Mart citing green reasons for requiring fly-ash in its concrete flooring

"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has changed their construction specifications to require all interior steel-troweled concrete floors placed at Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, Sam's Clubs, and Distribution Centers to contain 15% to 20% fly ash by cement substitution."
,
Fly ash is the residue left from incineration of various materials and can contain extremely hazardous chemicals. As methods for disposing of this toxic material at a low cost are few, many industries have looked to road building and building materials as means to dispose of this stuff cheaply. However, it remains controversial how safe these disposal methods are, because the chemicals are not permanently sealed within the concrete forever and ever.

Wal-Mart
is the company that originally purchased around 300 acres of land at the N.Mesa-Executive Drive El Paso TX corner in 2005 from a realty-intermediary. Now development has begun on that site (less than one mile from the Asarco epi-center) to cluster high-density ("Smart code" i.e. "walkable" ) neighborhoods on that land, which is subjected to Asarco fugitive dusts and 100 years of chemical-deposition from the Asarco smelter emissions...

http://www.concreteconstruction.net/concrete-construction/adding-fly-ash-to-concrete-mixes-for-floor-constr.aspx


Foxconn Chair says that he wants to find out how the Taipei zoo manages animals because managing over one million human-animals gives him a headache

Foxconn is the main anchor industry at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry along the New Mexico- Mexico border within ten miles of the Asarco "epicenter"...

" 'Hon Hai (i.e. Foxconn) has a workforce of over one million worldwide and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache,' said Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou at a recent year-end party, adding that he wants to learn from Chin Shih-chien, director of Taipei Zoo, regarding how animals should be managed..."

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120119000111&cid=1102

FoxConn V.P. Latin America was heard at Sunland Park Racetrack annual Nafta business meeting several years ago telling the audience that "Foxconn keeps the employees in dorms they are easier to control".... since that date Foxconn/Hon Hai has made international news because its employees were jumping out of the windows in suicidal leaps, requiring that the company install nets below to prevent more deaths. Hon Hai has since raised the salary levels.