Community asks Governor for Honest Services

See Newspapertree article:
http://www.newspapertree.com/opinion/2112-perry-says-margo-asarco-protestors-hold-their-noses

Gioia Tauro (Calabrien, Italy): Protest Against Waste Incineration

"Incinerators are multi-billion dollar pollutors and waste the planet's valuable resources. (...) To continue promoting incineration while agreeing to eliminate persistent organic pollutants is sheer hypocrisy (...) Chemicals released from incinerators cause a variety of health problems, including immune and reproductive system defects, spontaneous abortions, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hormone disruption and cancers. Some fish caught in European Union waters are so contaminated with dioxins they have been declared unfit for human consumption..."

"Society continues to generate more waste and to change this alarming trend; strong political and industrial measures are urgently needed.
Despite what industry and governments would like people to believe, incineration is not a solution to the world’s waste problems, but part of the problem.
Incinerators may reduce the volume of solid waste, but they do not dispose of the toxic substances contained in the waste. They create the largest source of dioxins, which is one of the most toxic chemicals known to science.
Incinerators emit a wide range of pollutants in their stack gases, ashes and other residues. The filters used to clean incinerator stack gases produce solid and liquid toxic wastes, which also need to be disposed.
The only way to improve the situation is to avoid toxic waste production by improving our products and processes.
Public opposition to incineration is growing worldwide. People are recognising that there is no place for the incineration of waste in a sustainable society."

(From a Greenpeace Campaign) "

By nobody@flickr.com (Osvaldo_Zoom)
Incinerators may reduce the volume of solid waste, but they do not dispose of the toxic substances contained in the waste. They create the largest source of dioxins, which is one of the most toxic chemicals known to science. ...
Photos from Osvaldo_Zoom - http://www.flickr.com/photos/osvaldo_zoom/

TCEQ Commissioners Court Slideshow

commissioners court

ummm, what is a TOXIC SAMPLER??

Yep, we all can sure ok that permit as long as those "air samplers" and "TOXIC SAMPLERS as well" are there.....

Mr. Shaw, Commissioner in process of committing a crime(in my opinion) against the people in the Paso del Norte region

CAN'T ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS SAY TOXIC WASTE CONTAMINATION?

we are watching a crime in progress when a legal court does not address the contamination in the stack and facility and region that exists from the previous ILLEGAL TOXIC WASTE handling and incineration, in my lay opinion

Asarco Attorney rebuttal

"ASARCO is on the good side of average" Asarco Attorney says during the TCEQ Commissioners Court....

Can SHE say TOXIC WASTE?!??

TCEQ commissioners court in action

It is 1:17 (2:17 Austin Time) and no one wants to mention the illegal Toxic Waste CONTAMINATION at the court.

It is easy to say. Only two words.

Just try, Mr. Commissioners, you can say the words. After all, we have to breathe it, eat and drink it.

TCEQ agenda 1 PM ASARCO discussion

AGENDA Wednesday, February 13, 2008 TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 1:00 P.M. 12100 Park 35 Circle Room 201S, Bldg. E Item 1. TCEQ Docket No. 2004-0049-AIR; SOAH Docket No. 582-05-0593; Consideration of the Application by ASARCO Incorporated (ASARCO) for renewal of Air Quality Permit No. 20345 to authorize its continued operation and all related filings, including the Executive Director's Report to the Commission on the Renewal of Asarco Incorporated's Air Quality Permit No. 20345 prepared pursuant to the Commission's Interim Order of March 10, 2006, public comments, and the Executive Director’s Responses to Comments. The copper smelting plant is located at 2301 West Paisano Road, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas. (PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHO PLAN TO ATTEND THE TCEQ AGENDA AND WHO MAY NEED AUXILIARY AIDS OR SERVICES SUCH AS INTERPRETERS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF OR HEARING IMPAIRED, READERS, LARGE PRINT, OR BRAILLE ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CLERK AT (512) 239-3300 AT LEAST TWO (2) WORK DAYS PRIOR TO THE AGENDA, SO THAT APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE. PERSONS WHO DESIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF AN INTERPRETER IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR ORAL PRESENTATION AT THIS TCEQ AGENDA ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CLERK AT (512) 239-3300 AT LEAST FIVE (5) WORK DAYS PRIOR TO THE AGENDA SO THAT APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE.) REGISTRATION FOR AGENDA STARTS AT 12:30 P.M. UNTIL 1:00 P.M. PLEASE REGISTER BETWEEN THESE TIMES. LATE REGISTRATION COULD RESULT IN YOUR MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON YOUR ITEM. THE PUBLIC CAN VIEW LIVE AND ARCHIVED TCEQ MEETINGS ON THE INTERNET AT NO COST, AT: HTTP://WWW.TEXASADMIN.COM/cgi-bin/tnrcc.cgi

TCEQ commissioners agenda link

http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/agendas/comm/comm_agendas.html

Asarco protest

Asarco protest

By bullymike(bullymike)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.
meanderings - http://www.bullymike.com/

UTEP Prospector at least does mention the NYTIMES article about toxic waste

UTEP Prospector article quotes the NY Times article announcing how ASARCO had illegally burned toxic waste for years... the students make no comment. Wish that the students would ASK WHAT EPA/TCEQ/UTEP are HIDING -- WHAT IS THE TOXIC WASTE that no one will report???!!!

Students fight Asarco
Today about 70 UTEP students will travel to Austin to witness a historic moment for the city: a final hearing by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to consider renewing Asarco's air-quality permit, allowing or denying the ...
The Prospector - http://www.utepprospector.com

"The New York Times reported that the Environmental Protection Agency filed a $20-million cleanup and penalty settlement with Asarco, Inc. in 1999 for having illegally burned hazardous waste. Asarco Inc. faces thousands of environmental lawsuits according to the Times, and entered bankruptcy in 2005 to avoid cleanup costs of over $20 billion."

Oh where oh where has the-mention of Toxic waste gone...

(to be sung to the tune of "oh where oh where has my little dog gone....")

OH WHERE OH WHERE CAN IT BE?????

(our lungs, our soils, our water...)

EP Times -- what about the TOXIC WASTE??!!

Commissioners shouldn't let Asarco reopen
El Paso Times - El Paso,TX,USA
On Wednesday the commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have a choice: They can refuse to allow the Asarco smelter reopen, ...
See all stories on this topic

---

And Pam Giblin neglects to mention that neither the TCEQ or the Bankruptcy court or the EPA or ASARCO is talking about the TOXIC WASTE

TCEQ denies City's request in Asarco hearing
El Paso Times - El Paso,TX,USA
Pam Giblin an attorney for Asarco told the commission that postponing their decision would be a waste of time. "We are all as ready as we are going to be," ...
See all stories on this topic

David K. STILL not talking about the TOXIC WASTE!!!

EP Times Opinion Page Provides Thought Provoking Reading Today
By David K
Developers are involved, but only involved with the land across I-10 where all the big box retail is planned to go... just as soon as they can get the city to get a port of entry put in on the ASARCO land. No developer in his right mind ...
Refuse the Juice - http://refusethejuice.typepad.com/thinkaboutit/

Time for ASARCO and Environmental Regulators to come clean...

Next Wednesday in Austin the TCEQ will decide whether or not to grant ASARCO (El Paso) their air permit so that they can restart the smelter. No one wants the smelter to reopen - not Mexico, not New Mexico and not El Paso TX. But there is a fraud/cover-up. In the ASARCO bankruptcy proceeding in Corpus Christi they are refusing to discuss the toxic waste handled and burned illegally by ASARCO in the 1990's. And, in the Paso del Norte region no one asks what toxic waste is here from that illegal burning.

They are dividing up the company assets, deciding what damages/liabilities they have to still pay for, and NOT DISCUSSING THE ILLEGAL TOXIC WASTE that got into the Paso del Norte soils, air, the Rio Grande and the international Hueco aquifer.

Meanwhile, just several miles up river from the El Paso smelter the 2nd largest N.M. regional dump is renewing a ten year permit -- and its application would allow it to accept (radioactive) Uranium mining and milling waste into that dump. That radioactivity will outlast the dump's liners. That dirt would be blown all over the region, and the isotopes would flow with the dirt during rain and wind events into the dump's unlined storm ponds to likely flow down the documented Sunland (park) surface fault (that extends along sunland park drive and then the edge of the dump) into the aquifer below. (A whole pile of that waste sits up at Coyote Canyon in Navajo N.M. land, stockpiled by EPA Region 6).

It is time that the community asked what EPA Region 6 is hiding, what Asarco is hiding --- what all these powerful concerns are hiding from us about what ASARCO poisoned us with. Has anyone seen a dioxin report on the Paso del Norte region? No. Has anyone seen a comprehensive beta radiation level plot graphed of our region? No. Has anyone seen a comprehensive chemical analysis of the Asarco pond-dirt that Asarco felt was bad enough that they railed it all the way back to Corpus Christi? No. What about a PCB report/chemical analysis? No. Can the EPA water lab find the chemical report and records for when they came out here in 2001 to try to duplicate Rio Grande samples from an unpublished UTEP masters thesis (running a mini double membrane osmosis treatment system at the Canal street station)? NO.

Are we and have we been sacrificed? YES.

The powers that be must think that we are ignorant stupid people down here in El Paso to sit idly by and simply ask for the smelter to be CLOSED without asking WHAT ARE THEY HIDING and WHAT TOXIC WASTE IS HERE??????????

Poisoned Community

** Why won't anyone talk about the illegal ASARCO toxic waste being concealed by our environmental authorities and Asarco?!?! **

Asarco opposes Grupo's request for examiner in bankruptcy case

"New York (Platts)--4Feb2008

Grupo Mexico's recent request for a court-appointed examiner in the
Asarco bankruptcy case is being opposed by several parties, including US
copper producer Asarco and the United Steelworkers union, who urged a Texas
court on Monday to reject Grupo's application.....

In new filings with the court, Asarco and the USW opposed the examiner
request while the United States, also a party to the case, said it has
"serious questions" about the need for an examiner....

The USW said it "strongly opposes" Grupo's request.

It's unclear when Schmidt will rule on Grupo's request.

--Bob Matyi, newsdesk@platts.com"
http://www.platts.com/Metals/News/6752266.xml?src=Metalsrssheadlines1

Asarco says it will sell its assets to fund Chapter 11 plan

[distributed under Fair Use]

"AP - February 4, 2008 6:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Copper-mining company Asarco (LLC) says it will sell all of its assets and has established a process for interested buyers to submit offers.......

Tucson-based Asarco didn't identify interested buyers in court papers, but it said it has held discussions with six bidders..."
http://www.kxxv.com/global/story.asp?s=7821223&ClientType=Printable

Mounds of refuse have built up across the Campania region and residents have clashed with police, blocking roads and setting fire to the rubbish.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7220332.stm

residents don't trust the dumps, don't want the dumps because of the illegal materials going into them and the health hazards....incineration has been used by other cities and shut down because of the dioxins (and other toxics) released .... THE ONLY ANSWER IS RECYCLING. RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE.


"...Commission spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich told the BBC News website that she believed the people of Naples supported the Commission's approach.

She said EU funds had been allocated for the building of an incinerator but the authorities were not moving ahead fast enough.
Ms Helfferich said there was no proper management plan for refuse disposal, tackling illegal dumping, and ensuring toxic waste was properly handled"