Scroll to end: click web view. Mrs. Mcmurray 's obtained proof Asarco smelter poisoned El Paso TX through what the EPA & US DOJ said was illegal burning of illegal hazardous/radioactive wastes 1991-98. (see 73 page 1998 conf. for settlement purposes only DOJ EPA Asarco doc,10/06 nytimes) We have never been told what actinides, forever chemicals, dioxins etc are present from illegal Asarco actions see "Asarco secret document"
Please donate (see sidebar) to help recoup costs of the work to uncover and blog the information contained here"THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING"
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Texas Smelter site in Galveston shows low-level radioactive compounds as well as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead etc......
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/contaminants/NRDAR/SiteInformation/Texas/TexTin.pdf
*WHY WON'T THE EL PASO ASARCO SITE PUBLISH CHEMICAL TESTING DATA FOR ALL THOSE SAME COMPOUNDS?*
1991 El Paso Texas was recharging the Hueco aquifer with re-injection of tertiary-treated wastewater....
Abstract Tertiary-treated wastewater currently (1991) is being injected into the Hueco bolson aquifer at a site in northeastern El Paso, Texas, to supplement the quantity of available freshwater. Hydrologic data were compiled and water-quality and bacterial data were collected from existing wells near the Hueco Bolson Recharge Project (HBRP) in August and September 1990 and 1991. Borehole tracer tests indicated upward ground-water flow in nearly all tested intervals of several observation wells. The cumulative volume of injected water was less than the volume produced from wells adjacent to the HBRP area. Water levels in three production wells, located more than 1.5 miles from the injection wells, declined at rates comparable to those observed before injection operations. Water levels in wells located within 0.75 mile of the injection-well pipeline declined at a slower rate after HBRP injection operations had begun. Between 1985 and 1991, water levels in observation wells located within 700 feet of an injection well either did not appreciably decline, or declined at smaller rates than water levels in more distant production wells. Trihalomethane compounds were detected in water from 8 of the 16 observation and production wells sampled in 1990 and in 10 of the 17 wells sampled in 1991. Concentrations trihalomethane compounds in these samples ranged from 0.05 to 1.9 mg/L in 1990 and from 0.05 to 1.4 mg/L in 1991. Concentrations of trihalomethane compounds in samples of injected water from two wells were 27.8 and 34.6 mg/L respectively, in 1991. Dibromomethane and dichloromethane were detected in water from injection wells and from observation wells within about 700 feet of the injection wells. Aerobic bacteria were determined to be the only bacteria type present in ground water except for samples from two wells, which also contained denitrifying bacteria. The populations of aerobic bacteria determined in ground water ranged from 80 to more than 160,000 most probable number of organisms per milliliter of sample.
20090200 Enviornmental, Safety and Health professional at the [El Paso Asarco] plant deflamatory comment after announcement of its closing....
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/el-paso-times/TSUM1VJIPTE4ET8UF
Anne Fischel Lin Nelson report for CHEJ
For Financial Impacts Section: Focus on the Asarco bankruptcy story
“Corporate Bankruptcy Threatens Rights to Public Health”
(available through Bing search engine, "asarco illegal waste")":
http://acdrupal.evergreen.edu/envirohealth/system/files/CHEJ%20%20Report%20-%20Fin%20Impacts-Asarco-rev.doc
see:
http://acdrupal.evergreen.edu/envirohealth/home
-- The report needs to mention that the bankruptcy fails to consider the 1998 (now public) EPA-DOJ confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only document that proves ASARCO illegally burned unmanifested toxic wastes for profit for years. And, the report needs to say the whole bankruptcy is a sham unless it considers this waste and what chemicals were left in our communities from those secret activities
Type 2 diabetes (reported to be very high in El Paso)
For the study, the researchers analyzed 788 adults age 20 and older who had their urine tested for arsenic levels as part of a study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2003-2004, a nationwide health study that for the first time collected and tested arsenic levels in urine.
The study found that participants with type 2 diabetes had a 26 percent higher level of total arsenic in their urine compared to those not having the disease."A 2006 Science News article reported the discovery of a new hormone, produced in our bones, that controls blood sugar better than insulin. Not all water filtration units remove arsenic.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
How to live on a former Asarco smelter site
".... the cities of Ruston and Tacoma make money from the trickle down of millionaires, the developer rides the housing bubble through the crisis, and the EPA finds a new owner to take care of the toxic cleanup. But whatever kills you after three years is your own problem, because after the property is sold it has a three-year warranty. But, they add reassuringly in their FAQ, there will be a homeowners association prepared to manage that risk for you."
http://utopiaorbust.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/photo-message-from-a-toxic-waste-site/
Friday, June 5, 2009
1988 "Only Asarco’s El Paso smelter currently treats concentrates that are considered to have high levels of volatile impurities"
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Copper: Technology and Competitiveness,
OTA-E-367 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, September 1988).
1998: Yet another study that showed it is not just Lead-pottery and Lead-candy-wrappers
and Silver Valley-Revisited Lead Study [17]. In the Midvale Community Lead Study [22] ....
The isopleths [i.e. graphs], which show increasing soil-lead concentrations in the vicinity of the smelters,
“support the conclusion that the smelters are the primary sources of lead contamination in the
area.” In addition, the Heavy Metal Exposure Study [60] found that “there was a general trend
toward increasing levels of environmental metal burdens with proximity to the smelter.” The
evidence for the emitter being the contributing source of the lead, therefore, stems from
increasing soil-lead concentrations with decreasing distance from the emitter."
February 1998
EPA 747-R-98-001a
FINAL REPORT
SOURCES OF LEAD IN SOIL:
A LITERATURE REVIEW
Prepared by
Battelle Memorial Institute
Technical Programs Branch
Chemical Management Division
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
"In 1999, Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D. C. published a report on .... uranium and radioactive chemicals in the “Copper Belt” of Southern Arizona."
"Levels in excess of the federal MCLs and state guidelines were found in groundwater and surface water samples, as well as soil and sediment samples at abandoned and active copper mines. TENORM exceedences were also found in groundwater at active and inactive copper mines. Uranium byproducts were recovered from heap leach dumps and in-situ operations that feed SX-EW and ion exchange circuits at several copper mines. Radioactivity was discovered in copper mineral processing waste streams. Elevated levels of radioactivity were also found to occur in the process solutions and process wastes."
For entire report, see: www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/tenorm/402-r-99-002.pdf "
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Asarco Bankruptcy Hearing friday
http://www.hedgeco.net/news/news_land.php?i=http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2009/06/03/news/doc4a2022be4f4fc331210698.txt
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"Vedanta tumbles on Asarco bidding war"
Vedanta tumbles on Asarco bidding war · Finance Yard By Financial Times .....Read the full story on the Financial Times. |
“We are concerned that the higher bid by Grupo México could lead to Vedanta overpaying for the Asarco assets,” said GMP analyst Matt Fernley, who cut Vedanta to “hold”. He valued the Asarco assets at just $1.8bn."
Semi-privatization of PEMEX through "service contracts" - coming up in JULY
PEMEX service contract model to be ready by July
"Americas Mining Company Wins Right to Appeal Judgement in ASARCO Ruling without Posting Cash Bond"
"...U.S. Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the Fifth Circuit District Court in Brownsville, Texas yesterday granted Grupo Mexico the right to post an alternative financial guarantee to secure its Motion for Stay. In its opinion, the Court said it would allow AMC [subsidiary of Grupo Mexico] to place in escrow shares of Southern Copper Corporation [Peru] stock rather than a cash bond, as was requested by ASARCO, to secure the enforcement of any judgment at appeal. The appeal is expected to take at least a year...."
updates from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding the ASARCO site in El Paso, TX.
"A proposed settlement agreement was filed with the bankruptcy court by the state of Texas and ASARCO. Under the proposed settlement agreement, ASARCO's El Paso smelter property will be placed in an environmental custodial trust and managed by a custodial trustee. Though the custodial trust approach has not yet been approved by the bankruptcy court in the ASARCO case, the TCEQ wishes to identify a potential trustee in the event that one must be chosen quickly as a result of the bankruptcy process. Any interested party is required to respond to the Request for Information (RFI), which is posted http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=82052. The deadline for submittal of responses to the RFI was June 1, 2009. The TCEQ received 25 submittals and is proceeding with evaluations."
You can also view this update on the main ASARCO web page.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Poker game raises the bid -- but, what are the stakes?
"Americas Mining Company, a Grupo Mexico Affiliate, Amends Reorganization Plan to Retain Equity Interest in ASARCO LLC"
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090602005819&newsLang=en
"Insurer Objects To Grupo's Asarco Plan Disclosures"
"Insurance company Century Indemnity Co..... lodged its objection Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, claiming that the Mexican parent company’s disclosure statement fails to provide adequate information..."
Monday, June 1, 2009
20090504 Grupo Mexico could potentially win $2.6 Billion dollars if Sterlite loses their ASARCO bid (that's a lot of money)
"Asarco's independent board and Sterlite sought the approval of certain conditions under which Asarco would grant a release from the potential $2.6 billion lawsuit to be brought against Sterlite for having breached the original purchase agreement to buy Asarco's assets.
However, Judge Schmidt (of bankruptcy court) ruled that such release will not take effect if it is the Grupo Mexico Reorganization Plan the one that is eventually confirmed and approved, in which case Asarco, under the control of Grupo Mexico, would be able to pursue the aforementioned suit against Sterlite," Grupo Mexico said....."
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sterlite-may-face-26-bn-suit-if-asarco-bid-fails/00/29/60437/on
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2007 TXDOT leases TX Pacific Rail line to Grupo Mexico
...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]
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
April 23 2009: Harbinger sells CALPINE common stock (20 million shares)
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