ALL COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY

Eight years of data collection shows mercury levels 47% higher in areas near power plants

(News from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection)
Sample results from Pennsylvania's two longest-running mercury deposition collection sites reinforce other state and national studies that show the neurotoxin tends to concentrate around local emission sources, creating hot spots of contamination. Data collected over eight years by Penn State University for the PA Department of Environmental Protection show mercury levels 47 percent higher in areas closer to power plants.

"Several independent studies have shown how local efforts to control mercury protect public health, improve air quality and clean the environment," DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. "The data show that if Pennsylvania wants to protect the unborn, young children and other vulnerable populations, mercury needs to be controlled at its source," McGinty said.

The data were collected at two sites -- Cresson in Cambria County and Wellsboro in Tioga County -- between 1997 and 2004. The sites were selected because of their significantly different profile relative to locations to nearby coal-fired electric generating stations.

The Cresson site, which is fairly close to and downwind of a number of large coal-fired electric utilities in southwestern Pennsylvania, reported an average wet deposition rate of mercury that was 47 percent higher than results collected at the northern tier monitoring site. Wellsboro is at a much greater distance from any coal-fired utilities. Penn State's eight years of sampling results for the Pennsylvania DEP add to the body of scientific work already completed on mercury deposition.

In February, research funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that nearly 70 percent of the mercury collected at an Ohio River Valley monitoring site originated from nearby coal-burning industrial plants. Conducted over two years in Steubenville, Ohio, the study is the first in which scientists used rain samples and meteorological data to track mercury from smokestacks to monitors.

An earlier EPA Office of Water study found local sources within a state commonly contribute more than 50 percent to 80 percent of the mercury deposition.

Last month, Massachusetts reported a 32-percent average decrease in the level of mercury found in a signature freshwater fish, yellow perch, caught in nine lakes in the northeast corner of the state, where a cluster of incinerators is located. The reductions came seven years after the state enacted the nation's toughest mercury emission laws for incinerators. Comparatively, yellow perch from lakes elsewhere in the state recorded a 15 percent drop on average.

Massachusetts' Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Arleen O'Donnell said in published reports officials were stunned by the dramatic turnaround. "We weren't expecting to see such drastic reductions in such a short time frame," she said. "This is really significant because this is a cumulative toxin -- the thought was it took a long time to get this high in the environment and it was going to take a long time to reverse it."

Other studies have had similar findings. A Florida Everglades study showed that mercury concentrations found in fish and wading birds there dropped by 60 to 70 percent due to local mercury emission reduction efforts.

Pennsylvania has a compelling case for seeking a state-specific rule that cuts mercury emissions faster and more substantially than EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule. The commonwealth has 36 coal-fired power plants with 78 electric generating units that represent 20,000 megawatts of capacity. These units accounted for approximately three-fourths of the more than 5 tons of mercury emitted into the air from all contamination sources in the commonwealth, ranking us second only to Texas in terms of total mercury emissions.

The concept of "clean coal" is a lie! Don't believe the ads!

You wanna put a windmill where?!?!?

Gadzooks kids, "they" are planning on putting giant wind generators IN THE LAKES. Well, it's one thing to harness the wind on shore in the dunes - I'm all for that - but wouldn't it be a heck of lot more expensive to actually build the damn things in the MIDDLE of Lake Michigan? You gotta wonder what these folks are thinking.

Energy experts are set to meet in Madison, WI and Toledo, OH, next month to talk about the prospects of implanting giant electricity-generating windmills in the Great Lakes. Here we go, the fight is about to begin.

Jolly Mr. Poseidon says, "Not without an Environmental Impact Statement, Dumbasses." And that's a process that will take decades. Good Luck.

Educate yourself: Tilting at turbines: Talk swirls of Great Lakes windmills, by Todd Richmond, Associated Press Writer

Illinois Approves Funding for More Intercity Trains

On May 5th, the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Blagojevich approved funding to expand passenger rail service in Illinois. The Chicago-St. Louis corridor will get two additional round-trip trains each day, and the Chicago-Quincy and Chicago-Carbondale lines will each get one additional train per day. This is the first expansion of intercity passenger rail service in Illinois since Amtrak was founded in 1971.

This victory was a result of the Environmental Law & Policy Center's work with the United Transportation Union and the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. The three groups reached out to university presidents, state legislators and more than 300 mayors and other elected officials from all over Illinois to gain their support of the expansion. The new service should begin this fall.

Liberal media hitlist... Here's the best this week

Below is an awesome list of interesting stuff that I just don't have time to sit down and rant about, glad someone else has the energy. Enjoy!


Whistle-Blower's Evidence
Former AT&T technician Mark Klein's firsthand account tells how he discovered a secret room routing American internet traffic straight to the NSA...along with all the documents he says prove his case.
Wired


VIDEO, Going to Pot
Bill O'Reilly has a fair and balanced conversation with Ricardo Cortez, author of the fabulous children's book about marijuana, It's Just a Plant. Check out the book.
See the video: Magic Propaganda Mill, YouTube



Chews Wisely
In an essay from his book, "Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew", author Samuel Fromartz suggests the choice between local and organic foods is a false one.
Samuel Fromartz, Grist Magazine


Undocumented War Profiteers
Matt Bors, Idiot Box


Meet the Shock Troops of the Christian Youth
They're here! They're Queer!... oh, wait, wrong kids. If you've been waiting until the Christian fascist movement started filling stadiums with young people and hyping them up to do battle in "God's army" to get alarmed, wait no longer. Now is the time to arm yourself against those who think they are righteous... and I'm not talking about the Muslims.

Sunsara Taylor, ZNet



The Midas Touch
In Alaska's Bristol Bay region, the continent's biggest deposit could produce more gold than the Klondike gold rush—and put the world's largest salmon fishery out of business.
Kenneth Miller, Mother Jones


Lure of the Urban Veggie Garden
For Wally Satzewich, the kick of urban gardening is making fat money and sticking it to the Man. Thing is, he's doing it growing leafy greens in people's back yards.
Bryan Zandberg, The Tyee


Minimum number of times that Frederick Douglass was beaten in what is now Donald Rumsfeld's vacation home: 25
Harper's


What Exactly is "Development"?
India's development debate has actually regressed this past decade. For one thing, a single, homogenised view of development is being shoved down from above. Whether it works or does not work is not the issue. Any departure from it is heresy. If you oppose the draining of people's water by Coca Cola and the poisoning of their wells, that's anti-development.
P. Sainath, Counter Punch



Queering the Code
The Vatican is right about one thing: Dan Brown's story doesn't really make historical or artistic sense. Leonardo da Vinci's work is coded, all right... it's gay. As for me, I couldn't put the book down. I read DVC in one weekend.
Michael Bronski, Boston Phoenix

SENATOR CARL LEVIN WRITES TO THE BEAR...

Bear Advocates "Fatties Walk Act," severe penalties for obese people driving SUV's

Today I received correspondence from Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), who sits on the Senate Armed Services, Governmental Affairs, Small Business and Intelligence commitees, detailing his position on the Climate Stewardship Act of 2005 introduced into Congress by Senator McCain in February. Senator Levin is opposed to the act saying "We cannot address a global problem with a unilateral solution."

The stated purpose of the Climate Stewardship Act is to provide for "a program of scientific research on abrupt climate change, to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by establishing a market-driven system of greenhouse gas tradeable allowances, to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and reduce dependence upon foreign oil, and ensure benefits to consumers from the trading in such allowances."

Senator Levin: "The United States must take a leadership role in addressing climate change, but that leadership must move us in the right direction. It is not sound leadership to give additional incentives to businesses to move their facilities, and the jobs that go with them, to other countries that do not have the costly environmental standards this bill would have imposed on US businesses. It is not sound leadership to simply shift industrial emissions from American soil to countries that have no emissions standards. And it's centainly not sound leadership to act unilaterally in a way that puts US manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage when there is no incentive for other countries to follow. In fact, the opposite is true. The unilateral appproach in the Climate Stewardship Act would provide an economic incentive for countries that are gaining our manufacturing jobs not to follow our lead..."

Indeed Senator, this Bear concurs with the above point about the importance of jobs. The rapid heating of the Earth is everyone's problem, and we need a comprehensive approach. But we are running out of time and we need a solution fast. We have 25 years until the Arctic ice cap is gone. That means major flooding on the coasts, increased magnitude of storms, and worsening drought in many parts of the inland areas. With all of these you get refugees, suffering, hunger, disease and war. Add to all that another 2 to 3 billion more humans - global population is now projected to be 9.2 billion by 2018 - and any idiot can see that we must act now.

We can start by leaving our cars and riding our bikes. Most of our kids are too damn fat anyway. Lets get all the fatties on pedal powered vehicles. It's a simple thing really that will help enormously.

Black Bear Speaks is now advocating the "Fattie Walks to Work Act". It's a simple piece of legislation that I just created that requires any fat fuck to walk or ride his bike everywhere he or she goes. The penalty for breaking the law is a swift beating by your fellow - somewhat smaller - neighbors. Under my law it will be perfectly legal to drag a 300lb man out of his Hummer and hit him upside the head with a 2x4, then take his keys and make him walk home. Think about it Senator Levin, isn't it about time we take all the fat slobs in the US out of their SUV's and make them walk? My Act will reduce the rate of global warming, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut health care costs of American businesses, and everyone's community will look better because there won't be any fatasses laying half naked in lawn chairs pouring Budweiser and chocolate sauce over Moosetracks ice cream.

Hope you like my idea Senator Levin. I'd be happy to come to your office and discuss it further. Are you free anytime next week?

Record amounts of the Arctic ocean failed to freeze

Record amounts of the Arctic ocean failed to freeze during the recent winter, new figures show, spelling disaster for wildlife and strengthening concerns that the region is locked into a destructive cycle of irreversible climate change. Satellite measurements show the area covered by Arctic winter sea ice reached an all-time low in March, down some 300,000 square kilometers last year. Scientists say the decline highlights an alarming new trend, with recovery of the ice in winter no longer sufficient to compensate for increased melting in the summer.

If the cycle continues, the Arctic ocean could lose all of its ice much earlier than expected, possibly by 2030. For me, that means the polar ice caps will be gone just about the time I retire.

Read more in The Guardian

America's Toxic 100

Researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts last week released the Toxic 100, an updated list of the top corporate air polluters.

The Toxic 100 index is based on air releases of hundreds of chemicals from industrial facilities across the United States. The rankings take into account not only the quantity of releases, but the relative toxicity of chemicals, nearby populations, and factors such as prevailing winds and height of smokestacks. The Toxic 100 index identifies the top air polluters among corporations that appear in the Fortune 500, Forbes 500, and Standard & Poor's 500 lists of the country's largest firms. The Toxic 100's top five companies are E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., US Steel, ConocoPhillips, GE, and Eastman Kodak.

A new feature is that readers can see the details behind each company, such as individual facilities owned by the corporation, specific chemicals they emit, their toxicities, and their contributions to the company's overall Toxic Score.

Supreme Court votes for environment on clean water case

The Supreme Court sided with the environment over electric power yesterday, ruling that state regulators may require a steady flow of water over power dams to benefit both fish and boaters. The unanimous decision holds that states may protect the health of their rivers, even though hydroelectric power dams are regulated exclusively by the federal government. The dispute arose over five small dams on the Presumpscot River in Maine, but the court's decision affects an estimated 1,500 power dams in 45 states.

There are two critical Clean Water Act cases still before the Supreme Court. Both from Michigan, they will determine whether federal regulators can continue to protect inland wetlands and small streams from development or pollution. Private-property activists say the Clean Water Act protects only rivers and lakes that are "navigable," where boats can float, not wetlands that are far inland. Decisions in those cases are due by late June.

It's suprising to me that Bush administration lawyers joined all three clean water cases on the side of the environmentalists.

Power generation from coal mine methane

Caterpillar Inc. has landed a $58 million contract from China to supply the power generation equipment for the world's largest power plant fueled by coal mine methane. This project is the result of the Methane to Markets Partnership, a U.S. led initiative that now includes 17 countries.

Eventually the power plant will produce 120 megawatts of electricity from coalbed and coal mine methane from the Sihe mine, in addition to exhaust gas heat that will be recovered to produce usable hot water and steam for the mining operations. Once the project has been completed, it's estimated that 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be avoided each year. This is equal to emissions from approximately one million cars annually.

The Methane to Markets Partnership was launched in November 2004 to advance cost-effective, near-term methane recovery and use as a source of clean energy. Methane is a greenhouse gas.

The U.S. Government is committing up to $53 million over the next five years to support the Methane to Markets Partnership. The coalbed and coal mine methane clearinghouse in China serves as a focal point for international and domestic investors and project developers.

Billions for Iraq, but...

...here in the good old USA we don't have the money to fix our crumbling infrastructure. This dock is going to be fixed by volunteers because the parks department doesn't have the cash. Who's going to replace the bridge?

Whatever happened to good old fashioned hangings?

In June 2001, 23 year-old forest defense activist Jeff Luers was sentenced to 22 years and 8 months in prison for the burning of three SUV's in Eugene, Oregon. To make a statement about global warming, Jeff and his codefendent, Craig 'Critter' Marshall, set fire to the trucks at a Eugene car dealership. Their stated purpose was to raise awareness about global warming and the role that SUVs play in that process. No one was hurt. An arson specialist at trial confirmed that the action did not pose any threat to people based on its size and distance from any fuel source.

So, despite the fact that this action hurt no one and the trucks were later repaired and sold, Luers was sent to prison for a sentence considerably longer than those convicted of murder, kidnapping and rape in Oregon. Why?

Why indeed. I would like to say that it's because this dumbass and his dumbass buddy set fire to 3 sweet brand new trucks and anyone stupid enough to do that should get lynched on the nearest Douglas fir, but actually it's because Luers is now considered a terrorist. It's one thing to be a friggin' idiot, but it's quite something else when your idiocy gets labled "terror." My argument is that this is a case of misguided and unfocused passionate beliefs inflamed by a rather low IQ level. This should not be considered terrorism.

Luers continues to write and agitate for his release while imprisoned at Oregon State Penetentiary. His appeal was filed in January 2002 and oral arguments before the Oregon Court of Appeals were heard on November 30, 2005. The judge has not yet issued his opinion. Come on judge, have some pity on this guy, don't make him a martyr for a cause that free market forces are in the process of actually fixing. He's a martyr for nothing, he's just a dumb kid. Let him go.

Read a recent 'Grist' interview with Luers. You can find out more about Jeff Luers on his website..



There's also a Weekend of Resistance Against the Green Scare - June 9-11, 2006, which seems to advocate resistance to a movement against a movement. Oh for the love of god, why? Makes my bowels want to move.

Halliburton has a solution for global warming

An advanced new technology will keep corporate managers safe even when climate change makes life as we know it impossible. "The SurvivaBall is designed to protect the corporate manager no matter what Mother Nature throws his or her way," said Fred Wolf, a Halliburton representative. "This technology is the only rational response to abrupt climate change."

At a recent conference, Wolf and a colleague demonstrated three SurvivaBall mockups, and described how the units will sustainably protect managers from natural or cultural disturbances of any intensity or duration. The devices - looking like huge inflatable orbs - will include sophisticated communications systems, nutrient gathering capacities, onboard medical facilities, and a daunting defense infrastructure to ensure that the corporate mission will not go unfulfilled even when most human life is rendered impossible by catastrophes or the consequent epidemics and armed conflicts.

Don't believe me? Halliburton conference, more photos. Site includes Quicktime Movies with info on "gathering nutrition," "dancing for joy," and "fending off marauders."

Vedder is in my livingroom!!!

Okay, not really. But I just want to point out to everyone that the new Pearl Jam album kicks butt! Whew, stong work boys, excellent songwriting.

All things Pearl Jam

Holy Crap! Bush Administration supports wind power project

Stolen from Grist:

The Cape Wind project planned for Nantucket Sound has found new allies. On Thursday, Undersecretary of Energy David Garman sent a letter urging Congress to drop a measure that would allow the Massachusetts governor (currently Mitt Romney, a Cape Wind opponent) to block the wind farm. Garman points out that New England is struggling to meet energy demands and says the measure would "inhibit the development of this clean, domestic, renewable energy resource." A bipartisan group of Congressfolk has also announced that they will try to kill the amendment, attached to a Coast Guard spending bill. "It sets a terrible precedent," said Senate Energy Committee Chair Pete Domenici (R-N.M.). Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) vowed to continue fighting for the measure, saying that Cape Wind is a sweetheart deal for the developer -- and a really bad deal for the view from his family's estate.

Grant from Mott Foundation to improve Flint River Trail

Flint River Trail is a hiking and biking path that runs between the Flint Farmers' Market and Bluebell Beach on Mott Lake. Now, thanks to state and federal grants and the
Ruth Mott Foundation, it's going to rock.

More Info on Mlive

Ruth Mott Foundation

Roger Penske cleans up Detroit

With a budget of $1.2 million for the rest of this year and $1.5 million next year, Penske will oversee the effort to keep the downtown business district as clean as it was for Super Bowl XL.

More Info in the Detroit News

More on the Canadian trash problem...

Incinerating the garbage that Ontario trucks to Michigan landfills could produce enough power for about 200,000 homes, not enough to solve the province's looming energy crisis but certainly a help.

Ontario is in the midst of a waste-disposal crisis, with municipalities and businesses sending nearly 4 million tonnes of garbage to Michigan each year, much of it from the Greater Toronto Area.

More Info in the Toronto Star

Read Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow's letter to me regarding the relationship between Canadian trash shipments and Homeland Security

Over here in West Michigan...

River cleanup group to meet Wednesday night

A group of local residents concerned about wastewater being dumped into the Grand River watershed will hold an organizational meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Grand River Sailing Club, 209 N. Harbor Ave. in Grand Haven.

More Info

$10 MILLION for alternative energy projects from Pennsylvania

Governor Rendell today announced Pennsylvania will create jobs in the rapidly growing alternative energy industry and provide affordable, reliable energy by investing $10 million in new clean energy projects. Grants will leverage private investments to deploy the next generation of clean, renewable energy sources made in Pennsylvania.

Governor Rendell made $5 million in grants available for the third round of Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority funding. Brought back to life by the Governor after years of inactivity, PEDA has awarded $15 million in grants and loans for 41 clean energy projects that will leverage another $200 million in private investment. The projects will create 1,558 permanent and construction jobs. Research projects, if successful, could net as many as 327 full-time jobs.

The Governor also announced $5 million in available grants for the fourth round of funding under the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Grant Program. The program has awarded $15.9 million and leveraged another $43.7 million in private funds for more than 100 clean energy projects since its inception in 2003.

Energy Harvest grants will fund innovative energy deployment projects that emphasize protecting air or water quality while supporting economic development and enhancing the quality of life.

Eligible proposals include renewable energy deployment, including biomass energy; waste coal reclamation for energy; deployment of innovative energy efficiency technologies; and distributed generation projects.

Applicants for PEDA financing can seek grant assistance for capital costs for a variety of innovative, advanced energy projects and for businesses interested in locating their advanced energy operations in Pennsylvania.

Eligible PEDA projects may include solar energy; wind; low-impact hydropower; geothermal; biologically derived methane gas, including landfill gas; biomass; fuel cells; coal-mine methane; waste coal; integrated gasification combined cycle; demand management measures, including recycled energy and energy recovery, energy efficiency and load management; and clean, alternative fuels for transportation.

PEDA project priorities include solar, distributed generation for critical public infrastructure and clean, alternative fuels for transportation.

Proposals will be evaluated on a variety of criteria, including ability to promote indigenous energy resources, encourage energy diversity and enhance energy security. Projects will be judged on the potential to create jobs and stimulate investment in the commonwealth. Potential environmental benefits, as well as technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness, also will be considered.

Pennsylvania has a goal of 18 percent of all energy generation comes from clean, efficient sources by 2020. Pennsylvania leads in wind production east of the Mississippi, providing enough clean energy to power some 70,000 homes. Gamesa, the second largest wind energy company in the world, is investing $84 million in Pennsylvania for four manufacturing facilities and its North American headquarters. As many as 1,000 jobs will be created over five years.

The nation's very first coal gasification-liquefaction is proposed for Schuylkill County. Construction of Waste Management's waste-coal-to-diesel plant would create as many as 1,000 jobs; operating the plant would produce another 600 permanent, high-paying positions. The proposed plant would clean up tens of millions of tons of waste coal while giving the state and consumers clean diesel at a fraction of the market price.

Pennsylvania recently was recognized for its national energy leadership in working to put landfill gas to work for the economy. Granger Energy's Lanchester Landfill project supplies treated gas to several companies to use in place of natural gas in boilers and processes, displacing their reliance on natural gas.

Your next printer will use less electricity

A typical home office with a fax, printer, copier and scanner is projected to save more than $300 over the life of the products thanks to new Energy Star specifications for imaging equipment. For the first time, the specifications cover energy use when the product is in use as well as in standby.

The new specifications were developed because market research showed that technology had evolved in response to the Energy Star program, raising new opportunities to improve efficiency. On average, Energy Star qualifying imaging equipment will be 30 percent more efficient than conventional models. The revisions will save consumers more than $3 billion over the next five years and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of more than four million cars.

Imaging equipment uses a sizable amount of energy across the United States. This year, approximately 275 million imaging equipment products will consume more than $3.6 billion in energy each year, accounting for two percent of total electricity expenditures.

Under the updated specifications, only the most energy-efficient of today's imaging products will earn the Energy Star, representing the top of their class. These new specifications are scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 2007, pending adoption by the European Commission. EPA first allowed imaging equipment to earn the Energy Star in 1993.

Products that have earned the Energy Star save energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $12 billion on their energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 23 million vehicles.

Information on new imaging equipment specifications

Will the Lakes protect us from climate change?

Global warming caused by human activity likely will have significant effects on American coastal areas, scientists say. The buildup of greenhouse gases and the accompanying rise in temperature could affect marine food chains, wind patterns and climates.

Read More

Send Me $500 Immediately or this tree gets the axe...

I was out in the yard today sitting under this tree. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Then I decided to hold it for ransom. It's going to be a gruesome death kids, pay up or the Flowering Dogwood takes it right in the trunk! I'll do it, I swear! The clock is ticking. I've give you to the end of May, then this tree gets sliced and diced!

Black Bear readers keep sending links...

Thanks to all the readers who've been emailing lately. You guys crack me up continuously. The majority of you don't leave comments on the blog, you seem to want to talk to me personally. Not a bad thing really, I've been having email conversations with people all over the planet. Pretty cool.

Here's a list of links that your fellow readers have been sending me. Keep it up kids!
I can't check out everything, just not enough time. If you've sent something that isn't on this list, be patient. I'll get around to it eventually.

I particularly enjoyed these: Seed Magazine (not what you think!) and LiP Magazine(exactly what you think!)

These are worth a quick scan:
Naropa
Institute for Social Ecology
Ecospheric Ethics
ecofem.org
The Ecostery Foundation
Resurgence Magazine
Information for Action
The Taproot Foundation - Chicago

More later.

Ann Arbor City Council passes resolution on reduction of fossil fuels

Saying his program would make the city among the leaders in green energy in the country, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje introduced his goals for steering the city away from fossil fuels. Good for you Mr. Mayor!
Read more here.

The Black Bear "Dumb Idea of the Month Award" Goes to

Annette M. Rummel, president and chief executive officer of the Saginaw County Convention & Visitors Bureau, has proposed an I-675 tunnel under the Saginaw River. The idea, she says, is to allow boats passage into downtown. Don't believe me? Read the Saginaw News. Of course, you have to remember that this kind of thing makes perfect sense to some people, especially if you're the type that wants to drive your sailboat to your downtown office building. You would need to yank out all the bridges and make tunnels. Perfectly logical.

CEO Jackman on his way to court!

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is asking the Lawrence County Court to defuse a hazardous situation at the Reactive Metals & Alloys Corp. and REMACOR Inc. site in Taylor Township. The site has a history of fires, and the companies continue to dispose of unpermitted wastes, stockpiling and unsafely storing potentially flammable and explosive scrap magnesium. The DEP has repeatedly attempted to get the companies and their owner, Joseph Jackman, to address the situation and resolve longstanding violations of environmental laws.

Businesses throughout the United States and Canada pay Jackman and his companies to take scrap magnesium materials. In the past, Jackman's companies processed the materials into a marketable product that they sold to the steel industry. Scrap magnesium materials pose a high risk of fire and explosion when they are stored unsafely in combustible containers and exposed to water or other compounds that contain oxygen.

For more information click here.