Seriously, fuck global warming

[Science Abuse]

It's a distraction from real environmental issues with real consequenses now. If we'd ignore the hypothetical "climate change" argument and focus on the "our water is poisonous" debate, we'd get done what needs done.... but there's no money in it.

 

Arguing climate change, and our part in it, is a waste of time because it's just that; an argument. No one can win it, yet the people in charge love trying because it keeps them employed; "Look at what I said, I'm on your side, re-elect me". They funnel money to researchers who produce results that are requested of them, because there's so much statistical data out there that it's possible to shift it in whatever direction you like. Global warming is more of an industry than it is a debate or a "movement".

[GonneVille]

Eric, my Dad works for the EPA. You ever want to see some really horrifying shit, let me know, and I'll have him put together a Greatest Hits collection out of his resolved cases.

BTW, in a long-awaited victory, Sanimax, or whatever company it is that bought the old Inland Products rendering plant at Jackson Pike and 104/Frank Rd, is apparently going to shut it down and begin remediation. That means that when it gets hot this summer, we won't have that fucking HORRIBLE smell covering the south side.

[Orion]

Funny but sadly true story.

 

I used to work at Columbus Steel. That's the old Buckeye Steel facility for the older folks. It's right on the corner of Parsons and Groveport rd, and if you're driving on 104, thers no way you can miss it.

 

So, a title 5 permit is issued to a location, not a company, and they are renewed every 5 years. Title 5, for those who don't know, is basically a legal document issued by the EPA that lays out how much pollution is allowed at a certain site.

 

When the EPA issues one at the beginning of a 5 year stretch, it is usually completely non-conformable by the company. Meaning that in order to pollute that little, the company would essentially have to run a skeleton crew or shut down its operations entirely for the duration of the 5 years. So, what happens is that tecompany essentially "counter-offers" with its tolerable contaminants amounts. this goes back and forth for a few times until one or the other eventually agrees on a compromise somewhere in the middle.

 

So, Buckeye Steel goes under. For about 9 months, the fecility lays quiet, with only a few folks goin in and out, just basically patrolling for looters and squatters. During this dormant time, the EPA issues the site title 5. When they don't get a counter offer within the first 30 days, the title 5 goes into effect as issued. 3 months later, Columbus Steel buys the site and begins operations, and the problems begin shortly after that.

 

You see, because they are SITE specific, it doesn't matter that a whole new perationg company has taken over, that title 5 is binding. The legal action begins, and as far as I know, still hadn't been settled by the time that the second title 5 was issued.

 

Now, I tell you all this because I wanted to set up an even that happened while I was there. Columbus Steel, contrary to popular beleif, has tried desperately to abide by the EPA's stipulations. However, the regulations involved are in some cases, completely ridiculous. CSC allocated 500k in order to install new dust collectors that were meant to improve the air quality of the plant and the surrounding area. When we went to put them in, we were told by the EPA that we were not allowed to do so, because we were in violation of our title 5 and that we were therefore forbidden from installing any new hardware.

 

It's a simple story, but I offer it as example that the EPA has its god points, and it's bad, and it may not be the salvation of us all, so to speak, as far as the environment goes.

[Science Abuse]

They're not as bad as the FDA.... Which is alarming. My company makes water/soil analytical equipment geared toward numerous EPA methods. One of which is due to be revised.... requiring equipment with a level of accuracy that hasn't been invented yet. Neat.

[zeitgeist57]

It's a distraction from real environmental issues with real consequenses now. If we'd ignore the hypothetical "climate change" argument and focus on the "our water is poisonous" debate, we'd get done what needs done.... but there's no money in it.

 

Arguing climate change, and our part in it, is a waste of time because it's just that; an argument. No one can win it, yet the people in charge love trying because it keeps them employed; "Look at what I said, I'm on your side, re-elect me". They funnel money to researchers who produce results that are requested of them, because there's so much statistical data out there that it's possible to shift it in whatever direction you like. Global warming is more of an industry than it is a debate or a "movement".

 

Thank you. I understand, and agree 100% with that statement.

[GonneVille]

Funny but sadly true story.............It's a simple story, but I offer it as example that the EPA has its god points, and it's bad, and it may not be the salvation of us all, so to speak, as far as the environment goes.

 

Not my Dad's division, though he had plenty of contact with Buckeye Steel over release violations(oil in sewers, etc...). He's in Emergency and Remedial Response, which means he gets called in when it's pretty fucking obvious that someone screwed up, and he cleans up the mess and gathers evidence.

However, he USED to do inspections, and Inland Products was one of his personal missions because the owners were fucking untouchable due to political protection. The plant is shut down now, and the EPA is preparing it's case if the company doesn't voluntarily remediate the site, which is fucking disgusting...

 

This is the kind of crap he gets to deal with, and remember, this is just the stuff from his Facebook page, that he can post publicly. The pictures that he's shown me from criminal investigations and ongoing clean-ups is far worse.

 

An oil/water separator in an abandoned rail yard broke, and flowed into a stream:

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs078.snc3/14568_194726769589_744934589_2859621_3202176_n.jpg

 

A metal salvager (read; fucking thief) cut off the top of an old oil tank, which overflowed inthe next rainstorm:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs058.snc3/14568_194721949589_744934589_2859610_1648167_n.jpg

 

Salvage yard fire, you wouldn't believe the shit that comes out of a salvage yard. Set one on fire, and it's even worse:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs078.snc3/14568_194734249589_744934589_2859642_7394769_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs058.snc3/14568_194734274589_744934589_2859645_6583209_n.jpg

White light shows where aluminum and magnesium are burning:

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs058.snc3/14568_194734334589_744934589_2859652_7694623_n.jpg

 

 

Manure from an overflowed storage lagoon flowing down a stream:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs058.snc3/14568_194745724589_744934589_2859720_6315502_n.jpg

 

Fuel oil leaking from a basement tank traveled two miles down this stream before anyone called the EPA:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs133.snc3/18070_217039109589_744934589_2942843_6115754_n.jpg

 

1982, a company truck dumping well brine into a ravine. Well brine is many times more concentrated than sea water and contaminated with oil. Pretty much anything that makes contact with it dies. Pops and his co-workers worked from concealment and documented over a million gallons dumped just at that spot.

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs232.snc3/21970_246786024589_744934589_3096397_5416421_n.jpg

[Science Abuse]

Sheee-it

 

This is now the opposit of the lol thread. Jesus Christ.

[GonneVille]

Just to add a little "lol" back into the thread, my Dad was involved in the cleanup when that chicken manure tank burst at Croton. A few 20-30,000 gallons of liquid chicken shit blew out of a collapsed tank and overflowed the protective moat around the tanks. They had to build dikes and call in dozens of vacuum trucks to remove the lake of this...stuff... While they were doing the initial work to contain the mess, Croton's lawyer showed up in his Mercedes, parked away from the mess and put on a pair of waders to walk out and talk to my Dad and the contractors that were there assessing the damage. As the lawyer started to walk out, myDad and the contractors were yelling at him from the far side of the lake, and the lawyer couldn't hear them over the various equipment running, so he kept wading out into the lake....

 

 

...right into the overflowed moat.

 

Pops told me the only thing they could see of him was one hand holding up the business card the lawyer was bringing out to give him.

[HotCarl]

Eric, my Dad works for the EPA. You ever want to see some really horrifying shit, let me know, and I'll have him put together a Greatest Hits collection out of his resolved cases.

BTW, in a long-awaited victory, Sanimax, or whatever company it is that bought the old Inland Products rendering plant at Jackson Pike and 104/Frank Rd, is apparently going to shut it down and begin remediation. That means that when it gets hot this summer, we won't have that fucking HORRIBLE smell covering the south side.

 

Is that the god-awefull smell i smell everytime i drive down 71 south (just past 104) in the summer time? I thought i remember someone telling me it was a trash burning powerplant? I alsot thought i read somethin in the papwer that they were installing air cleaner's in that area of the city b/c of the smell?

 

My brother likes to joke about his bowl movements and how sometimes his gas smells so bad it "smells like frank rd in my bathroom right now". Funny but kinda sad.