tagged w/ cleanup
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Job numbers are growing, the Health Care bill is showing savings for Medicare for over $200 billion by 2016, and the stock market is doing well; all of this, even after President Barack Obama took the country over at the beginning of the Great Recession. And now Republicans seem unhappy because he didn’t completely clean up the mess left from their party’s president, George W. Bush.Job numbers are growing, the Health Care bill is showing savings for Medicare for over... more
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Baltimore City Council candidate Adam Van Bavel is a City Paper Readers Poll "Best Do-Gooder". AVBforBCC is running as an Independent in District 10 in this November's election and he's also Baltimore's Most Interesting City Council candidate.Baltimore City Council candidate Adam Van Bavel is a City Paper Readers Poll... more
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The new paint job brings new life to the area. You’ll generally be glad you took the time to change the color or restore its fresh appearance. Then comes the time for clean up. Here are ten painting clean up tips that will hopefully make the process a little easier.
Link ; http://blog.doorfly.com/articles/2011/10-painting-cleanup-tips-for-the-homeowner/The new paint job brings new life to the area. You’ll generally be glad you took... more
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Mother of the Superfund: Love Canal fighter & environmental warrior Lois Gibbs speaks in Marquette, MI Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 at Northern Michigan University
Love Canal fighter Lois Gibbs to speak in Marquette
October 14, 15, 16, 2010
Love Canal fighter Lois Gibbs is coming to Marquette, as the Upper Peninsula faces its worst pollution crisis in history with the development of dozens of sulfide "Acid" mines - the first of which is under construction on the sacred Yellow Dog Plains.
Northern Michigan University
October 15
Jamrich Hall 102
7:00 p.m.
http://www.savethewildup.org/blog/lois-gibbs/
Download poster:
http://www.savethewildup.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Lois-poster-Print.pdfMother of the Superfund: Love Canal fighter & environmental warrior Lois Gibbs... more
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Earlier this summer a crew member aboard a clamming vessel pulled up mysterious canisters from the ocean off the south shore of Long Island.
Turns out they were exposed to mustard gas, used during World War I as a chemical warfare agent. The 145-foot clam boat, based out of Atlantic City, N.J., and all crew members were safely moored and the crew decontaminated.
Additionally, 504,000 pounds (14,400 bushels) of clams the crew had unloaded, not knowing they had been contaminated, were sold in New Bedford. This required Massachusetts state officials to search for and isolated the catch.
The state officials safely disposed of the clams and the Coast Guard was tasked with decontaminating the boat, removing any detectable sulfur mustard contamination on the vessel.
“What is stunning to everyone is it is still so potent after all this time,” said Boyer, a medical toxicologist who studies mustard gas.
People exposed to mustard gas on their skin are often not aware of it until 24 hours later when enormous, raised blisters occur; that is exactly what happened to the crew member, Boyer said.
Read the Whole Story: http://morichesdaily.com/2010/08/toxic-munitions-dumping-sites-shores/Earlier this summer a crew member aboard a clamming vessel pulled up mysterious... more
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Coffee Party member Perry Goodfriend (Atlanta) describes evidence and clean-up from the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico from Ship Island, Mississippi, near Gulfport, 13 July, 2010.
Coffee TV Crew: Perry Goodfriend, Susie Kim, Annabel Park, George SosaCoffee Party member Perry Goodfriend (Atlanta) describes evidence and clean-up from... more
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New Orleans protester on 07-10-2010 lets loose about the BP dispersant, Corexit.
Coffee TV Crew: Perry Goodfriend, Susie Kim, Annabel Park, George SosaNew Orleans protester on 07-10-2010 lets loose about the BP dispersant, Corexit.... more
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Attend a massive two-day rally in Washington D.C. where we will tell our government and the corporate world we will not stand idly by while the powerful spin our world out of control. It is time to address the disasters that companies like BP and the banking industry mete upon the entire world, without regard for the destruction they create. People of all backgrounds are coming together, with one voice. Bring your friends and family. Car pool to D.C., or take part in a nationwide bus caravan!Attend a massive two-day rally in Washington D.C. where we will tell our government... more
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The Gulf Coast's endangered wetlands are a long way from the concrete towers of Lower Manhattan, but a wood paneled federal courtroom here on Pearl Street can provide invaluable lessons for handling the BP disaster that could save endless amounts of time, money and anguish.
In that courtroom, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein last month approved a comprehensive monetary settlement that could be worth more than $700 million if it is accepted by 95 percent of 10,000 workers who toiled on the debris pile of the World Trade Center. The workers sued New York City and more than 100 private contractors who did work for the city during the nine month cleanup in 2001 and 2002, claiming that they were recklessly exposed to dangerous chemicals by a city overly eager to get things back to normal.
The parallels to the current situation in the gulf are many. Recently, a panel of national health experts met in New Orleans to look into the potential health risks to thousands of cleanup workers and volunteers who are being exposed to the raw petroleum washing up on the beaches, as well as the chemicals in the dispersants being used to break up the floating sheets of oil. Some have complained of dizziness, nausea and headache. BP claims the chemicals are safe and that the workers are reacting to the heat or to contaminated food.
The only certain way to know how this exposure will affect the health of workers is through long-term epidemiological studies. But those can take decades, and no one suggests that waiting that long is reasonable. Data is still being collected on how exposure to the ground zero dust nine years ago will impact the long term health of those workers.
Personal injury lawyers do not wait for epidemiologists to complete their work. In New York they hauled 10,000 lawsuits before the court without actually proving any link to the dust. The legal tab for both sides leading up to last month's settlement offer is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
BP's recently announced $20 billion compensation fund is sure to attract personal injury lawyers the way a pile of day old Louisiana oyster shells attracts flies. Those receiving compensation will have to give up their right to sue, but the track record in New York suggests that many will pass up participation in the fund and will look for recourse in the courts.
Litigation on such a huge scale would drag on for many years, as it has in New York. But the proceedings before Judge Hellerstein suggest ways to make sure that those who legitimately are injured receive the help they need without unnecessary delay, while making it more difficult for people to grab money they may not deserve.
• Keep records. Sounds simple but it is important to know who worked where, when and for whom. We still don't know how many people worked at ground zero. Some responders have been forced to produce photographs to prove they were there.
• Set fair limits. Just as important as when the administration of the $20 billion fund begins is when it will end. When the original September 11th Victim Compensation Fund shut down in December 2003 many respiratory illnesses stemming from exposure in 2001 had not yet surfaced, leaving many little choice but to sue.
• Monitor. The sooner an independent medical monitoring system (not paid for by BP) begins, the easier it will be to establish a data base that can track linkages between the oil and certain diseases. Better yet, give workers a basic exam before they start.
• Communicate carefully. The U.S. government may be taking a passive role in the cleanup but it must ensure that risk is communicated with the same care and precision as operating a submersible a mile below the surface of the gulf. At ground zero, government officials glossed over significant details about where the air was safe, leading workers to make poor decisions about protecting themselves.
• Follow the science. Correlating injuries with recovery work is not the same as proving causation. The possible areas of concern should be clearly outlined as soon as possible. In the ground zero litigation, workers have complained of more than 350 different diseases. In addition, thousands who admit they are not sick now could end up receiving compensation awards because they are worried they could fall ill in the future.
Kenneth R. Feinberg, a Washington lawyer who oversaw the original 9/11 victim fund, has been appointed final arbitrator in the ground zero settlement. He also have been named administrator of BP's $20 billion compensation fund. Mr. Feinberg's experience in New York will help him foresee and possibly avoid some of the same pitfalls that have delayed the ground zero litigation for so long. The environmental damage and economic consequences of the gulf disaster will be difficult enough to overcome without making the victims suffer unnecessarily by repeating the mistakes of the past.The Gulf Coast's endangered wetlands are a long way from the concrete towers of... more
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GULF SHORES, Alabama - Former oil clean-up worker Candi Warren says she signed up to make a difference, but soon found out the work of cleaning the beaches was all cosmetic. That's what she was told, she says.
Warren says she knew that when crews worked during the day, the tide and surf buried oil overnight. But they were forbidden to dig it up. She quit in disgust three weeks ago despite the $18 per hour pay.
She said she was told to only clean the surface of the sand, that this is all cosmetic. She was on a crew at Gulf State Park where tourists go. She says it has priority so as to make it look like the beaches are clean.
Warren says she believes money is being wasted on the crews and says "At some point the real clean-up will have to begin, but I'm afraid the money will be gone."
She used a shovel and dug down six, eight, maybe twelve inches into the sand to show us the layers of oil close to the shoreline.
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/86/506/Video:_Former_Oil_Worker_Says_Cleanup_Just_For_Show.htmlGULF SHORES, Alabama - Former oil clean-up worker Candi Warren says she signed up to... more
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I am usually disgusted by actors in Hollywood, but this story about Kevin Cosner's struggle to get technology out there to clean up the oil in the gulf is heart warming, infuriating, and I support him.
http://abcnews.go.com/gma/video/kevin-costners-gulf-cleanup-solution-10908074&tab=9482931§ion=4765066
Why the HELL hasn't the government taken this seriously a long time ago?
Shouldn't they have already had this kind of technology in place?!I am usually disgusted by actors in Hollywood, but this story about Kevin... more
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Miami's own Torcher, headed by cop-turned-rocker-turned-actor Mack Preston, who was a recent guest on The Indie Media Show, is happy to announce thier participation in the Festival of Musicians set for July 8-12 at Baldwin County Becentennial Park in Stockton AL. We want to help spread the word that festival producer Rick Shell is offering $1,000,000 in free passes to Gulf Coast Deep Horizon OIl Spill Cleanup Workers.
Mobile, Al, June 7, 2010 � Festival of Musicians organizers have authorized the donation of 1 million dollars worth of passes to the July 8-12 Festival of Musicians to Gulf Coast Deep Horizon Oil Spill Cleanup Workers.
Festival of Musicians Exec. Producer, Rick Shell says, "I see these guys working so hard every day, some of them far from home, and they aren't getting much in the way of R&R. That's no way to fight a battle. We (The Festival of Musicians) have been discussing different ways we might be able to help with the cleanup effort, and realized, the best thing we could offer, is the thing we have an abundance of, Great entertainment". Shell cites Bob Hope and the USO's work along similar lines entertaining troops and workers during other crisis as an inspiration.
Regarding distribution, Shell said, "as much as possible, the Festival of Musicians passes will be distributed directly to oil spill cleanup workers and they can also get will-call passes online by going to festival website at FestivalofMusicians.com and clicking on the Oil Spill Cleanup Assistance link. We do ask that people try to carpool in groups to avoid overloading parking facilities, not to mention saving gas".
Billed as a Music Festival for MUSICIANS, The 5 days festival features a large variety of musical acts from all over America in such diverse genres such as Rock, Reggae, Country, Blues, Americana, Jazz, Folk, Punk, Bluegrass and "just about any other thing you can think of".
Asked about headliners, Shell responded, "This is different from any music festival you have ever attended. We try to let everyone start out on equal footing, and every band, singer, songwriter has a shot at headliner status. The audience decides who the biggest stars are. If we had to call out headliners they would include Queensryches "America Soldier" AJ Fratto with Pensacola's own stadium rock veterans "Below the Stitch". SugarBear Trio, whose super star cast founded the well known "boy band" NSYNC, and has since gone on to touring projects with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Goo Goo Dolls, REM, Police etc. Jody Payne was Willie Nelsons lead guitarist for the last 30 odd years, Bo Roberts was Hank Williams Jr's band leader and lead guitar, i- tegrity are masters of Roots Reggae and regulars with Bob Marleys Wailers Band. I could fill up this page talking about the talent and still not get to half of them. This festival is not about prima donnas though. It is as grass roots as it gets, and the focus is 100% MUSIC. Like I said. There's never been anything like it."
The Festival of Musicians 5 DAYS of PEACE LOVE & MUSIC. Takes place July 8-12 in the beautiful new Baldwin Co. Bicentennial Park. Located right on the edge of Hastie Lake, North of Spanish Fort on Hwy 225 or from Mobile it is 1.5 Mi. off I-65 at Hwy 225. Near Stockton Ala. 36579
Directions and Tickets available at Festival Website at: FestivalofMusicians.comMiami's own Torcher, headed by cop-turned-rocker-turned-actor Mack Preston, who... more
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In November 2007, a cargo ship named Cosco-Busan accidentally hit the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of oil, which then washed up onto the San Francisco beaches. In stepped Lisa Gautier and her nonprofit organization, Matter of Trust, with the solution to cleaning up the oily blobs on their beaches: hair and mushrooms.
“Hair mats” were invented in the early 90s by Alabama hairstylist Phil McCrory, who realized they were great for cleaning up petroleum spills. They were then used by Gautier and company to clean up the oil that washed up on the San Francisco beaches, and also utilized after a spill that occurred in the Galapagos Islands in 2000.
The organization collects hair from participating San Francisco salons and receives donations from all over the world. They then have the hair woven into doormat-sized shapes which have the look and feel of an S.O.S. sponge. According to Matter of Trust’s website, “Hair can also be stuffed into tubes (”booms”) made from recycled nylons, tied together to surround and contain a spill.”
Where and why do the mushrooms come into play, you ask? The fungi will eat the oily hair and then detoxify the waste to create nontoxic, landscape grade compost. The oyster mushrooms used for the San Francisco cleanup were donated by Paul Stamets of Fungi.com.
l“The roots of mushrooms, called mycelium produce enzymes that unlock wood fibers, which are composed of strings of carbon-hydrogen molecules in the form of cellulose and lignin. Similarly oil and most petroleum products are held together by similar molecular bonds. This studies if mushroom mycelium breaks these bonds, and then re-constructs the oil into carbohydrates, fungal sugars, that make up the mushroom’s physical structures,” says Stamets.
Currently, Matter of Trust is stepping in to assist in the current oil spill cleanup in the Gulf: The organization has a surplus of “booms” they’re donating to cleanup efforts along the affected areas from the Gulf oil spill.
(Read the rest on the original post.)In November 2007, a cargo ship named Cosco-Busan accidentally hit the San Francisco... more
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UNIONTOWN, Ala. — When the mound of wet coal ash began to rise in the landfill across the road from her pretty yellow house with the peonies and roses in the front yard, Ruby Holmes felt overpowered by a horrible smell.
A few doors down, Mary Williams, a retired Avon sales office manager, shut her windows and kept the air filters running and still couldn't sleep. She was nauseated. Her eyes, nose and throat burned, and her husband, a retired Greyhound driver, had trouble breathing.
"For a while, it was like we were just cast out and it didn't matter about people living (with) that crap," Williams said.
Uniontown's Arrowhead Landfill so far has taken in 1.8 million tons of coal ash from one of the nation's biggest environmental disasters, the December 2008 spill from a coal ash pond at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant in Kingston, Tenn. Trains bring about 10,000 tons a day.
The transfer of the ash 327 miles from Tennessee to the mostly black community of Uniontown is partly a story about how people are faring at the receiving end. Federal environmental justice policy requires that low-income and minority communities aren't burdened with outsized environmental risks.
The story also is part of a larger national question of what to do with the ash built up from the nation's long dependence on coal to produce electricity.
Decisions about how to handle coal ash are left up to the states. The Environmental Protection Agency ruled during the presidency of George W. Bush that coal ash isn't hazardous. The agency now is reconsidering that finding. It was expected to unveil a new coal ash rule in December, but since then, deliberations have been going on behind closed doors in the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
The coal industry opposes regulating coal ash as a hazardous waste. It argues that there are no toxic hazards, that the labeling it as dangerous could rule out some uses of recycled coal ash and that disposal of ash that can't be reused would become more expensive. Some coal ash today is used to make cement and other products and for building up roads and embankments.
The U.S. produces about 130 million tons of coal ash a year, one of its largest kind of waste, according to the EPA.
READ MORE AT LINKUNIONTOWN, Ala. — When the mound of wet coal ash began to rise in the landfill... more
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