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Jan

7

[update] Eight dumping sites in Ohio could be TN coal ash disaster waiting to happen

Filed Under activism, Business, coal, Economy, Energy, Environment, Law, leadership, Media, Midwest, Ohio, Politics, Resources, Science, Tech, Ted Strickland | 1 Comment

From the Salem-News.com article, “Tennessee Coal Spill: 13 States Have 3 or More Comparable Toxic Coal Dump Sites”:

Nearly 100 largely unregulated “wet dumps” across the United States that are comparable to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s breached site in Harriman, Tennessee for the storage of toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants have a place on one or more of the “worst site” lists for six toxic metals, including arsenic and lead, according to a new data analysis from the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project [EIP].

…

Using industry-reported data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Reporting Inventory (TRI) data system for 2000-2006 (the latter being the most recent year for which complete data is available), EIP looked at the presence of arsenic, chromium, lead, nickel, selenium and thallium in the waste at Tennessee-style pollution dumping sites across the nation. The EPA has determined that these “surface impoundment” ponds (also known as “wet dumps”) are the most likely storage sites to leak pollution into groundwater and surface water, even without a catastrophic failure such as the one before Christmas at the TVA’s Kingston Steam Plant coal ash retention pond, which burst and covered the nearby area with more than a billion gallons of toxic-laden sludge.

The EIP analysis shows that a total of 13 states were found to have at least three coal-fired power plant “surface impoundment” dumping sites on the six 50-worst toxic chemical lists: Indiana, 11 dumps; Ohio, eight dumps; Kentucky, seven dumps; Alabama, seven dumps; Georgia, six dumps; North Carolina, six dumps; West Virginia, four dumps; Tennessee, four dumps; Illinois, three dumps; Michigan, three dumps; Pennsylvania, three dumps; Florida, three dumps; and Wyoming, three dumps.

And look at what we’re tops in when it comes to toxic chemical lists:

* Chromium. The #1 spot on the list goes to the J.M. Stuart Station, Manchester, OH. The Stanton Energy Center in Orlando (#3) and the Duke Energy Corp Gibson Generating Station (#4) follow closely behind it. A total of 16 facilities reported disposing of more chromium in surface impoundments than Kingston.

* Selenium. The top three spots on this list are as follows: First Energy Bruce Mansfield Power Plant, Shippingport, PA.; J.M. Stuart Station, Manchester, Ohio; and the Barry Steam Plant, Bucks, AL. A total of 15 facilities report releases of selenium between 2006 and 2006 that exceed the Kingston reports.

Just a note to the Ohio MSM: I’ve got google alerts set to any number of permutations of words and phrases connected to Harriman, TN and the Kingston coal ash disaster.  So far, not a one of you has done a damn thing along these lines re: what the hell is the exposure to the residents of Ohio? What should we be doing about it? What if anything are we doing about it? What is our governor going to do about it? When are the clean coal proponents going to address this?

Don’t we have enough problems in Ohio?  This problem is energy & environment but it’s also food supply, water supply and, saddest of all – socioeconomic and political.

Ohio politicians and news outlets – you should be ashamed of every day you aren’t doing something to address what is clearly a known possibility.

UPDATE: The Akron Beacon Journal published this article yesterday regarding the status of Ohio’s wet dumps and other coal waste storage facilities. The information is based primarily on the same report linked to below.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:32 pm January 7th, 2009 in activism, Business, coal, Economy, Energy, Environment, Law, leadership, Media, Midwest, Ohio, Politics, Resources, Science, Tech, Ted Strickland | 1 Comment 

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Jan

7

Pajamas Media sending Joe the Plumber to the Middle East

Filed Under Blogging, Gaza, Israel, Media, middle east, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Writing | 7 Comments

Now this pisses me off at Israel:

[Joe the Plumber] Wurzelbacher plans to spend 10 days in Israel reporting on the conflict for pjtv.com, a Web site run by conservative media outlet Pajamas Media.

The famous plumber will be focusing on the Israeli perspective on the situation. “It’s tragic, I mean it really is,” Wurzelbacher told CNN affiliate WNWO “I don’t say that in any little way. It’s very tragic, but at the same time what are the Israeli people supposed to do.”

Wurzelbacher told WNWO he’s not worried about the potential dangers of his new gig. “Being a Christian I’m pretty well protected by God I believe. That’s not saying he’s going to stop a mortar for me, but you gotta take the chance,” he told the CNN affiliate.

“Israeli officials are very excited to have him,” [Joe's publicist, Thomas] Tabback told CNN.

I see Joe’s been taking classes from the Sarah Palin School of Conclusory Responses.

Oh! Must not forget: Hattip to Jillian C. York’s tweet.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:57 pm January 7th, 2009 in Blogging, Gaza, Israel, Media, middle east, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Writing | 7 Comments 

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Jan

7

Deadline coming: Dart Award for reporting, radio journalism on impact of violence

Filed Under Crime, Media, Social Issues, Women, Writing, Youth | Comments Off

The Plain Dealer received great recognition last year through its receipt of a Dart Award.  Here’s an announcement for submitting entries this year:

Dear friends and colleagues – Just a reminder that the deadline for entries in the 2009 Dart Awards for Excellence in Reporting on Trauma is January 28.

The $5,000 Dart Awards recognize exemplary daily newspaper reporting (spot news and in-depth) and radio journalism on the impact of violence on individuals and communities. Details at: http://www.dartcenter.org/dartaward/guidelines.html. Please pass the word along!

Best, Bruce

Bruce Shapiro
Executive Director, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

Daily newspaper and radio journalism – nothing for online? Hmmm…

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:53 pm January 7th, 2009 in Crime, Media, Social Issues, Women, Writing, Youth | Comments Off 

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Jan

7

[updated] Is blaming “the 60 years of occupation” a euphimism for “one-state solution”?

Filed Under Foreign Affairs, Gaza, Israel | 18 Comments

UPDATE: I’m not the only one finally pressing the question re: do you think in terms of one state or two – read more at News from Syria.

I think it is, even though I think that at least some people who make that reference think to themselves that they are open to a two-state solution.

I’ve been writing about this need to press the debate about the Gaza-Israel conflict into an answer to the question, “One state or two”?” from the beginning, asking occupiers of cyberspace and real life to respond.  I’ve gotten just a few direct responses so far, all but one for a two-state solution (one brought up the concept of a binational single state).

Finally, this morning, on WCPN’s Sound of Ideas, which you can listen to here, Nour Chammas, Executive Director, AACESS-Ohio (The Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services) said it.  He specifically said that he supports a one-state solution and not a two-state solution.

But, long before he said that, he’d already tipped his hand because he used the words and description, as many have before him, of The Occupation.  Not the 1967-2005 occupation by Israel of Gaza. Not the 1949-1967 occupation by Egypt of Gaza.  Not the British occupation prior to 1949, or any other occupation in all of history.

No.  Just The Occupation.

I posited this before and I’m saying it again: when you hear someone describe the current situation as having roots in The Occupation, realize that the next question you must ask is: do you support a one-state or a two-state solution.  Because if they support a one-state solution, the next question is: what are your plans for the millions of residents of the entire “Occupied” land?

There are different answers.  But this is where the conversation must go:

Is the speaker envisioning an Islamic state free not only of Jews, but of Druze, Christians, Bedouin and any other non-Shariah loving Semitic person?

or

Is the speaker envisioning a secular but binational state?

All of these options are actually ones that are formed already in the minds of people who talk about post-violent conflict options.

But only once the players make it known whether they want a single state or two states, and what those states would look like, can we start to see what the players’ real interests are.  And, sadly, the players are not always the residents.  That needs to be addressed as well.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:03 pm January 7th, 2009 in Foreign Affairs, Gaza, Israel | 18 Comments 

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Jan

7

Gaza – Israel ceasefire status

Filed Under Gaza, Israel | 2 Comments

For sure, three hours for the humanitarian corridor today (starting now I believe).  Statements to the effect that Israel has agreed to more enduring ceasefire.

Read more here.  Specs:

According to Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak the plan consisted of three points:

1) Israel and all Palestinian factions accept an immediate ceasefire, for a limited time, to allow aid for the Gaza Strip’s 1.5-million population to enter through humanitarian corridors.

2) Egypt invites Israel and the Palestinians, along with representatives from the European Union and “other parties,” to discuss ways of guaranteeing that the current situation is not repeated and treat its root causes.

Such a deal would include “securing the borders”, meaning preventing the smuggling of arms through tunnels from Egypt into the Gaza Strip – an Israeli requirement for an end to its onslaught.

In return, Israel and Egypt will open their crossing points into the Gaza Strip, providing a level of relief from a punishing blockade of the territory.

An official from Mr Sarkozy‘s office said that an agreement on securing borders could be reached within “four to five” days, with a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip “within eight days”.

3) Egypt will convene Palestinian reconciliation talks aimed at ending the feud between Hamas and Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and form a government that is acceptable to the international community.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:52 am January 7th, 2009 in Gaza, Israel | 2 Comments 

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Jan

7

Carnival of Ohio Politics #149 now posted

Filed Under Blogging, Ohio, Politics, Writing | 3 Comments

Many thanks to Daniel Jack Williamson of Buckeye RINO for compiling this week’s Carnival of Ohio Politics #149, the first of the new year.

You know, I’m up next week with #150 – should I try for 150 entry submissions?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:40 am January 7th, 2009 in Blogging, Ohio, Politics, Writing | 3 Comments 

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