A side order of toxins, please...

[Sibling Chatty]

Where I live.

http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-06/news/toxic-town/#comments

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Christ!
I think it's time for a call to a lawyer?

[Sibling Chatty]

That's part of the problem. It's ALL very lawyer centered, most likely to the detriment of actually DOING something about the issue.

The photos of the guy with the disfiguring facial cancer, and the one of him earlier, holding his little girl? The little girl is almost 20, married, with a baby--they both have some health issues very probably related to the toxins. She's a waitress at the local restaurant that the Mayor's wife owns. (Her Mom, aunt, sister and 2 of her cousins work there as well.)

It's possible that the best interests of the town will be traded out for some high-dollar payouts to some people...whatever the lawyers push for. The one thing we DO know is that there will NOT be a good-faith effort on the part of the corporations to DO a thing.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Wait, and you live there?!?!

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Apparently.

I can understand that, Chatty. At the very least, though, they ought to be forced to clean up and help pay for the town's medical expenses. And to stop the pollution.

[Sibling Chatty]

Wait, and you live there?!?!

Yes.

We didn't know about it when we moved here 4 years ago, when I had already been diagnosed for 9.5 years.

There are some people here that have been, are or will be very ill. There are others that...no problems.

This town is loaded with old folks, people in their 80's and 90's that have lived here most or all of their lives, and they're not sick. There are others with severe illnesses. Depends on exposure, one would assume.

--------

Yeah, Grey, they should. Whether they will? Depends on whether Big Bidness or human decency wins out.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I never count on the latter.


Is there no way to force their hand? A grass roots would be a good way--enough anger and no one will want to do business with them--but I'd not lay the whole hope with them.

I doubt reporting it to the EPA would do anything. But it's worth a try.

[Sibling Chatty]

A grass roots would be a good way--enough anger and no one will want to do business with them--but I'd not lay the whole hope with them.

They make railroad ties. Until BNSF (Santa Fe RR) sold it recently, they were their own customer. Now, the corporation sells to the former owner.

No pressure from the market available.

EPA?? It is to laugh...I grew up near the Holmes Road Superfund site it Houston, where they "fixed" it by dumping soil on top, putting in vents for the dangerous gases, and building a golf course over it all.

That's what the EPA said they could do.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Chatty, that is RE DONK U LOUS. An effin' golf course?
Well, so much for that.

[Sibling Chatty]

The EPA's proud of it.

http://www.brownfieldgolf.com/pierce_junction.htm

What's scary is that there are places in the former dump and landfill that are still smouldering after 20 or so years...

But da bidness climate is GOOD in Texas.

[anthrobabe]

Chatty- y'all can come and stay with me if you need to-- really- I've got room in the 'new rent' house. It's old and a bit drafty but not really toxic.

take care dear

[Sibling Chatty]

Ah, we're here, unless they come up with a HUGE buyout.

And I DO mean huge.

We don't work at the tie plant, we're not out at night too much (that's when the suspiciously smelly stuff is in the air) and we've been here only four years, plus I brought my own rare cancer with me.

I have a home of my own (finally), my house payment, taxes and insurance run under $425 a month, and I've got 2/3 of an acre, total. The house is around 100 years old, it's solid as a rock and it's just the right size for us. Anything similar in size would cost a fortune anywhere else.

Now, if the nice railroad people want to remediate any possible pollution by vacuuming attics, stripping and painting the houses, installing new airtight windows, etc--we might come to visit while they do it! (They'd be paying expenses, so we'd bring pressies!)

Me, I'm just sittin' back and watching. The ONLY thing we've got going for us is that there's an election next year, and the area's pissed at the lack of "official concern" being shown at any level.

Of course, I have a fix for the actual problem. Quit using the damned wood ties and go to concrete ones like they use in Europe. BOOM, no creosote! No waste of wood, no need for any MORE crap in the air, soil or people's bodies. Then, remediate the soil ASAP...plant hemp for several years and really get it cleaned up. Heck, use the strong hemp fibers to reinforce the concrete ties. Or use the hemp to try to build some industry in this very poor and totally moribund (financially) town.

OH, old and a bit drafty?? You just described my house! We've got draft excluders of some type on the doors in the 'climate controlled' half of the house, and home-made window inserts (build a wooden frame, wrap it in thick plastic, staple it place, trim and insert into window frames) like most of the not-well-to-do folks living in the older houses here.

For all the problems, this is a nice place, and I love my house.

[beagle]

I used to work as a scientist for the British Gas Board in the early 80s. The chemists there spent most of their time analysing soil samples from old gas works sites to see if the ground was safe enough to use for anything else.
Burn a lot of coal and the Arsenic etc drops out into the surroundings.

Go back far enough and people with respiratory problems were actually sent to creosote factories to inhale the vapour, which was thought to be good for them. 

[anthrobabe]

I'm glad you feel almost 100% comfortable in your home-- and like you said it's yours and that is what counts!!!!

but seriously you are welcome- bring your pillows and meds and we'll get you settled (Spencer too!) while repairs are made if that time comes!

goes for all sibs- if I have a roof over my head then y'all do to! BE aware though you will be sharing a bathroom with a teenage girl--- 

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

A frightening prospect, indeed.

The whole hemp thing wold undoubtly work, but not be accepted.