Voice of the People

Everyone knows someone with Autism, Alzheimer Disease, ADD, Parkinsons or some other neurological disorder.

In a few short years the incidence of Autism has jumped from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 166.

These disorders have been increasing dramatically in unison with the increase of toxic build up in our environment over the last few decades.

The connection between these disorders and mercury cannot be ignored anymore.

Mercury is a NEUROTOXIN! Yet, mercury is in our fillings, our vaccinations and in our environment.

Coal fired power plants and steel mills are the biggest contributors to mercury in our environment. There are no regulations on mercury emissions despite the EPA ruling long ago that no amount of mercury is safe to emit into our air.

The term “Mad as a Hatter” was coined a hundred years ago describing the common connection between Hat Makers and the Mercury they used to stiffen felt in order to make hats.

We can no longer allow our children and seniors to suffer so that the steel, coal, pharmaceutical and numerous other businesses can reap massive profits! The pollution tax is the one way to ensure all pollutants will be properly disposed of and not simply pumped into our air and water. The only way to correct corporations on pollution is to force them to account for their emissions by paying for them every minute of every day. If it means less profit, the lifeblood of corporations, it will be effective. We must make it more expensive to ignore pollution than it is to do the right thing or nothing will change. Any corporation that doesn’t want to address the dangers they pose to society will have to pay heavily to remain unaccountable!

Mark Coleman

Without zoning laws no stopping 28000 turkeys on farm

BEDFORD, Ind. (AP) — The prospect of 28,000 turkeys as neighbors has ruffled the feathers of many people, though they might not be able to do anything about the birds moving in.

When some people who live near the farm complained to Lawrence County commissioners about the coming fowl, they were told that the county cannot block the plans since it does not have zoning ordinances.

“And even if there was zoning, I am almost positive it would be zoned agricultural, which means they would have to give them the permit anyway,” commissioners President Bill Spreen said.

Kyle Hall said his family would be spending nearly $600,000 for the venture in a rural area about 25 miles south of Bloomington. Hall and Commissioner David Flinn said the farm would not need a state permit as long as it had fewer than 30,000 turkeys.

Hall said he was seeking a building permit for a $20,000 structure to keep manure dry.

“Without the permit, I don’t build that building and I just spread the manure over the 50 acres,” he said. “That’s where you get the smell.”

Residents living near the farm said they were concerned it would hurt their property values.

“I’m not concerned so much about the sight of the buildings, but I am about the smell, the rats and attracting coyotes and other wild animals in the area,” Rickie Anderson said.

Mittal begins steel exports from US plants

Historically U.S. steelmakers have not been large exporters but Mittal Steel USA is looking to buck that tradition.

This quarter Mittal Steel USA began selling steel for export and plans to do so “on an ongoing basis,” according to a statement released today, in order “to take advantage of the strength of the global market.”

Mittal Steel USA has set an initial export target of 200,000 tons from several of the company’s Eastern and Midwestern plants. Spokesman Dave Allen said that one of those plants is the Burns Harbor facility.

A target of 200,000 tons would account for around 3 percent of the 6.7 million tons of pro forma shipments reported by the Flat Carbon Americas segment of Arcelor Mittal in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Mittal Steel USA will be selling “a broad spectrum of products,” Allen said, and they will be marketed by Arcelor Mittal International, the company’s global trading arm.

“Traditionally, Mittal Steel USA and its predecessor companies have not been active exporters,” said Mittal Steel USA President and CEO Michael Rippey. “However, with the continuing strength in the global market, we plan to aggressively seek new opportunities that fit our capabilities. As the global leader in high-quality steels, Arcelor Mittal is well positioned to serve the needs of the world’s most demand steel customers by capitalizing on the unique capabilities of our global network.”

Posted 4/20/2007