Friday, 06 Oct 2006

Gloom and Plume

Hazardous-waste plant explosion forces evacuations in Apex, N.C.

An explosion at a hazardous-waste disposal plant in Apex, N.C., late last night forced the evacuation of more than half the town. Some 17,500 people left their homes, and more than 40 have been hospitalized. The toxic plume that emerged from ironically named Environmental Quality Industrial Services is laced with chlorine gas and possibly pesticides and other toxins. "Because of the many different types of waste that we bring in, it's very difficult to determine the cause of the fire," said an EQ spokesflack. Officials worry that shifting winds and rain will move and expand the plume into previously unaffected areas. The flames also spread to a neighboring light-oil company, setting four oil tanks on fire. Unbeknownst to Apex officials until this morning, the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources had fined EQ $32,000 for six safety violations in March, including a citation for "failing to maintain and operate the facility to minimize the possibility of a sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste." Oops.


If Bern Johnson, head of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, had a million dollars, he says, he'd help lawyers around the world fight climate change and give disadvantaged communities a voice about their futures. As InterActivist this week, Johnson's also given a voice to readers asking him about using technology to fight eco-injustice, making a career out of environmental law, keeping up a positive attitude, and more.

The Log Days of Bummer

GAO blames Bush administration for high cost of Biscuit timber salvage

The Bush administration, not environmental lawsuits, is to blame for the nearly $11 million cost of a logging project that will salvage only $8.8 million worth of timber, says a new study from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. After the 2002 Biscuit fire burned almost 500,000 acres in Oregon and California, the U.S. Forest Service overestimated the amount of timber available and the number of jobs that would be created by logging it, says the GAO. "Taxpayers are going to have to spend millions more just cleaning up the damage from the logging than the government made from the timber sales," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.). "At the same time, promises of community fire protection, habitat restoration, and scientific analyses remain unscheduled and unfulfilled." Republicans responded by doubling down, promoting legislation by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) that would speed up logging after storms and wildfires. 'Cause that seems to be working out pretty well.


The Bush administration is famously committed to voluntary efforts for dealing with greenhouse-gas emissions -- to the exclusion of all others. The Department of Energy's voluntary emissions-reporting program has been joined by some very big players, including Ford, IBM, AT&T, and 220 others. And it's been joined by two very small players, one of whom is Mike Taylor. He signed up as an individual to participate in a program designed for corporations, and now his efforts to drive less and weatherize his home are stacked up against Ford's company-wide GHG strategy. Taylor shares his energy-saving odyssey today in Soapbox.

Well's Hells

Faulty natural-gas well drowns Indonesian villages in mud and water

An Indonesian natural-gas well drilled using faulty practices has become a huge human-made disaster. In May, mud began seeping through the unprotected walls of the well at a depth of about 6,000 feet; drillers plugged the well hole, but the pressure of the mud eventually broke through the earth. Geysers of mud and water have flooded eight villages, forcing some 13,000 people to evacuate. The glurp has completely or partially submerged more than 20 factories and cut off a railroad, a four-lane highway, and, essentially, the local economy -- and it continues to spew forth at a rate of about 170,000 cubic yards per day. The best of the various bad solutions may be to pump the mud into a nearby river, smothering its ecosystem. Cleanup costs could reach $1 billion, but apparently there have been no government investigations into liability. Many fear the drilling company -- which is owned by a major contributor to the Indonesian president's campaign -- will declare bankruptcy, leaving the government to foot the cleanup bill. Yuck.

See You Later, Navigator

Grist off discovering vacation, claiming it for themselves

Whatever you think of when you hear "Columbus Day" -- genocide, getting lost, or just a day off school -- it's sailing our way on Monday. In order to contemplate all that's gone awry on this continent since 1492, and give us time to think of more ways to fix it, Grist is taking the day off. We'll be back, shipshape, on Tuesday.