Tuesday, September 14, 2010

SEPTEMBER 16TH IS PUBLIC HEARING ON COAL ASH - 3 DAYS NOTICE!

Nanotechnology: Consequences for Human Health & the Environment (Issues in Environmental Science and Technology)Critical Condition: Human Health and the Environment"News Release by Date: Media Advisory: 'EPA Announces Public Hearing in Chicago Sept. 16 on Proposed Coal Ash Regulations'"
(link) 3 Days Notice of Public Hearing on Coal Ash! Hurry!


NEWS RELEASE DATE 9-13-2010 FOR A 9-16-2010 PUBLIC HEARING....


Media contact Karen Thompson thompson.karen@epa.gov 312-353-8547


CHICAGO – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding a public hearing on EPA’s proposal to regulate the disposal and management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. 


"This is the first time the EPA has proposed to ensure the safe disposal and management of this material". Why has the EPA not been regulating the disposal of coal ash/pot ash/fly ash?


 Does this mean the EPA is now going into business with the Coal Plants? From what I understood, the EPA has found conclusively that there is no such thing as Clean Coal, and that the operation of Coal-Fire Plants is not only hazardous to Human Health, but The ENVIRONMENT!!!!!






TIME: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
DATE: Thursday, Sept. 16
PLACE: Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.

The hearing will continue past 9 p.m. if necessary. Walk-ins and written comments will be accepted at the hearing. The agency will consider the public’s comments in its final decision. 

Background: The need for national management criteria and regulation was emphasized by the December 2008 spill of coal ash from a surface impoundment near Kingston, Tenn. The proposal will ensure for the first time that protective controls, such as liners and ground water monitoring, are in place at new landfills to protect ground water and human health. Existing surface impoundments will also require liners, with strong incentives to close these impoundments and transition to safer landfills which store coal ash in dry form. The proposed regulations will ensure stronger oversight of the structural integrity of impoundments and promote environmentally safe and desirable forms of recycling coal ash, known as beneficial uses. 

EPA has proposed two main management approaches, one of which phases out surface impoundments and moves all coal ash to landfills; the other allows coal ash to be disposed in surface impoundments, but with stricter safety criteria.
This is already the EPA's job, to regulate the storage and disposal of Coal Ash. These "impoundments" should already have liners, as should the disposal from every other Energy Mining, Drilling, and Fracking operation. 


It is really becoming Lulu world -   





"...impoundments and promote environmentally safe and desirable forms of recycling coal ash, known as beneficial uses..." ??????????
Thank you Pew Project, Thank you Homeland Security, and Thank you EERE. I think you have finally taken the U.S. Constitution and sent it into the last Smoke Stack. This is not Kosher, This is not any good for the Citizens of the U.S. - The poor citizens who will never have Environmental Justice, because it is the poverty stricken towns and Reservations that get these "impoundments, mining, drilling ponds - With the Promise of Jobs and security - This is Dirty and stinks. 

I think it is too late for Citizens to Make a Difference. I think the Deed is already done. A Three Day notice to come to Chicago, and Come to the Hilton...Citizens cannot afford to pull that off, but by God Industry sure Can!


for more information on the EPA proposals...
 (link) More Information on What the EPA is Proposing@

                         **********************************

Determination of aquifer characteristics in spoil generated by mountain top removal, valley-fill coal-mining process


Coal ash utilization: Fly ash, bottom ash, and slag (Pollution technology review)


Coal Power: Coal-Fired Power Stations, Coal Power by Country, Coal Power Companies, Coal in Australia, Fly Ash, Coal Power in China


Determination of the potential for release of mercury from combustion product amended soils: part 2--coal fly ash generated stabilized soil and degradation ... of the Air & Waste Management Association


Influence of several experimental parameters on As and Se leaching from coal fly ash samples [An article from: Analytica Chimica Acta]


Short-term responses of two contrasting species of earthworms in an agricultural soil amended with coal fly-ash [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry]


2008 Disasters in the United States: 2008 Chatsworth Train Collision, Kingston Fossil Plant Coal Fly Ash Slurry Spill


Dam Disasters: Kingston Fossil Plant Coal Fly Ash Slurry Spill, Johnstown Flood, St. Francis Dam, Vajont Dam




Treatment of acid mine drainage with coal fly ash: Interaction chemistry and process water qualityCoal: Coal, Coke, Coal Tar, Bituminous Coal, Peat, Lignite, United Mine Workers, Fossil Fuel Phase Out, Environmental Effects of Coal, Fly Ash

Human Health and the Environment: A Turn-of-the-Century Perspective

Friday, September 10, 2010

Is Pakistan Losing Ground?


I understand that in the U.S., we have a lot going on. In Florida, there is a man saying he is called of God to burn the Koran, causing everyone in the U.S. to take a deep breath, and fall back into the fear we lived in during the 8 years of the Bush Administration. This is not a diatribe against President Bush, let us not forget that 7 of his 8 years were spent with us checking on daily "Terror Alerts", powdery substances in our mail, and the loss of lifelong held investments and retirement.

We are already in the fight for the next Presidential election, Christmas shopping and how the Health Care Act is causing changes in the upcoming years. We have our eyes peeled toward the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana, and even this newest Disaster is not making the news...Is it too much?

If we stop looking in our own backyard, and consider the rest of the World as our friends, family and neighbors, we will have noticed that China, Indonesia and Pakistan have been under a deluge of rain and flooding for well over a month.

I must admit with everything going on, I have dreaded to look at the Natural Disasters postings to see how my beloved Earth and fellow Earthlings are doing...

Not so good. today's photo of Pakistan (LINK above), is startling.  An increasing amount of their land mass is under water. How much water will remain? How much land, silt, soil, rocks, trees and other resource's are becoming one with the Sea?

Image courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory 9/5/10

Flat Map Globe - Pakistan Upper Right Quadrant
Image Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory 9/5/10

The above images were captured by NASA on September 5, 2010, the preceding weeks have shown an increasing movement of water into all low lying areas. This has been going on for weeks.

The space satellites do show false colors to help distinguish certain things, the light blue to dark teal is the water,  vegetation shows red and bare ground and settlements range in colors from grey to beige.

There is not really a lot we can do against the forces of Nature, but let us be mindful of populations around the world who are beginning to wonder if life will ever be the same. The loss of top-soil in the low-lying crop areas, will be devastating for farming and crops.

Let us not forget our brethren, it could be us tomorrow...

July 19th 2010 -


Image courtesy of NASA - Earth Observatory



Natural Disasters in Pakistan: Earthquakes in Pakistan, Floods in Pakistan, Natural Disaster Deaths in Pakistan, Tropical Cyclones in Pakistan



Sunday, September 5, 2010

European Space Agency - Update! Petermann Glacier, Calved 08/04/2010 - Greenland


September 5, 2010


"ESA Observing the Earth - Image of the Week!" Updates us on the position of the Petermann Calf. 


On August 4, 2010, the ESA Announced that the ice tongue had detached in one day from the Petermann Glacier in North Greenland. I blogged about it here: (link)_Earthenwarehaven Points out Calving off of Petermann - N Greenland 8/4/10 .


Having record heat in the South of Northern America and the inability of the "cool air/water conditioner" to work, surface heat has increased in various places. On August 3, 2010, the tongue on the Petermann Glacier into the Nares Strait appeared to be solid with some cracking which had transpired in July. 


On August 4th, it broke free; it calved from the Petermann Glacier in Northern Greenland.


Metric measurements are 30sq.km.15sq.km.sq.km7sq.km. English measurement is about 8 sq miles big,( if I did my calculations correctly...feel free to correct me please). .
Calving does occur, it is just that a rapid break and so large is  not routine.


On September first, nearly a month later, it has moved another 6 km from the Glacier, and turned by about 39 degrees. Satellite imagery shows the Calf hit a small island, and is edging into the Nares strait.  In Earth Science, we learned that when one geologic formation has interaction with another, they both leave and take something. The iceberg will leave 'trace' evidence. The island will send soil, and fauna along with the Iceberg,  as well. Geography is fully at the controls it seems.


It is probable this Iceberg will fully enter Nares Strait. The actual course of the Iceberg will depend on wind speed and direction. (link)_ESA Observing The Earth - Protecting our Environment . Wonder what is going to happen? Will this change the way people travel? Is this a further sign of warmer and more salinity in our Oceans?


Will the sea ice stop the Calved iceberg? Can we give it a name?


Ice Calving: Ablation zone, Ice shelf, Ice, Glacier, Iceberg, Ice front, Crevasse, Johns Hopkins, Glacier, Greenland, Cognate (etymology), Ice sheet dynamics, Ablation                          Iceberg off East Greenland, Polar Regions Scenic Framed Art Poster Print by David Lomax, 25x31

Friday, September 3, 2010


For quite some time, NASA has sought to solve one of the greatest mysteries in our Solar System, the Sun and all of her dynamics and science. 

Set to launch no later than 2018, this will bring great and imaginative minds together with Science and Physics beyond what I can comprehend. There will be new strides made in making materials that can withstand the heat of the Sun.

According to Lika Guhathakurta, "Solar Probe+ is going where no spacecraft has gone before," Guhathakurta is a Solar Probe+ program scientist at NASA HQ. "For the first time, we'll be able to 'touch, taste and smell' the sun", he stated.

Last year NASA sent invitations around the world inviting great minds and think tanks to submit proposals of possible scientific investigations that could be done with the probe. (The size of the Solar Probe they are sending is about 'smart car' size. (link) What the Solar Probe Will Look Like) Out of 13 Proposals, 5 were chosen:

  1. SWEAP -  Solar wind electrons Alphas & Protons Investigation
  2. WISPR  -   the Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe Plus 
  3. FIELDS -  The Fields Investigation for the Solar Probe Plus
  4. ISIS       -    Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun
  5. Human -   Solar Probe+ Investigative Scientist (Marco Velli)
There are two questions that scientists have wanted to find answers to...
Why is the sun's atmosphere is so much hotter than its surface? 
what propels the solar wind?

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