Flint Michigan: 100,000 residents dead from lead poisoning and may not know it

Flint Michigan: 100,000 residents dead from lead poisoning and may not know it

0122016
0924 am

The near 100,000 residents of Flint Michigan are being poisoned by water purchased by them for consumption.

They are deathly sick and may not know it yet. Lead poisoning is a very serious condition and the state of emergency has not yet been realized.

Leads effect on your body is insidious at first, but the gradual decline and the devastating toll on your body is not often realized for years.

Flints population is comprised mostly of blacks at 57 percent, 37 percent white and 6 percent other. 42 percent live below the poverty line.

The city is facing bankruptcy and poor policy decisions by its officials have compromised their safety.

Perhaps one could reduce that because they are poor and less diverse than other cities, the lead problem could easily be swept under a rug and the hope being this would just go away.

The lead source was identified as a pipe corrosion problem from switching a water source that was more corrosive to the lining of water pipes supplying water to this community.

The Washington Post reported that in “April 2014, Flint stopped getting water from Detroit and began using water from the Flint River. The change was announced in a news release that acknowledged “lingering uncertainty about the quality of the water” and also sought to “dispel myths and promote the truth about the Flint River and its viability as a residential water resource,” assuring the public that the the water would be tested.”

“Residents quickly began complaining of water that smelled or was discolored. Flint began getting water from Detroit again in October, but by that time some residents had been drinking the water for 19 months.”

The integrity of the lead pipe wall has been eroded causing lead to leech freely into the water supply of almost every home in Flint Michigan. This chemical reaction has essentially poisoned every resident of Flint Michigan and created a health crisis not seen on a community since Chernobyl.

Many in local and state government thought this move would assist the city in overcoming mounting debt by saving money. Not a wise move in hindsight.

Lead poisoning by human absorption can be absorbed by inhalation of leaded fumes, think Leaded gas, lead paint in homes and through food and water. The devastating cumulative effect on children is our greatest loss.

According to WHO, the World Health Organization, “Lead is a metal with no known biological benefit to humans. Too much lead can damage various systems of the body including the nervous and reproductive systems and the kidneys, and it can cause high blood pressure and anemia. Lead accumulates in the bones and lead poisoning may be diagnosed from a blue line around the gums. Lead is especially harmful to the developing brains of fetuses and young children and to pregnant women. Lead interferes with the metabolism of calcium and Vitamin D. High blood lead levels in children can cause consequences which may be irreversible including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and mental retardation. At very high levels, lead can cause convulsions, coma and death.”

An EPA Regional Manager Susan Hedman had stepped down over the lead problem. It has been alleged that the EPA knew of this problem for years and failed to act responsibly to keep residents from harm.

Simply acknowledging that there is a problem does not make the water quality better. Michigan Governor Snyder has offered 38 million to “fix” the problem but I’m afraid the cost will exceed billions.

The protective barrier inside the pipes are corroded and compromised. This must be fixed before anyone can expect lead levels to fall. Currently according to local activist residents the lead tainted water continues to flow at high levels.

Meanwhile, Flint resident will continue to consume, bathe and cook with contaminated water and the devastating effect on their bodies will intensify.

19 plus months of lead consumption will be devastating to this community.

Because there are not dead bodies laying around everywhere this tragedy somehow seems benign and rationally explained away. It looks good in the media. Truth be known 100,000 plus residents of Flint may already be dead and their fate not yet fully realized. The darker tragedy lies just under the surface where social uproar acceptance levels are comfortable.

There has been a cover up in this scenario somewhere and those responsible need not “step down” but held accountable for their actions. The layers will soon be pulled back and the major players will be exposed. The political football has been passed and more and more are becoming aware of this huge health issue.

We may not see the full effect of this incident today, but tomorrow may be devastating.

This community is in grave danger!

Create awareness and alarm, this will spur action.

Sources of information: Please read these publications frequently. Support these sources!

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/lead/en/

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/closer-demographics-flint-michigan-36430744

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/01/21/michigan-authorities-debated-responsibility-for-flint-water-crisis-emails-show/

EPA set to garnish your wages for breaking regulations

EPA set to garnish your wages for breaking regulations

07/09/2014
0710 am

The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, has announced that as of September 2014, it will have the unbridled ability to garnish your wages for environmental infractions.

If this seems odd to you then you had best speak up. Otherwise, breaking an EPA regulation will cost you plenty and they can take it via wage garnishment.

As per link below, According to The Washington Times, the agency announced the plan to enhance its purview last week in a notice in the Federal Register. The notice claimed that federal law allows the EPA to “garnish non-Federal wages to collect delinquent non-tax debts owed the United States without first obtaining a court order.” 

The notice went on to say that the EPA had fast-tracked the new rule, enabling it to take effect September 2. 

1. The EPA said the rule was not subject to review because it was not a “significant regulatory action.”

The EPA has claimed this new authority by citing the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996,  Section 31001(o), which gives all federal agencies the power to conduct administrative wage garnishment, provided that the agency allows for hearings at which debtors to challenge the amount or the terms of repayment schedule. 

.”The EPA also states that, “we view this as a noncontroversial action and anticipate no adverse comment.” 

“This direct final rule is effective September 2, 2014 without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comments by August 1, 2014.”

To contact the EPA on this subject please use one of these to post your comments. I was unable find an ability to comment online.

Submit your comments by one of the following methods:

1. Email: jones.anita@epa.gov.

2. Fax: (202) 565-2585.

3. Mail: OCFO-2014-0001; FRL-9910-14-OCFO FPPS c/o Anita Jones, OCFO/OFM/FPPS, Mailcode 2733R, Environmental Protection Agency, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA_FRDOC_0001-15898

The conservative Heritage Foundation claimed that the rule gives the EPA “unbridled discretion” over the process of challenging fines.  David Addington, group vice president for research at Heritage, told the Times that the rule not only puts the burden of proof on the debtor, rather than the agency, but also allows the EPA to decide whether a debtor even gets a chance to present a defense before picking whomever it chooses to serve as a hearing officer.

The amount of money the EPA has collected in fines has increased steadily since President Barack Obama took office. In 2012, the agency took in $252 million in fines, up from just $96 million in 2009. 

Also be conscious of the fact that a growth plan is probably in effect in your community. This Agenda 21 project gives the DOT, the EPA and  HUD full access to your community with all authority rendered to them via your locally elected representatives. 

It’s time to speak up and out about government overreach into your wallets by a truly oppressive regime.

Share this info and by all means comment on the EPA hotline and comment line expressing your distaste for this overreach. Then contact your elected representatives and tell them to stop the EPA from garnishing your wages and taking your hard earned money.

Source and quotes from this link below. Please visit this site frequently. It has other excellent information for you to enjoy.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/09/epa-claims-it-has-power-to-garnish-wages-without-court-approval/

An example of how the EPA is reaching into the pockets of Americans can be seen in the example given in this link below. Just one story of where this could go. 

A 75,000 dollar a day fine placed on a man and his family for building a pond in his yard, a perceived violation of the Clean Water Act!

http://dailysignal.com/2014/07/03/epa-harasses-americans/

If silence falls on this, we are in for some serious tyranny by a federal agency that will only gain strength at each fine and garnishment levied.

The wage garnishment rule:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2002/03/13/02-5924/administrative-wage-garnishment

EPA to regulate “cow defecation” to enhance water quality downstream

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued new pollution control requirements for large livestock feedlots. The new regulations would allow farm operators to avoid having to get a permit if they agree to not let their farm animals defecate and put “harmful discharges” into nearby waterways.

The new EPA standard calls for a “zero discharge standard” which basically says farmers, on their own merit will develop elaborate and expensive plans to prevent the runoff of “excessive” environmentally damaging nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous to flow into lakes and streams.

Damaging nutrients like phosphorous and Nitrogen? The EPA has agreed to allow farmers to police themselves to not allow their animals to excrete in a normal fashion and have called for zero tolerance? Really?

Can you see the writing on the wall? Farmers regulating themselves with a zero tolerance police to keep manure out of local waterways? In other words, the EPA should have just gone straight to the stricter standard of just fining them for cattle defecation and runoff into nearby streams. Unless there is a quick miracle digestive device created soon, it want happen. I think we can all agree a cow is going to eat and a cow is going to defecate! Self regulation is essentially another type of “tax” on the farmer. Its a pretty sure sign you are going to pay it if your cow is normal. Self regulation only gives you the opportunity to fail so the EPA can step in and enforce the strict regulations.

Enforcing rediculous and stringent federal EPA regulations with stiff fines on a farmer is a sure fire way to ensure failure of that farmer and possibly loss of his or her livelihood and family treasure, their property.

Environmentalist have long complained that animal feedlots , the large operations where hogs and cattle are fattened for slaughter , pollute waterways because of their huge buildup of manure which is piled up and spread across the land.

My first gripe with this is why are we cow towing (joke intended) to environmentalist about an issue that is occuring on my private property and will likely affect my livelihood and way of making a living because they think that their drinking water may have to much nitrogen or phosphorous? The federal government, especially the EPA should have no say so on what I do on my property.

Environmentalist have also been concerned that these “lax “ rules of self governance through the “zero discharge” rule is letting the farmers get off easy! They think that is lax? Ever try to keep cow excrement from flowing down hill after a rain storm?

Eric Shaefer, a former EPA Enforcement Official says “This regulation allows these industrial meat farms to avoid the Clean Water Act all together by certifying that they have taken voluntary action to avoid discharges. Mr Shaefer, we all know what will happen when that EPA enforcer walks on to that piece of property to make sure you are self regulating. Exactly, they will find phosphorus and nitrogen downstream, gauranteed!

EPA officials estimated that the requirements will prevent the release into the streams , lakes and other waterways of 56 million pounds of phosphorous, 110 million pounds of nitrogen and 2 billion pounds of sediment!

I know farm animals are going to defecate, it is going to rain and that rich combination of nitrogen and phosphorus is going to flow downhill into a waterway! Its a given, it’s going to happen. This new regulation comes on the heels of cows milk, hay and dust being determined a pollutant.

You might as well get a credit line at the local bank and digging that proverbial hole. If you plan to do any farming under the over regulating eye of the EPA, you either pay the fines to play or give up the farm and your property rights. Sounds like we need to tell our elected officials how we feel! Call them and tell them to get the EPA of your backs and off your farms!

Source of information:

Directly from the EPA website:
http://www.epa.gov/region9/animalwaste/problem.html

http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/lcwaenf.html

http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/20002Q11.TXT?

Clean Water Act: EPA blasts Bradley Counties Wright Brothers Construction with heftiest fine ever

The EPA sues a local business that employs thousands of workers and feeds perhaps thousands in this county for nearly 3 million dollars, the single largest fine in the history of the EPA under the federL governments green initiative the Clean Water Act!

The Charleston, Tennessee construction company that has provided millions in new roads and enough jobs to offset anything the Chamber of Commerce, Amazon or Wacker have ever tried to do and can you believe not a single word of support in their favor by a single person in the current administration of the city mayor, county executive, the city council, the county mayor, county commissioner, city or county Sherrif or any of their deputies, state representatives x 2, state senator, congressman, US Senator x 2 or the governor in the great state of Tennessee has said a word in their defense! Can you believe it? You know why? The federal government has castrated these leaders who are apparently absent of any cahunas to stand up and dare defend a local that employs hundreds perhaps thousands!

Local State Representative Kevin Brooks 24th District Tennessee who received thousands of dollars in campaign funds from Wright Brothers and not a word I have heard uttered publicly in their defense! People this is America, this is small business doing well and if we can’t defend that great honor to work hard and be successful we might as well just toss in the towel now cause we are doomed! Where are you Mr. Brooks on this issue, come out wherever you are!

We are under attack by the very people you told me that if they did anything like you speak of “we will not let them do it” Well, Mr Commissioner, who sits on the far right of the oval, they are doing what you said would probably never happen, “we would never cast a vote to let something like that happen” Well, that time has come and gone! Eat these words, chew them slowly, digest them rapidly because there are many more fines that will be dealt on to the many good businesses in our county and you know why they will? Because you have given them the power to do so!

The Mayors x 2 and both of their councils have married this beast and have openly refused to stand up and say anything to stop the onslaught of the EPA, DOT and HUD! you accepted millions in federal grants that allowed this to happen! This is on you, current administration of elected representatives! State Representatives Brooks and Watson, while on your state watch, you refused to say a thing, although I begged heavily for you to stop this onslaught! Political correctness is no longer accepted as the excuse! Families and businesses you represen are bow being affected by the Feds because you accept a few dollars I’m grant money in return!

Did you know our sherrifs could tell the EPA to stand down and not fine these job creators! Did you know that? Yes they can! They can protect our county and city and they can officially run them the hell out of Tennessee! They are our guardians!

They took an oath to protect you and the businesses you run! They have this power! They can keep the federal government and the EPA at bay with one strong showing of their badges! Is there anyone that wants to stand up for the working class? Are we too numb? Do we think that whatever the EPA or the Federal government deals out we are obligated to take it? States have rights too and we can step up and protect her!

The obvious problem is noone has a set, they were chopped off when the grant money was accepted! It is so sad that a man of any character has yet to stand up and defend the entrepreneur called Wright Brothers Construction!

Get in line, any other business that dares deal with the devil, accept their money and be expected to jump through their hoops! Farmers, the fines I warned you of many times are coming to you too!

The EPA with some far out idea that the Wright brothers have somehow stopped the spawning of some pink salmon a thousand miles downstream by blocking some 150 linear feet of creek bed with dirt and residue from all the construction they have done is the main problem, good God help us all! This is the crux of the lawsuit and fines of nearly 3 million dollars!

Let’s pretend now that you decide to move a mound of dirt that may somehow, in their personal and professional opinion may block the water to a 2 inch smelt some 350 miles south of us! Let this be your backyard and let’s pretend you own a dairy farm. That dairy farm that you vehemently denied water to by blocking the natural flow of water, you risk having your dairy farm being foreclosed upon because you can’t pay the fines that the EPA brings down on you because “carbon” and minerals can’t flow downstream!

The fines may accumulate every month or so and their is nothing you can do about it! The EPA HAS SEALED THE DEAL!

The regional plan that the Mayors have so willingly signed off on is the real problem! You see they have given you the full shaft! They have sold your soul to the devil! The regional growth plan with the insistence of ICLEI and the Chattanooga planners has made this a reality!

Read the rest of this article in the banner and tell me if we are not in trouble! We are on a dead street and nothing you cam be done to prevent it shirt of replacing all the spineless leaders with a new batch willing to protect our county and state! It’s time!

Let’s just bend over and say as Tony Soprano used to say “fugget bout it” its only a thang!

Below is a copy from the EPAs website boasting of this huge fine which is revenue for them to hire more agents to do the same in greater amounts! This is what they have done in other states before Tennessee!

(Washington, DC – December 12, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wright Brothers Construction Co. and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) have agreed to pay a $1.5 million dollar penalty and spend more than $1.3 million to offset environmental damages to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The civil penalty is one of the largest ever under the CWA provisions prohibiting the unauthorized discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.

The proposed Consent Decree in this matter resolves a Clean Water Act (CWA) civil judicial action for violations stemming from the unlawful disposal of excess rock and soil generated from the expansion of U.S. Route 441 and U.S. Route 76 in Rabun County, Ga. 

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) conducted the highway expansion projects and hired Wright Brothers Construction Company (Wright Brothers) to dispose of excess material generated from the projects. The contracts between GDOT and Wright Brothers specifically required Wright Brothers to obtain environmental clearance from GDOT prior to using any site as a fill site. GDOT approved sites that included streams considered to be waters of the United States.

Wright Brothers is headquartered in Charleston, Tenn. and performs site preparation, grading, excavating, highway and heavy construction services.

Violations

The Defendants violated Sections 301 and 404 of the CWA by discharging dredged and/or fill material into waters of the United States without, or in violation of, a permit issued under Section 404 of the CWA by the Army Corps of Engineers. 

Between 2004 and 2007, the Defendants buried and/or piped seven primary trout streams while disposing of excess material generated from the U.S. Route 441 and U.S. Route 76 expansion projects.  These actions impacted approximately 2,800 linear feet of stream.