The unsigned letter received from the Peoria Medical Society to the Peoria County Board reads in part, “The Peoria Medical Society, also, strongly recommends the removal of the existing landfill and relocation to a site which is not in close proximity to an aquifer.” FACT: No governmental body in the United States has or will request the removal of this 27 year old site that complies with Illinois Environmental Rules and Regulations and has 13 consecutive years of no environmental violations.
“Testimony was given of a higher incidence of cancer was occurring in Peoria”. FACT: The Wall Street Editorial Board published the following on 2/23/06, “One myth about cancer is that our industrial society is pumping poisons into the air and water that put us at ever greater risks of cancer. But studies indicate that about 2% of cancer diagnoses are a result of environmental pollutants. Air and water quality have dramatically improved over the past 30 years, and air pollution carcinogens are down by 54% nationwide, according to Environmental Protection Agency data. Economic growth and the freedom that produces it are reducing, rather than increasing, cancer risks.” No evidence was submitted to place the cause with PDC.
The “Vote NO” flyer widely distributed by “Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste” states that PDC wants to expand its “toxic” waste, ect. The word toxic appears 8 times in the flyer. FACT: There was no evidence submitted to the County Board that any “toxic” waste was being dumped in the PDC landfill area requesting an expansion permit. (Refer my previous blog “Letter from the IEPA to Tom Edwards”). Read about the old barrel trenches in my previous blogs. No expansion will be permitted or is it requested for that closed portion of the landfill.
This flyer states “According to the American Cancer Society, Peoria County has a significantly higher cancer rate than the rest of the state.” FACT: No evidence of any kind was submitted by the opposition. Read the transcripts of all the testimony submitted by the applicant and the opposition by visiting wwwpeoriacounty.org
“PDC is a private company, so the PUBLIC has NO idea how much they profit from this landfill.” FACT: True, that’s why we live in a capitalist county, the greatest one in the world and not a socialistic society. We all better hope that they make a profit, pay 6 figure property taxes, spend 4 million dollars in the community each year and employ a hundred people locally. Only profits will support maintenance requirements during the additional 15 years of expansion and for the 15 years after closure. PDC has publicly stated that they would put hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly in a trust fund under jurisdiction of the County Board that will build into hundreds of millions of dollars, 100 years from now. If the permit is not approved, PDC will no longer make a profit at this site after year 2009 and would have no reason to maintain it after the required the 15 year closure period. Responsibility after year 2024 will revert to Peoria County and taxpayers will be financially required to maintain this landfill forever.
Expert testimony predicts that new layers of liners over clay subsurface will last for 100 to 500 years. Read the transcripts of expert testimony.
“The landfill sits atop the Sankoty aquiver system, the source of 60% of Peoria drinking water.” FACT: This statement I believe is made to make people believe the landfill sits “atop” the Sankoty aquifer which is a misleading statement.
FACT: Neither the Pleasant Valley private water system, the water system closest to the landfill, nor the Illinois-American Water Company testified in opposition to the siting application.
“According to EPA siting criteria, a new landfill would not be allowed in this location because of it’s proximity to the aquifer and residential areas.”
FACT: Finally something 100% true. The Peoria County Board would NOT approve a siting for any type of landfill to be located where this landfill is now. The PROBLEM is it is THERE NOW and has been for 27 years and its NOT going away. I didn’t want it there either. But it’s there so I voted to permit continuation of 15 more years for disposal only and 15 more years of closure at the total expense of PDC.
Tomorrow I will blog about the nine criterions PDC is required to meet with the additional Special Conditions recommended by County Staff and Patrick Engineering. This environmental engineering company was hired and approved by the unanimous vote of the full Peoria County Board. Other firms were interviewed. Patrick Engineering, who has sterling credentials, had no past dealings with PDC. PDC is paying for all costs associated with this siting application including the rent of the ITOO Hall.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Love Canal; A Shame and a Shameful Comparison to the PDC Siting Application
My interview with Editor Ben Lambert of the Peoria Times-Observer this week allowed me to express my views about Peoria and who I am. Ben, I left out that I am “fiercely critical where warranted and equally willing to praise a job well done.” (Your management and ownership and your writers are doing an excellent job.) I have never “suffered fools gladly” nor ever totally trusted an enemy who wanted to now be my friend. I have lived a long life and had many great experiences like these five years I have been in politics yet I do not recall any issue in which so many lies were told masked as truths as this sustained attack on Peoria Disposal Company and the Coulter family and team.
One of the first out of town environmentalist, the most passionate environmentalists brought in, was Lois Gibbs, whose name is linked with Love Canal. Just a short review of what she said in comparing Love Canal to PDC was that no dumps are safe and that PDC could become in time another Love Canal. The comparisons were ludicrous.
Let’s look at what happened at Love Canal. Basically Love Canal was an ABANDONED trench with all kinds of industrial chemicals dumped in the trench and then covered and vacated. The trench had no liner, no supervision of what could go the trench and no supervision after closure, and no one was obligated to perpetually maintain it. Worse yet HOMES were built OVER this toxic porridge. All the digging into the ground fractured the cover, emissions rose and the water table was polluted. Eventually after widespread health problems, approximately 900 families were relocated, the waste removed and the trench properly sealed all at a cost of $227 million to the taxpayers. Ms. Gibbs studiously avoided mentioned where the waste removed and transferred from Love Canal was transferred too???
Ms. Gibbs was brought in to incite the community against PDC. She did and the half truths mixed with truths like Love Canal started to panic the community. Tom Edwards rallied support of the environmental community by asking people to believe we had another Love Canal in the making right here in Rivercity; albeit much bigger.
Love Canal was toxic waste untreated and forgotten so the name for PDC buried waste became "toxic" waste substituted for hazardous waste.
Brushed aside was the fact that Love Canal happened before (1978) there were ANY restrictions on any waste disposal.
Anything and everything was dumped in unlined trenches. Love Canal was not alone but it was one of the worst polluted dumps in the country.
What is the difference from PDC?
Expert testimony said the liner system proposed for the expansion exceeds mandated EPA requirements.
The landfill has had 13 straight years without a citation from the IEPA.
Out of the thousands of materials deemed not suitable for organic landfills, approximately 860 are accepted at PDC after approval by the IEPA.
All materials that are deemed toxic when they arrive at the landfill are tested to be sure the load meet specifications. (PDC says approximately 200 loads have been rejected for failure to meet specifications.)
All waste that is specified to be treated is treated to remove any toxins before the west is buried in the landfill.
The PDC landfill is know as a solid waste containment tomb; almost all water leached out after 8-10 years.
Leachate systems are installed to drain off excess water for buried content to surface water.
That water is placed in a holding pool and treated to be acceptable to the Greater Peoria Sanitary District where it is purified to the extent it can be funneled into the Illinois River and some of it makes its way back into the public water systems.
PDC has their own lab people who constantly monitor and check the landfill for any potential problems.
PDC is regularly monitored by Field Representatives of the EPA and must submit scheduled reports.
PDC has offered to let Peoria County come out and do their own testing of the facility.
PDC has never been a secret in this community. It was carefully designed to be as least objectionable to the surrounding neighbors.
The record of testimony does not show any neighbor who can easily see the landfill and who did come forward and to state the landfill was objectionable to their view of their surroundings.
When a PDC landfill section is closed it is covered and monitored for as many years as mandated by state and federal law.
PDC is mandated by law to properly continue to close and maintain the facility for 15 years after burying their last load of hazardous waste. Special Criteria to extend operpetual maintenance for perpetuity (billions of dollars) for one reason or another was rejected by 10 county board members.
The Love Canal expert was brought in to meet the purposes of Tom Edwards and Joyce Blumenshine; to terrorize the citizens of Peoria and some of its neighbors. Even today, Joyce Blumenshine, Chair, Heart of Illinois Sierra club continues to poison the air in Peoria. She writes “PDC knows that the geology and liners will not protect the aquifer. The liners will not last forever. What then?” Very little lasts forever but the believable experts testified that any slow seepage would be mitigated by the largely clayey subsurface in event of any small seepage thru the liners in a hundred to 500 years. Blumenshine questions whether $21 million be enough to begin attending that site 15 years from now. (The addendums voted down would have increased that figure to over $70 million dollars after 30 years of post closure.) Tim or staff, you worked these figures out, and it’s past my bedtime. Post a comment or email me and adjust or further explain. Since the addendum voted down I did not record accurately the numbers.
More truths and facts tomorrow.
One of the first out of town environmentalist, the most passionate environmentalists brought in, was Lois Gibbs, whose name is linked with Love Canal. Just a short review of what she said in comparing Love Canal to PDC was that no dumps are safe and that PDC could become in time another Love Canal. The comparisons were ludicrous.
Let’s look at what happened at Love Canal. Basically Love Canal was an ABANDONED trench with all kinds of industrial chemicals dumped in the trench and then covered and vacated. The trench had no liner, no supervision of what could go the trench and no supervision after closure, and no one was obligated to perpetually maintain it. Worse yet HOMES were built OVER this toxic porridge. All the digging into the ground fractured the cover, emissions rose and the water table was polluted. Eventually after widespread health problems, approximately 900 families were relocated, the waste removed and the trench properly sealed all at a cost of $227 million to the taxpayers. Ms. Gibbs studiously avoided mentioned where the waste removed and transferred from Love Canal was transferred too???
Ms. Gibbs was brought in to incite the community against PDC. She did and the half truths mixed with truths like Love Canal started to panic the community. Tom Edwards rallied support of the environmental community by asking people to believe we had another Love Canal in the making right here in Rivercity; albeit much bigger.
Love Canal was toxic waste untreated and forgotten so the name for PDC buried waste became "toxic" waste substituted for hazardous waste.
Brushed aside was the fact that Love Canal happened before (1978) there were ANY restrictions on any waste disposal.
Anything and everything was dumped in unlined trenches. Love Canal was not alone but it was one of the worst polluted dumps in the country.
What is the difference from PDC?
Expert testimony said the liner system proposed for the expansion exceeds mandated EPA requirements.
The landfill has had 13 straight years without a citation from the IEPA.
Out of the thousands of materials deemed not suitable for organic landfills, approximately 860 are accepted at PDC after approval by the IEPA.
All materials that are deemed toxic when they arrive at the landfill are tested to be sure the load meet specifications. (PDC says approximately 200 loads have been rejected for failure to meet specifications.)
All waste that is specified to be treated is treated to remove any toxins before the west is buried in the landfill.
The PDC landfill is know as a solid waste containment tomb; almost all water leached out after 8-10 years.
Leachate systems are installed to drain off excess water for buried content to surface water.
That water is placed in a holding pool and treated to be acceptable to the Greater Peoria Sanitary District where it is purified to the extent it can be funneled into the Illinois River and some of it makes its way back into the public water systems.
PDC has their own lab people who constantly monitor and check the landfill for any potential problems.
PDC is regularly monitored by Field Representatives of the EPA and must submit scheduled reports.
PDC has offered to let Peoria County come out and do their own testing of the facility.
PDC has never been a secret in this community. It was carefully designed to be as least objectionable to the surrounding neighbors.
The record of testimony does not show any neighbor who can easily see the landfill and who did come forward and to state the landfill was objectionable to their view of their surroundings.
When a PDC landfill section is closed it is covered and monitored for as many years as mandated by state and federal law.
PDC is mandated by law to properly continue to close and maintain the facility for 15 years after burying their last load of hazardous waste. Special Criteria to extend operpetual maintenance for perpetuity (billions of dollars) for one reason or another was rejected by 10 county board members.
The Love Canal expert was brought in to meet the purposes of Tom Edwards and Joyce Blumenshine; to terrorize the citizens of Peoria and some of its neighbors. Even today, Joyce Blumenshine, Chair, Heart of Illinois Sierra club continues to poison the air in Peoria. She writes “PDC knows that the geology and liners will not protect the aquifer. The liners will not last forever. What then?” Very little lasts forever but the believable experts testified that any slow seepage would be mitigated by the largely clayey subsurface in event of any small seepage thru the liners in a hundred to 500 years. Blumenshine questions whether $21 million be enough to begin attending that site 15 years from now. (The addendums voted down would have increased that figure to over $70 million dollars after 30 years of post closure.) Tim or staff, you worked these figures out, and it’s past my bedtime. Post a comment or email me and adjust or further explain. Since the addendum voted down I did not record accurately the numbers.
More truths and facts tomorrow.
Landfill Hysteria
Landfill Hysteria
I received a letter on Aril 4 from a lady who is prominent in Peoria news, telling me that “railway cars of toxic waste are rolling thru the town to the PDC site. Under oath testimony was submitted that there are not nor will be a railhead at PDC.
There were “No Toxic Waste yard signs in front of any residencies of the 24 streets I visited in most affected part of the community and closest to the landfill. Not a one. I was told “you know how it is; the opposition always takes down your signs if they don’t agree with you.” Maybe, but probably not. (I noted only three “For Sale” signs in these neighborhoods less than I saw on Grandview drive where the affluent live and had lots of “no” signs.)
She wrote that“The reason Pleasant Valley Water System, closest to the landfill and the Illinois American Water Company did not submit testimony that the expansion was a threat to the community’s water was that when the water gets more polluted, they will just charge us more.” Ah, so that knocks the theory we will become a “ghost town” as Tom Edwards said one unidentified individual told him. The water companies will be able to treat the water same as they do the water containing mercury, barium, chloride and battery acid and other chemical toxins that are in the river now; Illinois River water we drink from our taps and fountains every day. Hmmmmmmmm. This was probably a realtor looking to drive values down so he could buy houses in the ‘hood’ cheap and rent them to immigrants.
“Any negative affect on property taxes has already happened.” I agree but people over the 27 years the hazardous waste landfill has been at this location and growing, kept building new homes right up to the valley separating PDC form the neighborhoods. Yes, some have told me now that after negative statements made by the environmentalists, they MAY see some loss in value. Two buildings are under construction now. Mr. Edwards says why would anyone build in the area around the landfill knowing what they know? Does he feel all those people who built there and bought their in the past 20 years couldn’t see.
The greatest effect of decrease of property values is from the humans who move into your neighborhood who don’t have the same cultural values you do. As neighborhoods age, they are the same as most things that age; they become less valuable. People often improve their earnings and look for larger or smaller, more expensive or less expensive, move to be closer to someone or something or move out of town because of high property taxes, lack of jobs or dissatisfaction with schools. Location is what realtors say. This location of the landfill is at the same place it was 27 years ago! And the landfill will still be there as the community ages with experts testifying that they will have the same problems they are having now. NONE11
A document was submitted by the opponents, copied from the Washington Post on 9/15/1997 about health effects of a chemical dump in Pitman NJ. They suffered from industrial compounds that gave off breathing fumes. Expert testimony could not tie that toxic dump to PDC’s solid waste dump that the State of Illinois says emits so little emissions that they do not need to regularly test for them.
Mr. Edwards states “Do you think the Chamber of Commerce would tout new business coming to Peoria because it has one of the Midwest major toxic chemical landfills?’ Mr. Edwards is wrong on two points: Did he forget that the Executive Director of the Greater Peoria Chamber of Commerce testified that the 1200 members of the Chamber supported the expansion and did he find in his letters from the State of Illinois Officials where Mr. Edwards described this site as a major toxic waste landfill. The State says it is not. I believe the state and expert testimony presented that this site is not a “toxic” landfill and will not be if the expansion is permitted. Some board members have taken an attitude of guarantee me everything. Sorry, I doubt even the God you worship, could do that.
In a letter to the County Board dated 5/13/04 states that PDC may look for a buyer of this site. Sure and what if it is Waste Management, and then you would have one major waste contractor who could set any price for garbage they want. Does this sound familiar? Think about it. By accepting the application with added protective criteria, the Coulter family cannot sell this landfill without approval from the County Board. Deny it and they may and don’t need approval from the Count Board.
As part of the new siting application the contract would contain a clause of no sale of the company without County Board approval.
Mr. Edwards is constantly talking about the barrel trenches. Those barrels were buried in a different era and if they become a problem, that problem will belong to the owner. The barrel trench area is not affected in any negative way by this siting process which is not over that area. In fact Mr. Norris, expert witness for the opponents testified that an expansion could help prevent leakage from some of the older closed sites.
As a fear tactic Mr. Edward submitted a clipping from the New York Times dated 2/16/05 stating that a “study suggesting that anthropogenic air pollution carries health risks and genetic consequences. Exposure to pollutants caused chiefly by vehicles, pesticides, and smoking have been linked to some fetal harm”. Yes, I believe that so why not spend our valuable dollars eliminating those proven pollutants instead of pollutants that don’t exist at PDC. What does that article have to do with the PDC siting application?? You say PDC does pollute? Prove it. Your experts couldn’t, show me where they did in sworn testimony?
In an undated document submitted to the County board Mr. Edwards had “marked out” 1100 toxic chemicals and their compounds and penned in 900. A quick drop of 200 and a quicker one yet when he said in a document to the county dated Jan.31.06 that there are “843” of the worst toxic wastes known to mankind.” Again reread my blog of the letter the IPEA sent to Mr. Edwards and where he later said the IEPA is lying. He questions why PDC have sometimes had to correct their figures yet Mr. Edwards does it to fit his agenda. PDC has trained laboratory people who are constantly analyzing the entire process.
Turnover is mentioned. Sure, PDC is a local FAMILY OWNED Company. There may be less opportunity for advancement in a family company than a multi-billion dollar company like WM.
Tom says close the facility now. He says “We made it, we can unmake it.” Maybe a lot of the money spent on this hysteria could have been spent of recycling and studying reuse of lead, barium and fly ash. Sure, close all dumps and go back to dumping everything in ditches and on our roads stream beds and rivers, lawns and school yards. We’ve been trying to minimize the bad health effects of vehicle exhaust for 20-30 years. It’s still in the air today. Maybe all problems will be solved in 15 years and the landfill put under a perpetual maintain fund for the next 500 years. I’d suggest the more passionate environmentalists pool their time and money and go to work researching and then developing a permanent waste problem solution.
“Everything eventually leaks.” It was demonstrated by expert witnesses that some moisture escapes from all things over enough years. But it is in such small amounts that it is absorbed into the tightly packed clayey sub-soils and the amounts that would ever hit the small vein to the Sankoty would be no worse than a kid eating chemically treated fruit picked out of a garden or tree without washing it in soap and water, breathing 2nd hand smoke or inhaling oil product fumes and harmful coal dust.. Products are eaten every day that if eaten in great quantities would kill us.
“Closed portions of the landfill have to be constantly sumped or leached.” That’s true, some rainwater gets thru the cover before the three feet lined cover is completed. As testified, the amount leached and treated become less and less so that in 8-10 years the buried covered hazardous waste has virtually no moisture content.
Wastes that are runny are solidified but not treated” says Mr. Edwards. Expert witnesses testified differently, and the trucks I see going into PDC do not appear to be tank trucks.
Testimony submitted by the Sierra Club shows I was absent on February 24. The chairperson will confirm I sat beside her on that day and left at dinner break. Otherwise I have missed no important testimony and I read the testimony by Mr. Norris that I missed only because he asked that his testimony be taken out of sequence and the chair approved.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more facts.
I received a letter on Aril 4 from a lady who is prominent in Peoria news, telling me that “railway cars of toxic waste are rolling thru the town to the PDC site. Under oath testimony was submitted that there are not nor will be a railhead at PDC.
There were “No Toxic Waste yard signs in front of any residencies of the 24 streets I visited in most affected part of the community and closest to the landfill. Not a one. I was told “you know how it is; the opposition always takes down your signs if they don’t agree with you.” Maybe, but probably not. (I noted only three “For Sale” signs in these neighborhoods less than I saw on Grandview drive where the affluent live and had lots of “no” signs.)
She wrote that“The reason Pleasant Valley Water System, closest to the landfill and the Illinois American Water Company did not submit testimony that the expansion was a threat to the community’s water was that when the water gets more polluted, they will just charge us more.” Ah, so that knocks the theory we will become a “ghost town” as Tom Edwards said one unidentified individual told him. The water companies will be able to treat the water same as they do the water containing mercury, barium, chloride and battery acid and other chemical toxins that are in the river now; Illinois River water we drink from our taps and fountains every day. Hmmmmmmmm. This was probably a realtor looking to drive values down so he could buy houses in the ‘hood’ cheap and rent them to immigrants.
“Any negative affect on property taxes has already happened.” I agree but people over the 27 years the hazardous waste landfill has been at this location and growing, kept building new homes right up to the valley separating PDC form the neighborhoods. Yes, some have told me now that after negative statements made by the environmentalists, they MAY see some loss in value. Two buildings are under construction now. Mr. Edwards says why would anyone build in the area around the landfill knowing what they know? Does he feel all those people who built there and bought their in the past 20 years couldn’t see.
The greatest effect of decrease of property values is from the humans who move into your neighborhood who don’t have the same cultural values you do. As neighborhoods age, they are the same as most things that age; they become less valuable. People often improve their earnings and look for larger or smaller, more expensive or less expensive, move to be closer to someone or something or move out of town because of high property taxes, lack of jobs or dissatisfaction with schools. Location is what realtors say. This location of the landfill is at the same place it was 27 years ago! And the landfill will still be there as the community ages with experts testifying that they will have the same problems they are having now. NONE11
A document was submitted by the opponents, copied from the Washington Post on 9/15/1997 about health effects of a chemical dump in Pitman NJ. They suffered from industrial compounds that gave off breathing fumes. Expert testimony could not tie that toxic dump to PDC’s solid waste dump that the State of Illinois says emits so little emissions that they do not need to regularly test for them.
Mr. Edwards states “Do you think the Chamber of Commerce would tout new business coming to Peoria because it has one of the Midwest major toxic chemical landfills?’ Mr. Edwards is wrong on two points: Did he forget that the Executive Director of the Greater Peoria Chamber of Commerce testified that the 1200 members of the Chamber supported the expansion and did he find in his letters from the State of Illinois Officials where Mr. Edwards described this site as a major toxic waste landfill. The State says it is not. I believe the state and expert testimony presented that this site is not a “toxic” landfill and will not be if the expansion is permitted. Some board members have taken an attitude of guarantee me everything. Sorry, I doubt even the God you worship, could do that.
In a letter to the County Board dated 5/13/04 states that PDC may look for a buyer of this site. Sure and what if it is Waste Management, and then you would have one major waste contractor who could set any price for garbage they want. Does this sound familiar? Think about it. By accepting the application with added protective criteria, the Coulter family cannot sell this landfill without approval from the County Board. Deny it and they may and don’t need approval from the Count Board.
As part of the new siting application the contract would contain a clause of no sale of the company without County Board approval.
Mr. Edwards is constantly talking about the barrel trenches. Those barrels were buried in a different era and if they become a problem, that problem will belong to the owner. The barrel trench area is not affected in any negative way by this siting process which is not over that area. In fact Mr. Norris, expert witness for the opponents testified that an expansion could help prevent leakage from some of the older closed sites.
As a fear tactic Mr. Edward submitted a clipping from the New York Times dated 2/16/05 stating that a “study suggesting that anthropogenic air pollution carries health risks and genetic consequences. Exposure to pollutants caused chiefly by vehicles, pesticides, and smoking have been linked to some fetal harm”. Yes, I believe that so why not spend our valuable dollars eliminating those proven pollutants instead of pollutants that don’t exist at PDC. What does that article have to do with the PDC siting application?? You say PDC does pollute? Prove it. Your experts couldn’t, show me where they did in sworn testimony?
In an undated document submitted to the County board Mr. Edwards had “marked out” 1100 toxic chemicals and their compounds and penned in 900. A quick drop of 200 and a quicker one yet when he said in a document to the county dated Jan.31.06 that there are “843” of the worst toxic wastes known to mankind.” Again reread my blog of the letter the IPEA sent to Mr. Edwards and where he later said the IEPA is lying. He questions why PDC have sometimes had to correct their figures yet Mr. Edwards does it to fit his agenda. PDC has trained laboratory people who are constantly analyzing the entire process.
Turnover is mentioned. Sure, PDC is a local FAMILY OWNED Company. There may be less opportunity for advancement in a family company than a multi-billion dollar company like WM.
Tom says close the facility now. He says “We made it, we can unmake it.” Maybe a lot of the money spent on this hysteria could have been spent of recycling and studying reuse of lead, barium and fly ash. Sure, close all dumps and go back to dumping everything in ditches and on our roads stream beds and rivers, lawns and school yards. We’ve been trying to minimize the bad health effects of vehicle exhaust for 20-30 years. It’s still in the air today. Maybe all problems will be solved in 15 years and the landfill put under a perpetual maintain fund for the next 500 years. I’d suggest the more passionate environmentalists pool their time and money and go to work researching and then developing a permanent waste problem solution.
“Everything eventually leaks.” It was demonstrated by expert witnesses that some moisture escapes from all things over enough years. But it is in such small amounts that it is absorbed into the tightly packed clayey sub-soils and the amounts that would ever hit the small vein to the Sankoty would be no worse than a kid eating chemically treated fruit picked out of a garden or tree without washing it in soap and water, breathing 2nd hand smoke or inhaling oil product fumes and harmful coal dust.. Products are eaten every day that if eaten in great quantities would kill us.
“Closed portions of the landfill have to be constantly sumped or leached.” That’s true, some rainwater gets thru the cover before the three feet lined cover is completed. As testified, the amount leached and treated become less and less so that in 8-10 years the buried covered hazardous waste has virtually no moisture content.
Wastes that are runny are solidified but not treated” says Mr. Edwards. Expert witnesses testified differently, and the trucks I see going into PDC do not appear to be tank trucks.
Testimony submitted by the Sierra Club shows I was absent on February 24. The chairperson will confirm I sat beside her on that day and left at dinner break. Otherwise I have missed no important testimony and I read the testimony by Mr. Norris that I missed only because he asked that his testimony be taken out of sequence and the chair approved.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more facts.
Landfill Protest Petition Had Major Flaws
Tom Edwards, in his letter sent to the Governor of the State of Illinois claimed to have thousands of signatures by concerned citizens who did not want the proposed landfill expansion. A petition dated 2/21/04 and circulated by Mr. Edwards reads as follows: “PDC is seeking a permit from the county board to triple the size of its hazardous waste landfill and to operate it for 30 years.”
This is a misleading statement. The application asks for 15 more years of accepting toxic waste that is treated to be acceptable by the State of Illinois to be buried in the landfill. PDC would then be responsible for closure of this site over the following 15 years.
Triple the size is also misleading. The application clearly states the portion of the existing landfill acreage where the applicant is seeking a permit. No where close to tripling the size.
“A recent joint 5 country study in Europe found that babies born of mother living within two miles of hazardous waste landfills had 40% more birth defects and 33% more of other abnormalities" (The Lancet 1/26/02). I suggest readers get a copy of this document and read it. Mr. Edwards intentionally left out a lot of information. How old are these landfills? Were they dumps before Love Canal when environmentalists and BEFORE just plain citizens and doctors became aware of potential problems? Were they dumps before new strict environmental laws were passed in Europe? Is Europe as strict as our governments are today? Were these landfills under strict regulations as is the site managed by PDC? Were they managed at all? Did people build new house OVER closed and topped landfills like they did at Love Canal? Were they organic waste landfills that certainly do emit a lot of toxic pollution such as methane? Did they incinerate at these dumps? (PDC does not and will not accept waste that needs to be incinerated.)
Organic landfills have for the past number of years mined methane gas and recycled it like they have done in Tazewell County for the past twenty years and Peoria City/County for the past ten years. Either mine it or flare it as all of you have seen flares at organic waste landfills all over the country.
The siting application is for solid waste that is treated and goes into the landfill as solid material and emits not enough gas for the IEPA be even concerned. (See my blog copying the letter from the IPEA to Mr. Edwards.)
Mr. Edwards, doctors and almost everybody know that that toxic waste is a SERIOUS PROBLEM TO OUR HEALTH. That’s why it is treated and disposed of in hazardous waste landfills. That’s why you can die and do from drugs prescribed to you by your own doctors. Isn’t that why there are so many malpractice suits against doctors and why doctors insurance is so high. (I recognize the high cost is also due to “tort” attorneys.) Do any of you use pesticides, how about rat and mole killer tablets? Aren’t the bottles marked dangerous? Where do you dump your excess toxics? Try to be honest, there is highly toxic and pollutants in every home that should be properly disposed or treated and isolated. These legally sold drugs can and have hastened many peoples demise. Whatever happens to them from your home; they do not wind up at the PDC hazardous landfill.
Can you drink water from a tile out in the county? I advise not, just as I would suggest you not eat or drink waste of any kind, even on your own properties. A lot of country water has been chemically polluted by the farmers for years. What about the pollution coming from many of the un-inspected or un-regulated septic tanks in the county? I’ve been attacking that problem but without much help from some board members or from environmentalists, many of who have septic tanks. Where do you think that toxic goes? To the Greater Peoria Sanitary district, the same place that the stuff you flush down your stools and the treated leachate water from PDC. Director Stan Browning testified that the Sanitary District could handle all legal liquid waste in Peoria including from PDC. (Treated leachate water)
Why did Mr. Edwards not submit information about studies made in Peoria County about birth defects and diseases caused by the current landfill has caused? Because there aren’t any problem’s from that area being reported and studies to find the source. Are they from the numerous privately owned abandoned wells around the PDC? Are they from the numerous abandoned ammunition dumps directly adjacent to PDC property? Yes, these closed and tightly sealed dumps are there and the whole area around I SPECULATE is polluted. These abandoned dumps have been there since WW2. Have the zealous environmentalist looked into that probably seven acre site for possible air and water pollution?
Mr. Edwards is such a virtual fountain of half truths that on the petitions so many of you signed, he called the aquifer the “San Koty”. Maybe that was an old Indian name.
Why haven’t you looked more closely into unsubstantiated source of pollution in that area?? Is it because American East Explosives is not a local company and not as easy to attack as PDC? Those of you who SPECULATE on the source of the slight polution, tell me why not? Also what about the shingles, tires, garbage, cars, oil, and paint all dumped just outside the land owned by PDC? Want to check it out for yourself? Just ask Mr. Edwards to take you and show you. He knows they are there. He was able to walk all around the undeveloped areas south and southwest of PDC LOCALLY OWNED and MAINTAINED landfill.
Adding to the panic, Mr. Edwards claims the PDC’s permit expires in 2005. I believe today’s date is April 2006 and the landfill is still legally operating.
So now some of you who were panicked into signing Mr. Edwards “River Rescue” petitions may realize that you were misled. You say you still don’t want this expansion? Of course not, but don’t let the facts get in your way before you say “shame on me” which many have said in emails to me. I say “shame on those" for not doing more homework before they attack me for doing mine.
Keep reading and passing on my blog site to others. Let’s get the facts circulated to people who can think and interpret what they hear and read.
People may not admit they signed a petition with misleading information on it but I believe some don’t care. They were against it from the beginning and they didn’t want any facts to get in the way.
This is a misleading statement. The application asks for 15 more years of accepting toxic waste that is treated to be acceptable by the State of Illinois to be buried in the landfill. PDC would then be responsible for closure of this site over the following 15 years.
Triple the size is also misleading. The application clearly states the portion of the existing landfill acreage where the applicant is seeking a permit. No where close to tripling the size.
“A recent joint 5 country study in Europe found that babies born of mother living within two miles of hazardous waste landfills had 40% more birth defects and 33% more of other abnormalities" (The Lancet 1/26/02). I suggest readers get a copy of this document and read it. Mr. Edwards intentionally left out a lot of information. How old are these landfills? Were they dumps before Love Canal when environmentalists and BEFORE just plain citizens and doctors became aware of potential problems? Were they dumps before new strict environmental laws were passed in Europe? Is Europe as strict as our governments are today? Were these landfills under strict regulations as is the site managed by PDC? Were they managed at all? Did people build new house OVER closed and topped landfills like they did at Love Canal? Were they organic waste landfills that certainly do emit a lot of toxic pollution such as methane? Did they incinerate at these dumps? (PDC does not and will not accept waste that needs to be incinerated.)
Organic landfills have for the past number of years mined methane gas and recycled it like they have done in Tazewell County for the past twenty years and Peoria City/County for the past ten years. Either mine it or flare it as all of you have seen flares at organic waste landfills all over the country.
The siting application is for solid waste that is treated and goes into the landfill as solid material and emits not enough gas for the IEPA be even concerned. (See my blog copying the letter from the IPEA to Mr. Edwards.)
Mr. Edwards, doctors and almost everybody know that that toxic waste is a SERIOUS PROBLEM TO OUR HEALTH. That’s why it is treated and disposed of in hazardous waste landfills. That’s why you can die and do from drugs prescribed to you by your own doctors. Isn’t that why there are so many malpractice suits against doctors and why doctors insurance is so high. (I recognize the high cost is also due to “tort” attorneys.) Do any of you use pesticides, how about rat and mole killer tablets? Aren’t the bottles marked dangerous? Where do you dump your excess toxics? Try to be honest, there is highly toxic and pollutants in every home that should be properly disposed or treated and isolated. These legally sold drugs can and have hastened many peoples demise. Whatever happens to them from your home; they do not wind up at the PDC hazardous landfill.
Can you drink water from a tile out in the county? I advise not, just as I would suggest you not eat or drink waste of any kind, even on your own properties. A lot of country water has been chemically polluted by the farmers for years. What about the pollution coming from many of the un-inspected or un-regulated septic tanks in the county? I’ve been attacking that problem but without much help from some board members or from environmentalists, many of who have septic tanks. Where do you think that toxic goes? To the Greater Peoria Sanitary district, the same place that the stuff you flush down your stools and the treated leachate water from PDC. Director Stan Browning testified that the Sanitary District could handle all legal liquid waste in Peoria including from PDC. (Treated leachate water)
Why did Mr. Edwards not submit information about studies made in Peoria County about birth defects and diseases caused by the current landfill has caused? Because there aren’t any problem’s from that area being reported and studies to find the source. Are they from the numerous privately owned abandoned wells around the PDC? Are they from the numerous abandoned ammunition dumps directly adjacent to PDC property? Yes, these closed and tightly sealed dumps are there and the whole area around I SPECULATE is polluted. These abandoned dumps have been there since WW2. Have the zealous environmentalist looked into that probably seven acre site for possible air and water pollution?
Mr. Edwards is such a virtual fountain of half truths that on the petitions so many of you signed, he called the aquifer the “San Koty”. Maybe that was an old Indian name.
Why haven’t you looked more closely into unsubstantiated source of pollution in that area?? Is it because American East Explosives is not a local company and not as easy to attack as PDC? Those of you who SPECULATE on the source of the slight polution, tell me why not? Also what about the shingles, tires, garbage, cars, oil, and paint all dumped just outside the land owned by PDC? Want to check it out for yourself? Just ask Mr. Edwards to take you and show you. He knows they are there. He was able to walk all around the undeveloped areas south and southwest of PDC LOCALLY OWNED and MAINTAINED landfill.
Adding to the panic, Mr. Edwards claims the PDC’s permit expires in 2005. I believe today’s date is April 2006 and the landfill is still legally operating.
So now some of you who were panicked into signing Mr. Edwards “River Rescue” petitions may realize that you were misled. You say you still don’t want this expansion? Of course not, but don’t let the facts get in your way before you say “shame on me” which many have said in emails to me. I say “shame on those" for not doing more homework before they attack me for doing mine.
Keep reading and passing on my blog site to others. Let’s get the facts circulated to people who can think and interpret what they hear and read.
People may not admit they signed a petition with misleading information on it but I believe some don’t care. They were against it from the beginning and they didn’t want any facts to get in the way.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Tom Edwards and the IEPA
September 23, 2004
Tom Edwards
2702 North Peoria Ave. (He doesn’t live there anymore.??
Peoria, Illinois 61603
Re: Peoria Disposal Company’s Hazardous Waste Landfill
1438120003-Peoria County
Peoria Disposal Company
IL000905812
RCRA-Permit
Dear Mr. Edwards:
I have been asked to respond to your letter of August 17, 2004, which was addressed to Governor Blagojevich. In this letter, you express several concerns regarding the permitted hazardous waste landfill owned by Peoria Disposal Company ion Pottstown, Illinois. A previous letter from Director Cipriano to you dated April 20, 20004 addressed many of your concerns. For your convenience, a copy of this letter is attached.
I will address new concerns raised by the subject letter below:
Illinois is the major dumping grounds for much of the most toxic waste hazardous waste known to man, and is permitted by EPA to accept over 1000
such compounds. (Statement by Tom Edwards)
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, before a hazardous waste can be legally disposed, it must be treated to comply with the Land Disposal Restrictions
(LDR’s). The LDR’s are a federally mandated requirement. The specific LDR requirements vary from one waste type to another, but the underlying
goal is to ensure that the treated wastes are safe for disposal in a landfill that is designed in accordance with the federal design standards. There fore it is simply not true that the wastes disposed in the PDC hazardous waste landfill are the most toxic hazardous waste know to mankind.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
It (Illinois) has two of the nation’s remaining 15 commercial hazardous waste landfills, at Calumet and Peoria. They serve the Midwest and beyond. Both are on tributaries of the Illinois River, and will (if not already) leach into it.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The State of Illinois has little control over who applies for a hazardous waste permit. As long as the Applicanct has proper siting from local authorities, and provides a complete application that complies with the hazardous waste regulations, and protects human health and the environment, Illinois EPA is obligate to issue a permit.
There are many safeguards in the hazardous waste management program to prevent migration of leachate from a hazardous waste site. These include the LDR’s the liner systems, the leachate collection system, the leak detection system, and the groundwater monitoring system. These safeguard form multiple layer of defense against such migration. If any of these layers of defense fails, the next layer easily detects it, and the Permitee is then required to correct the problem. There is no evidence of any off-site environmental problems arising from the PDC facility. No contamination has been detected by the ground water monitoring wells at the facility. If there was, PDC would be required to correct the problem.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Also, the world is just beginning to realize that the toxic gases volatilizing from such landfills are causing birth defects.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, the Bureau of Air permits emissions from the gas management systems. The gas emissions from the PDC Facility are so low that routine testing is not required. If the emissions were to increase, then more restrictive requirements would be applied. There is no evidence of any health risk from the gas emissions at the PDC facility.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Only a plastic membrane barrier is expected to keep their soupy contents contained for hundreds of years and longer. But plastic cracks, breaks under weight and age, and caustic materials eat into it. But unlike water, sewer and gas lines, and swimming pools, ect. the deep underground breaks of landfills cannot be fixed. We are looking at what may be future billion dollar superfund sites.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The safeguards of hazardous waste management system that we already discussed are specifically designed to prevent this from happening. The components of the containment system are carefully tested to insure that they will be able to stand up over a long-term both the physical and chemical stresses imposed by the waste. I there were a failure of the containment system, the Permitee would be required to correct the problem.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Now, the owner of Peoria toxic waste landfill wants to triple its size and expand its receiving territory. But in a decade or two the owners of these landfills will be long gone, and the taxpayers will be left holding the bag.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, before PDC could apply for an expansion of the hazardous waste landfill, it would have to provide Illinois EPA with proof that the local government had approved the siting for the expansion. To date, no such application or proof of siting has been submitted to Illinois EPA. Any siting decision is strictly in the hands of the local government. The Sate of Illinois has no involvment in this process. Neither the permit nor the regulation restricts the receiving territory of a permitted hazardous waste landfill. As Director Cipriano indicated, such a restriction would be a violation of the Interstate Commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Until the last few months (when we provided the city with this information), Peoria was completely naïve about the risks, volume, or even that 1100 hazardous materials from lethal metals as mercury and cadmium to extremely toxic chemicals, are permitted by the IEPA to be buried in a hole in the ground.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
All documents associated with a hazardous waste permit application are a matter of public record. This record is maintained by the Illinois EPA, but is readily available to any member of the public through the Freedom O Information Act. Further, for initial applications and modifications to existing permits, public notices of the pleading permit actions are placed in local newspapers and sent to all local, state, and federal elected officials in the area of the site. These notices inform the public of the proposed change, identify where more information can be obtained, and invite the public to comment on the pending action. Additionally, depending on the significance of the change, a public repository may be established at a local public building. When used, the repository contains all information Illinois EPA uses to make a permit decision. These measures are intended to keep the local public and its elected officials informed of permit actions. As to local siting decisions, similar public notification procedures apply, but are handled at the local level, rather than at the state level.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Also, state surveillance is wanting.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
Permitted hazardous waste landfills have several layers of compliance tracking. This includes regular in-person inspections by the IPEA’s Field Operations Section, and regular reporting by the Permittee of all activities required by the permit. Some of these activities include: information from routine inspections of the facility conducted by site personnel, maintenance activities, problems that arise the trigger implementation of the site contingency plan, leachate monitoring results, leak detection system monitoring results, groundwater monitoring results, and the types of waste received. All of this information is certified by independent sources and in many cases is verified by IPEA Field Inspectors.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
We have left the enclosed petition in the doors of homes in the vicinity of the landfill and many have been mailed in. So far, we have gathered about 2300 signatures.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The referenced petition asks for a rejection of the proposed expansion. As previously indicated, the decision for siting a landfill expansion is made by the local authorities. I the siting is granted by local authorities, and a complete application is submitted that complies with all regulations and protects human health and the environment, the IEPA is obligated to approve the application.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
The long term risks from such landfills is so great that the state need to close down the private operations and take over complete responsibility for such disposal! And the nation needs to find better ways to deal with such materials.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
Neither the State of Illinois, nor the United States Government has the authority to commandeer private property in this manner.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to express your concerns about this matter. If you have any further questions or concerns about this facility, please contact Mark L. Crites of my staff.
Sincerely,
Joyce L. Munie, P.E>
Manager, Permit Section
Bureau of Land
Enclosure: Director Cipriano’s letter of April 20, 2000. (Addressed also to Mr. Edwards)
bcc: Bureau File
Peoria Region
Steve Nightingale
Rhonda Davenport
Renee Cipriano
Mark L. Crites
Refer to my blog about Mr. Edwards telling the Peoria Times Observer that the IEPA lied to him in this letter. Mr. Edwards appeared to be trying his best to get the State of Illinois to declare this a TOXIC waste landfill and have the government take it over.. Mr. Edwards and some of his ilk are probably living in the wrong country. Maybe not, the way some are trying their best to take over this country.
It is getting late but I will be back tomorrow to help SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
Tom Edwards
2702 North Peoria Ave. (He doesn’t live there anymore.??
Peoria, Illinois 61603
Re: Peoria Disposal Company’s Hazardous Waste Landfill
1438120003-Peoria County
Peoria Disposal Company
IL000905812
RCRA-Permit
Dear Mr. Edwards:
I have been asked to respond to your letter of August 17, 2004, which was addressed to Governor Blagojevich. In this letter, you express several concerns regarding the permitted hazardous waste landfill owned by Peoria Disposal Company ion Pottstown, Illinois. A previous letter from Director Cipriano to you dated April 20, 20004 addressed many of your concerns. For your convenience, a copy of this letter is attached.
I will address new concerns raised by the subject letter below:
Illinois is the major dumping grounds for much of the most toxic waste hazardous waste known to man, and is permitted by EPA to accept over 1000
such compounds. (Statement by Tom Edwards)
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, before a hazardous waste can be legally disposed, it must be treated to comply with the Land Disposal Restrictions
(LDR’s). The LDR’s are a federally mandated requirement. The specific LDR requirements vary from one waste type to another, but the underlying
goal is to ensure that the treated wastes are safe for disposal in a landfill that is designed in accordance with the federal design standards. There fore it is simply not true that the wastes disposed in the PDC hazardous waste landfill are the most toxic hazardous waste know to mankind.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
It (Illinois) has two of the nation’s remaining 15 commercial hazardous waste landfills, at Calumet and Peoria. They serve the Midwest and beyond. Both are on tributaries of the Illinois River, and will (if not already) leach into it.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The State of Illinois has little control over who applies for a hazardous waste permit. As long as the Applicanct has proper siting from local authorities, and provides a complete application that complies with the hazardous waste regulations, and protects human health and the environment, Illinois EPA is obligate to issue a permit.
There are many safeguards in the hazardous waste management program to prevent migration of leachate from a hazardous waste site. These include the LDR’s the liner systems, the leachate collection system, the leak detection system, and the groundwater monitoring system. These safeguard form multiple layer of defense against such migration. If any of these layers of defense fails, the next layer easily detects it, and the Permitee is then required to correct the problem. There is no evidence of any off-site environmental problems arising from the PDC facility. No contamination has been detected by the ground water monitoring wells at the facility. If there was, PDC would be required to correct the problem.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Also, the world is just beginning to realize that the toxic gases volatilizing from such landfills are causing birth defects.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, the Bureau of Air permits emissions from the gas management systems. The gas emissions from the PDC Facility are so low that routine testing is not required. If the emissions were to increase, then more restrictive requirements would be applied. There is no evidence of any health risk from the gas emissions at the PDC facility.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Only a plastic membrane barrier is expected to keep their soupy contents contained for hundreds of years and longer. But plastic cracks, breaks under weight and age, and caustic materials eat into it. But unlike water, sewer and gas lines, and swimming pools, ect. the deep underground breaks of landfills cannot be fixed. We are looking at what may be future billion dollar superfund sites.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The safeguards of hazardous waste management system that we already discussed are specifically designed to prevent this from happening. The components of the containment system are carefully tested to insure that they will be able to stand up over a long-term both the physical and chemical stresses imposed by the waste. I there were a failure of the containment system, the Permitee would be required to correct the problem.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Now, the owner of Peoria toxic waste landfill wants to triple its size and expand its receiving territory. But in a decade or two the owners of these landfills will be long gone, and the taxpayers will be left holding the bag.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
As Director Cipriano indicated, before PDC could apply for an expansion of the hazardous waste landfill, it would have to provide Illinois EPA with proof that the local government had approved the siting for the expansion. To date, no such application or proof of siting has been submitted to Illinois EPA. Any siting decision is strictly in the hands of the local government. The Sate of Illinois has no involvment in this process. Neither the permit nor the regulation restricts the receiving territory of a permitted hazardous waste landfill. As Director Cipriano indicated, such a restriction would be a violation of the Interstate Commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Until the last few months (when we provided the city with this information), Peoria was completely naïve about the risks, volume, or even that 1100 hazardous materials from lethal metals as mercury and cadmium to extremely toxic chemicals, are permitted by the IEPA to be buried in a hole in the ground.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
All documents associated with a hazardous waste permit application are a matter of public record. This record is maintained by the Illinois EPA, but is readily available to any member of the public through the Freedom O Information Act. Further, for initial applications and modifications to existing permits, public notices of the pleading permit actions are placed in local newspapers and sent to all local, state, and federal elected officials in the area of the site. These notices inform the public of the proposed change, identify where more information can be obtained, and invite the public to comment on the pending action. Additionally, depending on the significance of the change, a public repository may be established at a local public building. When used, the repository contains all information Illinois EPA uses to make a permit decision. These measures are intended to keep the local public and its elected officials informed of permit actions. As to local siting decisions, similar public notification procedures apply, but are handled at the local level, rather than at the state level.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
Also, state surveillance is wanting.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
Permitted hazardous waste landfills have several layers of compliance tracking. This includes regular in-person inspections by the IPEA’s Field Operations Section, and regular reporting by the Permittee of all activities required by the permit. Some of these activities include: information from routine inspections of the facility conducted by site personnel, maintenance activities, problems that arise the trigger implementation of the site contingency plan, leachate monitoring results, leak detection system monitoring results, groundwater monitoring results, and the types of waste received. All of this information is certified by independent sources and in many cases is verified by IPEA Field Inspectors.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
We have left the enclosed petition in the doors of homes in the vicinity of the landfill and many have been mailed in. So far, we have gathered about 2300 signatures.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
The referenced petition asks for a rejection of the proposed expansion. As previously indicated, the decision for siting a landfill expansion is made by the local authorities. I the siting is granted by local authorities, and a complete application is submitted that complies with all regulations and protects human health and the environment, the IEPA is obligated to approve the application.
(Statement by Mr. Edwards)
The long term risks from such landfills is so great that the state need to close down the private operations and take over complete responsibility for such disposal! And the nation needs to find better ways to deal with such materials.
(Answer to Mr. Edwards)
Neither the State of Illinois, nor the United States Government has the authority to commandeer private property in this manner.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to express your concerns about this matter. If you have any further questions or concerns about this facility, please contact Mark L. Crites of my staff.
Sincerely,
Joyce L. Munie, P.E>
Manager, Permit Section
Bureau of Land
Enclosure: Director Cipriano’s letter of April 20, 2000. (Addressed also to Mr. Edwards)
bcc: Bureau File
Peoria Region
Steve Nightingale
Rhonda Davenport
Renee Cipriano
Mark L. Crites
Refer to my blog about Mr. Edwards telling the Peoria Times Observer that the IEPA lied to him in this letter. Mr. Edwards appeared to be trying his best to get the State of Illinois to declare this a TOXIC waste landfill and have the government take it over.. Mr. Edwards and some of his ilk are probably living in the wrong country. Maybe not, the way some are trying their best to take over this country.
It is getting late but I will be back tomorrow to help SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
Landfill Truths
One of my first blogs published 8/06/04 was titled “Conceptions, misconceptions, perceptions, truths, subtle falsehoods and outright lies”. Truths have been hard to come by from the opponents of landfill expansion and some Peoria County Board members. Yesterday I asked DeWayne Bartels of the Peoria Times-Observer to send me copy of a reprint of an editorial printed in the Observer dated 2/22/05.
Here it is: “The toxic waste landfill on Peoria’s outskirts is silent but it’s critics are not. In recent months critics of the landfill’s expansion, now under consideration by the Peoria County Board, have been vocal at county board, city council and even school board meetings. We applaud the critics for getting involved and speaking out. Their passion is evident.
Their credibility however is not. And, the fault for that lies with no one but the critics themselves. Tom Edwards has accused the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of LYING in a letter they wrote to him in on September 232, 2004. In that letter the IEPA took exception with some of Edwards’ assertions about the landfill. Edwards says the IEPA lied in the letter, but does not say where they lied in the letter, or offer an explanation as to why he felt they lied.
And then last week, Joyce Blumenshine, a member of the Sierra Club chapter, spoke before the Peoria City Council adding more information to the argument against the landfill’s expansion. Blumenshine, in an address to the City Council read from a Novemeber 8, 1977 (almost 30 years ago) memo about the landfill. Blumenshine offered some information to the argument against the landfill’s expansion. Blumenshine read, in part, “The liquid separation and the spraying scheme appears to have little merit as it would only aggravate current problems at the site. The waste isolation trench plan, on the other hand, appears to be a vast improvement over special waste handling methods at this site…” Then Blumenshine read some more critical paragraphs contained in the letter. These ellipse between the paragraphs Blumenshine read are worthy of looking at. Blumenshine left out in her reading the one sentence that separates the two columns of criticism. That sentence reads, “There may be some problems with monitoring the construction of these special waste encapsulation areas, but on the whole, the idea appears sound.”
Because that sentence was purposely left out by Joyce Blumenshine what was presented to the public was a slanted view of the IPEA’s view of the PDC’s operation at that time, a critical view, a view that fits the purposes of the critics.
The landfill expansion critics have valid reasons to be concerned. (I agree and always have) But why they chose to play games with IPEA letters is a question the public deserves to have answered by these critics”.
On my next blog the letter to Mr. Edwards from the IPEA will be printed that Edwards along with Blumenshine, deliberately---- (you fill in the proper word)
Please read my next blog.
Here it is: “The toxic waste landfill on Peoria’s outskirts is silent but it’s critics are not. In recent months critics of the landfill’s expansion, now under consideration by the Peoria County Board, have been vocal at county board, city council and even school board meetings. We applaud the critics for getting involved and speaking out. Their passion is evident.
Their credibility however is not. And, the fault for that lies with no one but the critics themselves. Tom Edwards has accused the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of LYING in a letter they wrote to him in on September 232, 2004. In that letter the IEPA took exception with some of Edwards’ assertions about the landfill. Edwards says the IEPA lied in the letter, but does not say where they lied in the letter, or offer an explanation as to why he felt they lied.
And then last week, Joyce Blumenshine, a member of the Sierra Club chapter, spoke before the Peoria City Council adding more information to the argument against the landfill’s expansion. Blumenshine, in an address to the City Council read from a Novemeber 8, 1977 (almost 30 years ago) memo about the landfill. Blumenshine offered some information to the argument against the landfill’s expansion. Blumenshine read, in part, “The liquid separation and the spraying scheme appears to have little merit as it would only aggravate current problems at the site. The waste isolation trench plan, on the other hand, appears to be a vast improvement over special waste handling methods at this site…” Then Blumenshine read some more critical paragraphs contained in the letter. These ellipse between the paragraphs Blumenshine read are worthy of looking at. Blumenshine left out in her reading the one sentence that separates the two columns of criticism. That sentence reads, “There may be some problems with monitoring the construction of these special waste encapsulation areas, but on the whole, the idea appears sound.”
Because that sentence was purposely left out by Joyce Blumenshine what was presented to the public was a slanted view of the IPEA’s view of the PDC’s operation at that time, a critical view, a view that fits the purposes of the critics.
The landfill expansion critics have valid reasons to be concerned. (I agree and always have) But why they chose to play games with IPEA letters is a question the public deserves to have answered by these critics”.
On my next blog the letter to Mr. Edwards from the IPEA will be printed that Edwards along with Blumenshine, deliberately---- (you fill in the proper word)
Please read my next blog.
Hazardous Waste
On 1/3/06, passionate “environmentalist” Tom Edwards, sent me a letter signed by Tom defining “hazardous waste”. He referred me to the Environmental Protection Act Sec. 3.220 Source: P.A. 92-574, eff. 6-26-02.) I read the 11 line paragraph defining hazardous waste and saw no mention that hazardous waste was “toxic”. The act says that hazardous waste is a “potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, and transported or disposed of.
On 4/6/06 I received a hand delivered message from Mr. Edwards, who lives at 2702 N. Peoria Ave., stating that hazardous waste is “Toxic”.
Over a period of time I received a series of messages from Mr. Edwards with conflicting contents. One document stated that a landfill in New Jersey was found to cause considerable health problems. The document was dated 1997. Yet nine years later, no environmentalist or concerned doctors, have found any reason to study the landfill in Peoria operated by PDC. No testimony was presented to show any pollution of ANY kind, any disease or any adverse affect on the community that could be PROVEN to be caused by the hazardous waste landfill.
In 1997, Mr. Edwards gave me an article that said Caterpillar set out to develop a process that for the first time ever, recycle 100 percent of hazardous waste and eliminate landfills. Nine years later, no follow-up results were forth coming from Mr. Edwards. Hmmmmm.
On 2/15/06 the Peoria Times Observer said “IEPA disputes claims against toxic waste dump”. Mr. Edwards is quoted as saying that the Illinois Environmental Agency is “lying”. The IPEA was disputing Mr. Edwards’s constant rants that PDC was accepting the most toxic wastes in the land. The letter from IPEA says “it is simply NOT true that the wastes disposed in the PDC hazardous waste landfill are the most “toxic waste known to mankind”. Yet Mr. Edwards thru his constant barrage of half truths has convinced this community that the Coulter families are polluters and enemies of the community. Mr. Edwards has numerous times stretched the truth in order to strike terror in the heart of many of the people in this community.
He says there are no “random” spot checks for waster pollutants conducted by the EPA. Wow! He insinuates that PDC changes the water quality because they know the IEPA is coming to check!! Wow, what wizards are these hard working well educated employees at PDC.
Another time, to get a point across, a leading community environmentalist, left out a whole paragraph from a quote taken from a letter from the IEPA. This part left out changed the whole meaning to the environmentalist advantage and mislead the readers printed in the Observer. DeWayne Bartels caught the omission and printed an article pointing out the obvious discrepancy. DeWayne, help me out, I have temporarily misplaced the file.
I’ll blog more on quoted and printed lies and half truths later. I’m calling it a night!! And a bad night for the so-called democratic process.
On 4/6/06 I received a hand delivered message from Mr. Edwards, who lives at 2702 N. Peoria Ave., stating that hazardous waste is “Toxic”.
Over a period of time I received a series of messages from Mr. Edwards with conflicting contents. One document stated that a landfill in New Jersey was found to cause considerable health problems. The document was dated 1997. Yet nine years later, no environmentalist or concerned doctors, have found any reason to study the landfill in Peoria operated by PDC. No testimony was presented to show any pollution of ANY kind, any disease or any adverse affect on the community that could be PROVEN to be caused by the hazardous waste landfill.
In 1997, Mr. Edwards gave me an article that said Caterpillar set out to develop a process that for the first time ever, recycle 100 percent of hazardous waste and eliminate landfills. Nine years later, no follow-up results were forth coming from Mr. Edwards. Hmmmmm.
On 2/15/06 the Peoria Times Observer said “IEPA disputes claims against toxic waste dump”. Mr. Edwards is quoted as saying that the Illinois Environmental Agency is “lying”. The IPEA was disputing Mr. Edwards’s constant rants that PDC was accepting the most toxic wastes in the land. The letter from IPEA says “it is simply NOT true that the wastes disposed in the PDC hazardous waste landfill are the most “toxic waste known to mankind”. Yet Mr. Edwards thru his constant barrage of half truths has convinced this community that the Coulter families are polluters and enemies of the community. Mr. Edwards has numerous times stretched the truth in order to strike terror in the heart of many of the people in this community.
He says there are no “random” spot checks for waster pollutants conducted by the EPA. Wow! He insinuates that PDC changes the water quality because they know the IEPA is coming to check!! Wow, what wizards are these hard working well educated employees at PDC.
Another time, to get a point across, a leading community environmentalist, left out a whole paragraph from a quote taken from a letter from the IEPA. This part left out changed the whole meaning to the environmentalist advantage and mislead the readers printed in the Observer. DeWayne Bartels caught the omission and printed an article pointing out the obvious discrepancy. DeWayne, help me out, I have temporarily misplaced the file.
I’ll blog more on quoted and printed lies and half truths later. I’m calling it a night!! And a bad night for the so-called democratic process.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
"New Glory"
“America is at a strategic crossroads. As the world’s lone superpower, we face hostility, at home and abroad, from critics furious over our power and success—and their own failure. .Should we retreat from the struggle for human freedom to please Muslim extremists, decayed European powers and an irresponsible global media”?
Absolutely not, according to Ralph Peters, a visionary strategist with an unrivaled record of predicting future threats and author of a new book titled “New Glory”. This book is available at Lakeview Library. Not easy reading; however this book does about the best encapsulation of history leading up to our present times than any book I have read on why and how the Middle East arrived at its current poor, jealous, hateful of all; even themselves, depending on their religion or status and uneducated condition . They are almost totally dependent on oil and have next to no manufacturing
I quote some parts that might encourage you to read this book. “There was never an idyllic earlier world when all races were equal. When minorities crowd native worlds; old resentments ususally surface. Meaningful integration has come further in the U.S than in any other contemporary civilization. Minorities remain free to fail but they are free at least, to succeed. By contrast, Germany got rid of the Jews only to find itself host to millions of Muslims and Turks not interested in assimilation”.
Now look at the sorry situation the French government’s faces along with the worried French natives. He writes “France has been the cancer at the heart of Europe for centuries-if Germany is a clumsy monster, France is a poisonous snake. The French problem isn’t about the common men and women who suffer under foolish governments”.
A message is being sent to all countries that if those who no longer want to live in their native country and threaten to leave or do leave, there are plenty of new and different faces to take their place. These new and different faces often come with no intention to integrate or assimilate but to create their own enclaves, speak their own languages and create their own laws.
Mr. Peter writes, “Get rid of the notion that we can make our enemies love us. Within our own borders are some of the most resilient enemies to the well being of your health”. He continues “the stirring rhetoric of the left has been responsible for boundless human suffering. Hate is vastly more appealing than reason. You do not compromise with the devil. The side that succumbs to internal bickering loses while even temporary unity prevails. After the Koran, the Thousand Nights and a Night, is the greatest work Muslim culture and it is exuberating cruel. There has been no progress in much of the Islamic world in 1000 years”.
“The most insidious enemy we faced in Iraq was never Saddam. It was Al-Jazeera and the global media. The notion that everyone on this planet wants freedom more than anything – some want it more than others – seek more tolerable forms of oppression. Many just want revenge”.
Arabs and their fellow Muslims were histories great slavers and they despise black skin to this day. Also refer to “Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World” by David Brion Davis, the wealth that came from wrong.
“Rumsfeld failed to advance strategic thought to improve our military readiness or even employ our soldiers competitively. At least he knew of the cowardness of the Belgium’s, the blind German elephant and the viral French. There is an age old death dance between Germany and France which is beginning to look like a suicide pact.
“The history of Spain; who suffered a fateful line of rulers who loved God too much and humanity too little, made Spain the Saudi Arabia of its day corrupted by its own good fortune”.
“The most important alliance in the history of mankind is that between English speaking nations. Those of you who subscribe to the false exhortations of “bring our troops home now, probably need not read the rest of this book”.
Peters is extremely qualified to write this book. He does not excuse our failures but he does believe in our future if changes are made in the way our government governs. I hope our leadership has time to read or have Mr. Peters writings explained to them. If not, maybe the next administration. Most of know that positive changes are needed in our approach to worldwide communities and their governments. Most of this change will not be thru pacifisms.
I leave you with this thought “Take heed of enemies reconciled, and of meat twice cooked. (English Proverb)
Do I agree with everything he writes in the book? – no – but he is close. This book is must read especially for those who believe we should leave Iraq now. Or those who believe we got into this situation of Islamic and most Middle East hatred of us and their desire for revenge as all happening under George Bush. But I doubt those “chatterers” read me.
Absolutely not, according to Ralph Peters, a visionary strategist with an unrivaled record of predicting future threats and author of a new book titled “New Glory”. This book is available at Lakeview Library. Not easy reading; however this book does about the best encapsulation of history leading up to our present times than any book I have read on why and how the Middle East arrived at its current poor, jealous, hateful of all; even themselves, depending on their religion or status and uneducated condition . They are almost totally dependent on oil and have next to no manufacturing
I quote some parts that might encourage you to read this book. “There was never an idyllic earlier world when all races were equal. When minorities crowd native worlds; old resentments ususally surface. Meaningful integration has come further in the U.S than in any other contemporary civilization. Minorities remain free to fail but they are free at least, to succeed. By contrast, Germany got rid of the Jews only to find itself host to millions of Muslims and Turks not interested in assimilation”.
Now look at the sorry situation the French government’s faces along with the worried French natives. He writes “France has been the cancer at the heart of Europe for centuries-if Germany is a clumsy monster, France is a poisonous snake. The French problem isn’t about the common men and women who suffer under foolish governments”.
A message is being sent to all countries that if those who no longer want to live in their native country and threaten to leave or do leave, there are plenty of new and different faces to take their place. These new and different faces often come with no intention to integrate or assimilate but to create their own enclaves, speak their own languages and create their own laws.
Mr. Peter writes, “Get rid of the notion that we can make our enemies love us. Within our own borders are some of the most resilient enemies to the well being of your health”. He continues “the stirring rhetoric of the left has been responsible for boundless human suffering. Hate is vastly more appealing than reason. You do not compromise with the devil. The side that succumbs to internal bickering loses while even temporary unity prevails. After the Koran, the Thousand Nights and a Night, is the greatest work Muslim culture and it is exuberating cruel. There has been no progress in much of the Islamic world in 1000 years”.
“The most insidious enemy we faced in Iraq was never Saddam. It was Al-Jazeera and the global media. The notion that everyone on this planet wants freedom more than anything – some want it more than others – seek more tolerable forms of oppression. Many just want revenge”.
Arabs and their fellow Muslims were histories great slavers and they despise black skin to this day. Also refer to “Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World” by David Brion Davis, the wealth that came from wrong.
“Rumsfeld failed to advance strategic thought to improve our military readiness or even employ our soldiers competitively. At least he knew of the cowardness of the Belgium’s, the blind German elephant and the viral French. There is an age old death dance between Germany and France which is beginning to look like a suicide pact.
“The history of Spain; who suffered a fateful line of rulers who loved God too much and humanity too little, made Spain the Saudi Arabia of its day corrupted by its own good fortune”.
“The most important alliance in the history of mankind is that between English speaking nations. Those of you who subscribe to the false exhortations of “bring our troops home now, probably need not read the rest of this book”.
Peters is extremely qualified to write this book. He does not excuse our failures but he does believe in our future if changes are made in the way our government governs. I hope our leadership has time to read or have Mr. Peters writings explained to them. If not, maybe the next administration. Most of know that positive changes are needed in our approach to worldwide communities and their governments. Most of this change will not be thru pacifisms.
I leave you with this thought “Take heed of enemies reconciled, and of meat twice cooked. (English Proverb)
Do I agree with everything he writes in the book? – no – but he is close. This book is must read especially for those who believe we should leave Iraq now. Or those who believe we got into this situation of Islamic and most Middle East hatred of us and their desire for revenge as all happening under George Bush. But I doubt those “chatterers” read me.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Passions, Emotions, Truths and Myths
Some have asked why I'm not blogging much these days. I can best answer that my plate is pretty full. But I believe it is time I said something about the passion being displayed by many people in Peoria County. I believe a book by Syracuse professor Arthur C. Brooks titled “Extreme Makeover” and commented on by Robert J. Mott, Jr. of Austin Texas and Stewart Schley of Englewood, Colorado, best sum up how I am feeling these days. Schley says “It’s not that angry politics is spilling over into our broader culture, it’s that an increasing coarseness in society at large has infiltrated the world of politics, just as it has infiltrated sports, religion and public institutions. Self absorbed, stressed out and lacking empathy, we’ve trash talked our way into a civic decline”.
Mott wrote “More compassion is not needed in our political discourse. One should have reasons for making political choices or political statements. And civic culture should be based on principles, not compassion. Passion and compassion issue from the same source in the human psyche. Rather than dispassionate, reasoned discourse, we generally get impassioned appeals to our emotions. The anger and lack of compassion that animate the political extremes might be moderated if they became more reasonable and less passionate”.
There is an article about me in the Peoria Observer North today that tells you that I am not swayed by impassioned appeals to my emotions, myths and threats.
Thanks, Editor Ben Lambert and Owner Henry Balfantz.
If Robert J. Mott, Jr. is related to the Bob Mott from California who I played tennis with years ago, please contact me if you pick this up on the web. Bob Widmer from New Jersey contacted me today. Bob family owns an office machine manufacturing company and whose product I sold many years ago. Bob is connecting me to Howard Widmer who is compiling a genealogy tree of the Widmer’s as is my niece Gloria Winston in Colorado. Then Gene Oder’s son picked me up and called me. (I wrote a blog “A Tribute to the Oder Brothers”). He was pleased that someone remembered his dad, a well known name in the show horse world in and around Peoria many years ago and with whom I spent at least four summers; employed by Gene and his younger brother Pres. Both are now deceased. I received an email from another friend of the Oders who had picked up my blog. Recently, Cindy Smeltz from California found my site and emailed me and we are exchanging information about our 1st cousin Richard Witzig who was killed in WW2.
I learn a little more about the computer each week. My first computer class was two years ago. What a world we live in!
What a shame that we are so absorbed with our perceptions that we do not have time to EDUCATE ourselves on the FACTS about community issues. And the internet has abetted the dissemination of both fact and fiction making it harder to separate obvious facts from myth. Few will take the time to study to seek the truth.
Look for articles in the Journal Star tomorrow which may be helpful to those of you who have remained silent and maybe confused about what has recently become the most controversial and inflammatory issue in this community .
I close with this thought “An idea ran back and forth in his head like a blind man, knocking over the solid furniture”. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Mott wrote “More compassion is not needed in our political discourse. One should have reasons for making political choices or political statements. And civic culture should be based on principles, not compassion. Passion and compassion issue from the same source in the human psyche. Rather than dispassionate, reasoned discourse, we generally get impassioned appeals to our emotions. The anger and lack of compassion that animate the political extremes might be moderated if they became more reasonable and less passionate”.
There is an article about me in the Peoria Observer North today that tells you that I am not swayed by impassioned appeals to my emotions, myths and threats.
Thanks, Editor Ben Lambert and Owner Henry Balfantz.
If Robert J. Mott, Jr. is related to the Bob Mott from California who I played tennis with years ago, please contact me if you pick this up on the web. Bob Widmer from New Jersey contacted me today. Bob family owns an office machine manufacturing company and whose product I sold many years ago. Bob is connecting me to Howard Widmer who is compiling a genealogy tree of the Widmer’s as is my niece Gloria Winston in Colorado. Then Gene Oder’s son picked me up and called me. (I wrote a blog “A Tribute to the Oder Brothers”). He was pleased that someone remembered his dad, a well known name in the show horse world in and around Peoria many years ago and with whom I spent at least four summers; employed by Gene and his younger brother Pres. Both are now deceased. I received an email from another friend of the Oders who had picked up my blog. Recently, Cindy Smeltz from California found my site and emailed me and we are exchanging information about our 1st cousin Richard Witzig who was killed in WW2.
I learn a little more about the computer each week. My first computer class was two years ago. What a world we live in!
What a shame that we are so absorbed with our perceptions that we do not have time to EDUCATE ourselves on the FACTS about community issues. And the internet has abetted the dissemination of both fact and fiction making it harder to separate obvious facts from myth. Few will take the time to study to seek the truth.
Look for articles in the Journal Star tomorrow which may be helpful to those of you who have remained silent and maybe confused about what has recently become the most controversial and inflammatory issue in this community .
I close with this thought “An idea ran back and forth in his head like a blind man, knocking over the solid furniture”. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Things Change?
“Why the soldiers, sailors and marines were not given some sort of official goodbye does not matter now. It was probably due, in great measure, to the apathy of our citizens. Nothing, not even a war affects certain of our populate. The recent election, admittedly one of the most important duty of all Americans at any time but more particularly in time of war, only drew a comparatively few to the polls.” Not the best grammar but taken from the Peoria Star, May 2, 1942.
“We have more than five million of our youths and stoutness of middle age, who are now away from the city streets, farms and hamlets where they grew up. Now that the war is over, they can’t all come home. It is easy to understand why mothers and fathers want their sons and husbands back. But it can’t happen that way if we want to win an all out war.” By Grantland Rice, April 13, 1945 published in the Peoria Star. (Rice was one of the great writers of his time).
Too bad that we have become so wrapped up in our own self esteem that we have forgotten how many sacrifices were made by the those who have given us the freedoms we enjoy. Have some black people forgotten or ever knew that over 360,000 Union soldiers died to free their ancestors from slavery? Have they forgotten that slave trade was a fact of life in many countries including Africa and Brazil long before slavery reached our shores? (By 1820, nearly 8.7 million slaves had departed from Africa for the New World, the vast majority to the West Indies and Brazil. Only about 6% were sold to buyers in British North America). Do they know that many people live under human bondage and slavery TODAY in some parts of Asia and even some parts of Africa?? My source? “Inhuman Bondage” by David Brion Davis and my own knowledge.
In WW2, more than 20 million (some 40 MILLION overall) people died from deaths caused from incineration, gas chambers, executions, to death on the battlefield. Many civilians died, starved, bombed, or slain in their own cities. These sacrifices were made to stop efforts by people trying to enslave or “cleanse” free people. Ever since WW2, these freedoms now taken by many to be an “entitlement”. Hundreds of thousands of American died to save the world from the terror of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy. How dare the “chatterers” and left leaning liberals compare any losses of today with the far greater losses in freedom battles of yester years?
We do not overlook the sacrifices being made in our noble fight against radical Islamic terrorists; or any terrorists, for that matter. These actions today, some actions poorly conceived and executed by our leadership, will and have caused deaths and misery but are far smaller than the known 300,000 plus Iraqi people, mainly Shiites and Kurds, who, in many cases had “small disagreements” with the Sunni regime and were killed. These dead were often buried in mass graves or gassed and many were just taken away in broad daylight or the dead of the night and slain by order of the dictator, Saddam Hussein and his ilk. Many Iraqi’s disappeared and have never been heard of or found by their families and friends. And some wonder why it is going to be a long and hard task to ever have a relatively free Iraq?
I believe we all hate any war. The great majority of us deeply respect those who continue to sacrifice to keep us free. Freedom has never come without human sacrifice and misery. Read your history going back to the start of time.
“Character building is not made with losing ball clubs. It is only made with boys who won’t be licked.” (Coach and later a columnist, I believe, Ed McKeever, April 1942 published in the Peoria Star)
On the lighter side in 1942, comic strips back in those days that were published locally were Nancy, Mandrake, Jane Eider, Cranberry Boggs, The Nebbs, Mutt and Jeff, Abbie and Slats, Joe Palooka and Li’l Abner. They were and are still; great reads. Unfortunately some of these old comic strips would not be politically correct today. I believe most of these old comic strips touched on social issues of the day, but today some of our comics are blatantly political and most all are “politically correct”. Some are not really comic strips that you can read and laugh at the characters and their actions while at the same time laughing at yourself.
A few of you read me and laugh at me and attack me. Don’t think you are original. I have always been able to criticize myself and laugh at myself too. And, of course, likewise.
So read and reflect. But before you speak to try and convince someone else, be sure you know about all sides of the issue on which you express your opinion. Otherwise, it is just that, your opinion, and not a justifiable conviction.
Thanks to all of you who write or tell me you appreciate my efforts. I still mostly enjoy doing what I do so it’s gratifying to hear some compliments. (Even from the JSEB, even though rather like a grudgingly admission that maybe they were wrong in 2000).
“The man (person) who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does. No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.” (Daisy Bates)??
“We have more than five million of our youths and stoutness of middle age, who are now away from the city streets, farms and hamlets where they grew up. Now that the war is over, they can’t all come home. It is easy to understand why mothers and fathers want their sons and husbands back. But it can’t happen that way if we want to win an all out war.” By Grantland Rice, April 13, 1945 published in the Peoria Star. (Rice was one of the great writers of his time).
Too bad that we have become so wrapped up in our own self esteem that we have forgotten how many sacrifices were made by the those who have given us the freedoms we enjoy. Have some black people forgotten or ever knew that over 360,000 Union soldiers died to free their ancestors from slavery? Have they forgotten that slave trade was a fact of life in many countries including Africa and Brazil long before slavery reached our shores? (By 1820, nearly 8.7 million slaves had departed from Africa for the New World, the vast majority to the West Indies and Brazil. Only about 6% were sold to buyers in British North America). Do they know that many people live under human bondage and slavery TODAY in some parts of Asia and even some parts of Africa?? My source? “Inhuman Bondage” by David Brion Davis and my own knowledge.
In WW2, more than 20 million (some 40 MILLION overall) people died from deaths caused from incineration, gas chambers, executions, to death on the battlefield. Many civilians died, starved, bombed, or slain in their own cities. These sacrifices were made to stop efforts by people trying to enslave or “cleanse” free people. Ever since WW2, these freedoms now taken by many to be an “entitlement”. Hundreds of thousands of American died to save the world from the terror of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy. How dare the “chatterers” and left leaning liberals compare any losses of today with the far greater losses in freedom battles of yester years?
We do not overlook the sacrifices being made in our noble fight against radical Islamic terrorists; or any terrorists, for that matter. These actions today, some actions poorly conceived and executed by our leadership, will and have caused deaths and misery but are far smaller than the known 300,000 plus Iraqi people, mainly Shiites and Kurds, who, in many cases had “small disagreements” with the Sunni regime and were killed. These dead were often buried in mass graves or gassed and many were just taken away in broad daylight or the dead of the night and slain by order of the dictator, Saddam Hussein and his ilk. Many Iraqi’s disappeared and have never been heard of or found by their families and friends. And some wonder why it is going to be a long and hard task to ever have a relatively free Iraq?
I believe we all hate any war. The great majority of us deeply respect those who continue to sacrifice to keep us free. Freedom has never come without human sacrifice and misery. Read your history going back to the start of time.
“Character building is not made with losing ball clubs. It is only made with boys who won’t be licked.” (Coach and later a columnist, I believe, Ed McKeever, April 1942 published in the Peoria Star)
On the lighter side in 1942, comic strips back in those days that were published locally were Nancy, Mandrake, Jane Eider, Cranberry Boggs, The Nebbs, Mutt and Jeff, Abbie and Slats, Joe Palooka and Li’l Abner. They were and are still; great reads. Unfortunately some of these old comic strips would not be politically correct today. I believe most of these old comic strips touched on social issues of the day, but today some of our comics are blatantly political and most all are “politically correct”. Some are not really comic strips that you can read and laugh at the characters and their actions while at the same time laughing at yourself.
A few of you read me and laugh at me and attack me. Don’t think you are original. I have always been able to criticize myself and laugh at myself too. And, of course, likewise.
So read and reflect. But before you speak to try and convince someone else, be sure you know about all sides of the issue on which you express your opinion. Otherwise, it is just that, your opinion, and not a justifiable conviction.
Thanks to all of you who write or tell me you appreciate my efforts. I still mostly enjoy doing what I do so it’s gratifying to hear some compliments. (Even from the JSEB, even though rather like a grudgingly admission that maybe they were wrong in 2000).
“The man (person) who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does. No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.” (Daisy Bates)??
Friday, March 24, 2006
Manliness
“Manliness” is the title of a new book by author Harvey C. Mansfield and is reviewed in the WSJ by Janet Daley, a journalist and broadcaster in London. Her digest of the book reads in “Needed: A Menaissance. Enough with the feminized, metrosexual, sensitive male. It’s time for guys to rediscover their instinct for assertive individuality. We’d all benefit.”
I’ll quote a couple of paragraphs from Ms. Daley’s review believing it makes more than just interesting reading. “Mr. Mansfield accuses modern feminism of having, in effect, betrayed legitimate complaint with ideological ambition. Tracing the error back to Simone Beauvior’s “The Second Sex” (1949), he claims that the feminist project was hijacked by form of nihilism. The will to construct one’s own identity was revered as the only worthwhile goal of existence, obliterating all others. To established the freedom for such boundless self-invention, it was necessary to deconstruct whatever previous limit there were. To make it possible to be anything, it was necessary, at first, to be nothing. This nihilism refused to define womanliness and manliness because to define anything is, literally, to set limits. But to be without limits is to be without meaning and to invite despair.”
Ms. Daley sums up “Did the modern feminist movement arise as a consequence of female dissatisfaction with an excess of masculine power-manliness run amok-as it is generally claimed? Or was its appearance preceded by a collapse of manliness? Perhaps a half century of world wars produced a generation of men who were unmanned-who did not behave courageously enough and protectively, as Mr. Mansfield defines manliness-and has created a vacuum into which female will (and bitterness) had to assert itself."
I wouldn’t write this blog if I didn’t believe that there is considerable confusion between and AMONG the sexes portraying itself in all manners of expression from real life, Hollywood, MTV, sitcoms, stage shows, fiction authors, and many columnists. Or have we reached the point of (decay?) that many people (including some of our confused youth) believe that real life is fiction itself?
Read the book, read the book summary by Ms. Daley or just give me your comments.
I’ll quote a couple of paragraphs from Ms. Daley’s review believing it makes more than just interesting reading. “Mr. Mansfield accuses modern feminism of having, in effect, betrayed legitimate complaint with ideological ambition. Tracing the error back to Simone Beauvior’s “The Second Sex” (1949), he claims that the feminist project was hijacked by form of nihilism. The will to construct one’s own identity was revered as the only worthwhile goal of existence, obliterating all others. To established the freedom for such boundless self-invention, it was necessary to deconstruct whatever previous limit there were. To make it possible to be anything, it was necessary, at first, to be nothing. This nihilism refused to define womanliness and manliness because to define anything is, literally, to set limits. But to be without limits is to be without meaning and to invite despair.”
Ms. Daley sums up “Did the modern feminist movement arise as a consequence of female dissatisfaction with an excess of masculine power-manliness run amok-as it is generally claimed? Or was its appearance preceded by a collapse of manliness? Perhaps a half century of world wars produced a generation of men who were unmanned-who did not behave courageously enough and protectively, as Mr. Mansfield defines manliness-and has created a vacuum into which female will (and bitterness) had to assert itself."
I wouldn’t write this blog if I didn’t believe that there is considerable confusion between and AMONG the sexes portraying itself in all manners of expression from real life, Hollywood, MTV, sitcoms, stage shows, fiction authors, and many columnists. Or have we reached the point of (decay?) that many people (including some of our confused youth) believe that real life is fiction itself?
Read the book, read the book summary by Ms. Daley or just give me your comments.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
You Get What You Want - You Pay For It
The JSEB said Monday that “We get the government – liberal or conservative, honest or not – that we deserve.” Today it was reported that the city of Peoria voter turnout was about 18%. In Peoria County it was even worse at about 15%. Bad weather? Sure, bad weather evidently was a factor in the county. City roads cleared early. The biggest factor effecting poor turnout was and is apathy.
I firmly believe that it is much easier to complain than to educate oneself to make an informed decision. I also know that there are more people who would like to serve and help guide the community but don’t want to go thru the “getting elected” process. This gives voters limited choices and so they prefer to not vote at all.
Too bad.
These same people want the people who are elected to bring not only the essential and mandated money back to the community they represent; they also want pork projects and entitlements that are helping bankrupt our state and federal government. Everyone has their hand out and politicians do not know when to say no for fear of losing a block of votes.
On 3/21/06 the JS reported on Tuesday’s Peoria School District #150 board meeting as follows: “A $40,000.00 contract with a Chicago-based consultant was approved. This consultant will offer staff training on how to engage parents from poor, urban areas in the academic success of their children. Four days total days of training will be provided. The district is using Title I funds it receives from the federal government to pay the consultant.” So in effect it is not costing us anything because the federal government is paying for it. And where does that money come from? Does it fall down from a money tree?
I can’t criticize Peoria School District #150 more than I can criticize the county, the city, the park district, and other entities, for having their hand out for money from the state and federal governments, but it seems to me that #150 staff ought to know by now how to engage poor parents in the learning process, especially since much of our administration and staff is homegrown. But most all elected officials go on reinventing the wheel with taxpayer’s dollars, whether local, state or federal.
We have two more new faces on the #150 school board. Both appear to be very qualified. The taxpayer can only hope they come to board meeting knowledgeable, free from special interests and carry hatchets to cut out some of the top heavy bureaucracy in this under performing and debt laden system. I congratulate Stephen Morris for his short service on the board and hope he continues to show an interest in serving the community in an elected position. Unfortunately, Morris and Stowell ran from the same districts. I also appreciate the 10 year efforts of Garrie Allen.
Again, too bad and so sad that many of us are not participating in what is happening in our world; yet we do our uneducated and uniformed complaining. No, watching and listening to sitcoms, sports events, CNN and left leaning individuals and medias do not make us informed enough to separate the truth from half-truths and lies about local and world wide events and some of the people in the news.
I close this blog with a statement attributed to Cecil B. DeMille about editing what he would put in print: “What I have crossed out I didn’t like. What I haven’t crossed out I’m dissatisfied with.” And with a statement attributed to a JS Forum contributor that “he didn’t mind if others stayed at home because it would give his vote that much more power over the course of government whose decisions directly affect his life.”
I firmly believe that it is much easier to complain than to educate oneself to make an informed decision. I also know that there are more people who would like to serve and help guide the community but don’t want to go thru the “getting elected” process. This gives voters limited choices and so they prefer to not vote at all.
Too bad.
These same people want the people who are elected to bring not only the essential and mandated money back to the community they represent; they also want pork projects and entitlements that are helping bankrupt our state and federal government. Everyone has their hand out and politicians do not know when to say no for fear of losing a block of votes.
On 3/21/06 the JS reported on Tuesday’s Peoria School District #150 board meeting as follows: “A $40,000.00 contract with a Chicago-based consultant was approved. This consultant will offer staff training on how to engage parents from poor, urban areas in the academic success of their children. Four days total days of training will be provided. The district is using Title I funds it receives from the federal government to pay the consultant.” So in effect it is not costing us anything because the federal government is paying for it. And where does that money come from? Does it fall down from a money tree?
I can’t criticize Peoria School District #150 more than I can criticize the county, the city, the park district, and other entities, for having their hand out for money from the state and federal governments, but it seems to me that #150 staff ought to know by now how to engage poor parents in the learning process, especially since much of our administration and staff is homegrown. But most all elected officials go on reinventing the wheel with taxpayer’s dollars, whether local, state or federal.
We have two more new faces on the #150 school board. Both appear to be very qualified. The taxpayer can only hope they come to board meeting knowledgeable, free from special interests and carry hatchets to cut out some of the top heavy bureaucracy in this under performing and debt laden system. I congratulate Stephen Morris for his short service on the board and hope he continues to show an interest in serving the community in an elected position. Unfortunately, Morris and Stowell ran from the same districts. I also appreciate the 10 year efforts of Garrie Allen.
Again, too bad and so sad that many of us are not participating in what is happening in our world; yet we do our uneducated and uniformed complaining. No, watching and listening to sitcoms, sports events, CNN and left leaning individuals and medias do not make us informed enough to separate the truth from half-truths and lies about local and world wide events and some of the people in the news.
I close this blog with a statement attributed to Cecil B. DeMille about editing what he would put in print: “What I have crossed out I didn’t like. What I haven’t crossed out I’m dissatisfied with.” And with a statement attributed to a JS Forum contributor that “he didn’t mind if others stayed at home because it would give his vote that much more power over the course of government whose decisions directly affect his life.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)