Category Archives: Health Care

Granting a permit is not evaluating safety –Dr. Sammons

Dr. Sammons responds to Brad Lofton’s email. -jsq
From: Bill [Sammons]
Cc: [Dr. Noll, Kay Harris, jsq, lhenderson, hopeforcleanwater]
To: blofton@industrialauthority.com, leigh.touchton@gmail.com, aricketts@industrialauthority.com, [Roy Copeland, Mary Gooding]
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:44:54 -0500
Subject: Re: Background information on Dr. Christopher Teaf

Dear Mr. Lofton:

Having talked with many different people in different departments in multiple state governments I do not think that any of them would suggest that granting a permit is the same as “do nothing but evaluate the safety of these projects”. When asked they all say the are following the guidelines set out by EPA/state regulations– they are not evaluating the safety of each project. Many will admit in private that the regulations/guidelines are not up to date with science, but the people in the permitting agencies do not have the authority to grant the permit based on the best available science/data. It’s not dissimilar to discussions of BACT– depending on the size of the stationary source not all BACT is the same.

As an example if you look at the EPA regulations on PM 2.5

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“Dr. Christopher Teaf’s numerous paid endorsements” –Leigh Touchton

Responding to Brad Lofton’s email.
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:20:06 -0500
Subject: Background information on Dr. Christopher Teaf
From: Leigh Touchton
To: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>, aricketts@industrialauthority.com, [Roy Copeland, Mary Gooding] Cc: [Sammons, Noll, Kay Harris, jsq, lhenderson, hopeforcleanwater]

To Industrial Authority Board:

In regards to the email correspondence from VLCIA Executive Director Brad Lofton concerning Dr. Christopher Teaf, I spent about ten minutes on the internet researching Dr. Christopher Teaf’s numerous paid endorsements around the country for various chemicals. This article

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0VCW/is_8_27/ai_73959431/

was compelling. Dr. Teaf is on public record endorsing the safety of arsenic in wood as posing no health threats to children (or adults). Numerous lawsuits around the country were adjudicated against his “expert findings” and subsequently the EPA banned CCA (arsenic) treated wood in playground equipment because of the health hazards to children.

I only spent about ten minutes, but I uncovered much information re:

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“I also would like specific documentation” –Dr. Sammons

Dr. Sammons is referring to the radio interview the Mayor of Valdosta called in to. LAKE already posted links to the VLCIA’s own videos and FAQ; see if you think they answer Dr. Sammons’ question.

-jsq

From: Bill
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011 4:35 PM
To: blofton@industrialauthority.com; aricketts@industrialauthority.com
Cc: mgnoll@valdosta.edu; leigh.touchton@gmail.com
Subject: Radio interview

Hi

I just listened to Mr. Lofton’s radio interview. It seemed that he was indicating there was substantiating documentation on the IA webpage to support biomass combustion. I could not find it. The videos of the meeting do not constitute valid information.

Could you send me the url[s] where the information is presented on the web page please.

I also would like specific documentation that the plant will not produce dioxin as he asserts in the interview.

Thank you

Bill Sammons

Biomass Rising echoes from Macon

Patrick Davis sums up the Valdosta biomass situation from Macon:
It appears to be the mainly conservative power structure of Lowndes trying to force this business venture into Valdosta’s community and not considering the environmental dangers.
He has some interesting points, such as who just got appointed to the EPD. I think he overestimates the power of the Valdosta mayor, however.

-jsq

VLCIA on expansion of existing industry

Local industry for local jobs: feedback loops? At the 21 Dec 2010 board meeting, Brad Lofton and the VLCIA board talk about exanding local industry, namely PCA and AlphaProTech. Lofton says AlphaProTech will add 50 new jobs. Hm, 50 is more than 25 slated for the biomass plant. And nobody even has to trade AlphaProTech land for them to produce these jobs!

According to their website, AlphaProTech sells:

“protective apparel, infection control and extended care products in addition to a line of construction weatherization building products for the housing market.”
Hm, so if VLCIA promoted refitting local houses it would also be promoting AlphaProTech.

It’s interesting to hear Gary Minchew say regarding one company:

“we just don’t need to be the front man”


Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Interesting that VLCIA is not willing to be the front man for local industry (as we’ve also seen in this response from Col. Ricketts), when VLCIA clearly is the front man for Sterling Energy and Wiregrass Power LLC, neither of which are from around here.

-jsq

“I don’t feel my interests were adequately represented” –Matt Flumerfelt

First-time speaker Matt Flumerfelt notes the Valdosta City Council and the Lowndes County Commission both disclaim responsibility for the Industrial Authority even though both appoint its members, and he thinks that may make VLCIA’s contract for the biomass plant challengeable on constitutional grounds. He also sent LAKE the appended article on 20 Jan 2011.

Video by John S. Quarterman of the regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 20 January 2011, for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Faith In Technology Is What Got Us Into This Mess

by Matt Flumerfelt

Many people in the Valdosta-Lowndes County community have faith that the proposed Biomass incinerator won’t harm anyone or anything, but faith in technology is what got us into our current environmental mess in the first place. Those old enough to remember the nuclear power debate will remember how many people gave assurances that nuclear power was safe, yet we see today how difficult nuclear waste is to dispose of and how much damage it has caused when things go wrong, which, human nature being what it is, they inevitably do. The recent gulf oil spill would not have happened if

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Text of letter from Russell Anderson to officials

Can you find a “veiled threat” in the appended letter? LAKE couldn’t.

Some people seem to be forming opinions of that letter without ever having read it. LAKE has published links to a PDF of it from four previous posts: “Far from Over”, “What is Fiery Roots”, Russell Anderson Responds, and “We got off on the wrong foot”. Formerly LAKE only had a PDF of a scan of a paper copy of the email of 3 Jan 2011. Per request, Russell Anderson has sent plain text, which appears below. -jsq

All,

My name is Russell Anderson. I am the Co-Director of Collectiveprogression.org and graduate of Valdosta State. I am writing to inform you of my intent to publish the below piece on our website and to our readership as well as produce a full length documentary about the community struggle against the proposed Wiregrass LLC biomass incinerator. I have you all on this email {Sterling Assets, Langdale’s, Council, Commissioners, Authority, Attorneys} and ALL of you have continued to pass the blame and buck on the building of this plant. Rather than doing the more responsible thing (pending EIS),

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Jerry Jennett answers Bobbi Anne Hancock

Bobbi Anne Hancock asked a question at the VLCIA board meeting 18 Jan 2011, and Chairman Jerry Jennett explained that he’s a businessman, not a scientist, he has to trust the experts, and he’s not prepared to answer questions. He says she can state a position, though, and she does so. See it for yourself:

Apologies for missing the first part, and for the muddy sound. Professional staff of a tax-funded organization could probably do a far better job of taking and publishing videos than a tiny all-volunteer activist organizations such as LAKE. Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Using sludge to build better communities –Matt Flumerfelt

This LTE appeared in the VDT 18 Jan 2011. -jsq
I was recently reading “Masterpieces of Eloquence,” which includes a speech delivered by the fourth Earl of Chesterfield to the House of Lords in Feb., 1743. “The bill now under our consideration appears to me to deserve a much closer regard than seems to have been paid to it in the other House, through which it was hurried with the utmost precipitation, and where it passed almost without the formality of a debate. Nor can I think that earnestness with which some lords seem inclined to press it forward here consistent with the importance of the consequences which may with great reason be expected from it.” He goes on to say, “surely it never before was conceived, by any man entrusted with the administration of public affairs, to raise taxes by the destruction of the people.”

I find this quote applies exactly, mutatis mutandis, to the present situation. The effects of these toxic chemicals are far more devastating to my mind than the effects of gin. The science panel assembled by Michael is more credible than the assurances of the industrial authority expert. In fact, the emissions from the plant are so close to the permit threshold that they could easily exceed that threshhold on occasion. Would the IA expert then continue to hold the position that there is “No health hazard to the public?” I don’t think anyone who favors the proposal is aware of the enormity that could result if the plant goes into operation. They have left the public health out of their equation. They have just enough science, they think, to push the deal through over the objections of an easily deceived public.

Matt Flumerfelt
Valdosta