Revised TSA Security Pre-Flight Checklist--Boarding Pass, Picture ID & Pasties

 Filed under absolute insanity 
*Updated 11/16-11/23

Thanks to Big Sis Janet Napolitano and her New World Order TSA government goons terrorizing the flying public with their revised security regulations that command TSA agents to get way too personal with the kiddies, grandma and even nuns for God's sake we've come down to this:

TSA to investigate body scan resister

The Transportation Security Administration has opened an investigation targeting John Tyner, the Oceanside man who left Lindbergh Field under duress on Saturday morning after refusing to undertake a full body scan.
Tyner recorded the half-hour long encounter on his cell phone and later posted it to his personal blog, along with an extensive account of the incident. The blog went viral, attracting hundreds of thousands of readers and thousands of comments.

Michael J. Aguilar, chief of the TSA office in San Diego, called a news conference at the airport Monday afternoon to announce the probe. He said the investigation could lead to prosecution and civil penalties of up to $11,000.
TSA agents had told Tyner on Saturday that he could be fined up to $10,000.
“That’s the old fine,” Aguilar said. “It has been increased.”

If this is an example of "Change You Can Believe In" we'd rather not, thank you. We'd prefer to walk, crawl, swim, skip or jump than submit ourselves to this government mandated sexual assault.

What's next? Strip searches?
If you resist the scanners and pat downs, it's quite possible. 

What better way to make the public more compliant to the body scanners and new legalized groping than to "threaten" an even more distasteful alternative? Oh, and add "we''ll sue you" for resisting to the pile too.

Now step in here and take your radiation like a good little minion...

"According to the TSA, the radiation exposure is equivalent to being in an airplane for about 2 minutes. However, radiation experts from the University of California San Francisco, recently sent a letter warning President Obama's science assistant that the machines pose potentially serious health risks."

Report incidents here
National opt-out and don't fly day movement November 24th (the busiest travel day of the year.)

Three year-old gets her teddy bear taken away and is groped to crying by TSA agent. 

**Parents of all children under twelve years of age can ask the ticket agent when checking in if their child has been randomly selected for a screening. If there is a code on the child's ticket indicating they have been selected, ask the agent if your child can be deselected.


*Update--11/16 pm--Now they're putting their hands down fliers pants literally.
Big Sis turns up the heat: New super-enhanced pat-down more invasive 
Going through airport security this past weekend, radio host Owen JJ Stone, known as “OhDoctah,” related how he was told that the rules had been changed and was offered a private screening. When he asked what the procedure entailed, the TSA agent responded, “I have to go in your waistband, I have to put my hand down your pants,” after which he did precisely that.
*Update--11/17
TSA hit with lawsuits as revolt explodes!
New Jersey legislators to TSA in a hearing on Capitol Hill: "Contrary to what the TSA is telling you, you do not give up your Constitutional Rights when you fly."
Good for them!
Radiation issue is also talked about in the video. "Cancers will result." Good watch.

What one Dem Senator refers to the groping as "love pats":

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) supported the new screening methods, suggesting that people with hip or knee replacements will appreciate the changes.

"I have had my love pats every single flight I have taken, which is at least twice a week, for the last four years of my life, because I have a knee replacement," McCaskill said. "I am wildly excited about the notion that I can walk through a machine instead of getting my dose of love pats."

Bis Sis just after her  TSA "love pats." (Really, this is her happy face...)

You can't make this stuff up...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??????

*Update--11/18
NYC Legislators get in on the revolt and call for complete ban of body scanners. (insert thunderous applause here.)

Why is the US media protecting Chertoff?

"No Dose of Backscatter Ionizing Radiation
Has Ever Been Proven Safe."

Russia Today points out an important detail being left out of most mainstream media reports about the new body scanning devices being rolled out in airports everywhere: former Department of Homeland Security Chief, Michael Chertoff, who has been advocating this technology on any news program that will have him is personally profiting from their implementation. As a Security Consultant and Chairman of the Chertoff Group, one of his main clients is Rapiscan, a manufacturer of these devices.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security awarded contracts of US $160 million each to two manufacturers of these back-scattering devices, one which which was Rapiscan.

Beyond the issue of Chertoff's illegal advertising his product on news programs by pretending to be a public servant, there is some debate about the safety of these new Back-scatter X-Ray Body Scanning devices.

One former intelligence agent and present-day security consultant, Wayne Simmons appeared on Andrew Napolitano's "Liberty Pen" and said that while the device is an excellent tool, "There is no dose of backscatter ionizing radiation that has ever been proven safe," and that he would prefer to see only passengers who are deemed to be suspicious going through these devices, with the bulk going through the metal detectors, with which we've all become accustomed.

We're shocked about this revelation, really we are.
NOT.
Bastards.

*11/19--Biden defends Bis Sis  

Former Governor has had enough.

*11/20--Gestapo TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is warning that any would-be commercial airline passenger who enters an airport checkpoint and then refuses to undergo the method of inspection designated by TSA will not be allowed to fly and also will not be permitted to simply leave the airport.
That person will have to remain on the premises to be questioned by the TSA and possibly by local law enforcement. Anyone refusing faces fines up to $11,000 and possible arrest.

"Once a person submits to the screening process, they can not just decide to leave that process," says Sari Koshetz, regional TSA spokesperson, based in Miami.

Koshetz said such passengers would be questioned "until it is determined that they don't pose a threat" to the public.

*11/21--Eight year-old boy strip searched
               500 foot lines at Chicago's O'Hare airport
               Bladder cancer survivor humiliated and left soaked in urine
*11/23--Slate.com nails the TSA.
            DailyMail UK "Abused" TSA workers take revenge on passengers
Posted by Winger

 

Governor Bentley's Communications Director Stephen Bradley's Modus Operandi

Stephen Bradley's past business dealings read like a character in a John Grisham novel gone off the rails.

The following AP/Huntsville Times article from 1999 illustrates the lengths and deception one man will go to to achieve his own agenda. With an accompanying cast of two convicted felons, Richard Scrushy and former Alabama governor Don Siegelman, (involved by way of his brother Les Siegleman initially) the article describes the clandestine meetings and exclusive "war room" maneuvers that went far beyond the norm in bringing the Honda plant to Lincoln, Alabama.

Both former Alabama governors (incoming Siegleman and outgoing James) along with the Alabama business recruiters were purposefully kept in the dark, at Bradley's behest, until the deal was secured. Why?

Honda has been an economic boom for Alabama and supplies many good paying jobs, but would anyone have ever thought otherwise? We understand why Honda's side wanted confidentiality, but why all the secrecy and shenanigans recruiting the company?

We suspect that it all boils down to money in some key players pockets first and foremost and those means are supposed to be justified by the ends: Honda's significant contribution to Alabama's economic engine after it located here.

Just because it turns out good doesn't mean the process wasn't really bad.

And this one smells.

Big time.

Three of the men involved in this, years forward and unrelated to the Honda deal, have been convicted of corruption and bribery or seen members of their administrations convicted. Fob James probably fell out of favor with the shadow government of the Big Mules for his positions against racism and discrimination. One long-time Alabama political insider tells us he paid for it in part by being soundly defeated by Siegleman in the Democratic primary of 1998, among the other reasons that contributed to his political demise.

The Big Mules don't like those who don't play by their rules and they see to it that antagonists to their interests are marginalized, as evidenced by Bradley's coded comments about James in the article below.

Siegleman was eventually credited with bringing Honda to Alabama, but since this article clearly defines who really brought them to the state, was Sielgeman allowed the public accolade so that the real players were able to walk away with fistfuls of cash unquestioned? What other "favors" and shadowy characters may have been involved in this scheme that were as secret as the "war room" discussions next to the Delta Airlines baggage claim area in 1998?

Eleven years have passed since this story was published and we know what happened to Scrushy and Siegelman--we also know what became of Stephen Bradley. Governor-elect Bentley made him and the special interests he represents key players in his transition team. Therefore, in our opinion, this story has current relevance.

What's that old saying about polecats and their spots...?

Marbled polecat. Like other members of Mustelinae, it can emit a strong smelling secretion from anal sacs under the tail when threatened. (There's the basis for a really bad joke in this, but we'll resist for now.)

The writing is on the wall suggesting the same ol' Big Mule train will drive the direction of Alabama's government for the next four years, but it really should be a part of a Grisham-like novel on industrial espionage and the pervasive fundamental corruption that continues to write the coal blackened history of Alabama.

Mr. Grisham, are you listening?

Alabama's `Bingo' key to decision by Honda
The Associated Press
Huntsville Times
May 10, 1999

Recruiting operation reads like spy novel

BIRMINGHAM - The recipe to attract a Japanese auto maker to Alabama to build a massive manufacturing plant near Lincoln included one helicopter, one videotape, *changed locks, briefcases and lots of secret meetings.
*(Editor's note--there were only three keys to this room after the locks were changed, Bradley & Henshaw probably had two of them, but who had the third?)

The project, called "Bingo" by Alabama's lead industrial recruiters, sounds a bit like a spy novel.

The mission was so classified, recruiters at first didn't even know what company they were dealing with. It prompted them to change the locks on their Birmingham war room at the Alabama Business Center, making only three keys.

Honda had picked Alabama as one of four possible sites for the $400 million plant as early as January 1998, though state recruiters didn't know it. The company's California law firm hired site-selection expert Harry Henshaw of Cleveland, who brought in Birmingham's Porter, White and Co.

Attention initially focused on the Southeast and Texas, but soon expanded to other areas. Honda wanted a rural site with at least 1,000 acres, preferably close to colleges and big cities. Too many tornadoes scratched Texas and the Plains states off the list, and the possibility of earthquakes eliminated Washington state.

Henshaw said 150 sites in 26 states were analyzed. Sites in 20 Alabama counties were examined, including ones near Decatur, Florence, Ashville and two in Talladega County.

After settling on a short list, Henshaw's team contacted recruiters in four states. The name of the company was not divulged.


"The consultant let us know early on that to even be speculating could cause us to no longer be considered," said Ted vonCannon, president of Birmingham's Metropolitan Development Board.

As Alabama's gubernatorial election neared last November, lobbyist Steve Bradley urged recruiters to keep former Gov. Fob James in the dark about the project. They listened.

"There were those in the James administration who were supportive of economic development," Bradley said. "Fob James was not one of them."

A few days after Gov. Don Siegelman's election, Bradley approached the governor's brother, Les Siegelman, who would act as a go-between for the project.

By this time, those concerned were holding regular 7 a.m. strategy sessions in a meeting room at the Birmingham airport.

They included Neal Wade, president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama; vonCannon; Bradley; Greg Barker, project manager for the Metropolitan Development Board; and industrial recruiters Mike McCain of Anniston and Calvin Miller of Talladega County.

The group still didn't know the name of the company.

In early December, Alabama was required to submit a proposal, and Don Siegelman was recruited to write a letter and make a video for the mystery company a month before he took office.

The tape also showed officials from JVC, Boeing and Mercedes-Benz cheering Alabama, along with shots of the state's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

The proposal was delivered in leather briefcases with the word "Alabama" on them.

As Honda and its consultants continued visiting sites, HealthSouth chief executive officer Richard Scrushy let them borrow his company's helicopter. Henshaw also borrowed a Mercedes M-Class for two days.

Alabama recruiters didn't find out who was behind "Bingo" until March, when they gathered with Honda officials at a Birmingham hotel.

Record Number: MERLIN_1437595

 

Letters to the Editor Birmingham News November 13, 2010--Stephen Bradley/Governor Bentley Transition Team

This letter appeared in the November 13th edition of the Birmingham News and calls into question Alabama's Governor-elect Robert Bentley's promises of a "new day in Alabama politics" and "cleaning up corruption in Montgomery."

You have chosen some of the biggest anti-reform advocates around Governor.

We have been ringing this alarm bell since the summer, as regular readers know, and you don't hire the king of PAC to PAC transfers, election influencing and big business lobbyist extraordinaire, Stephen Bradley as your transition team Communications Director and vow to be for true ethics reform Governor Bentley.

Same old, same old. When campaigning, Gov.-elect Robert Bentley said he wanted new ethics and campaign-finance laws banning transfers between political action committees and capping the amount lobbyists can spend on lawmakers. I really thought perhaps things would change in Montgomery.

Then Wednesday in The Birmingham News, I read Bentley has appointed Steve Bradley to his transition team. Lobbyist Bradley, president of a public relations and governmental affairs firm, is one of the major registered lobbyists in Alabama. According to articles in The News, Bradley has been in the forefront of PAC-to-PAC transfers for years.

If this is what we can expect from Bentley, it looks like the only change in Montgomery will be the names of the players.

Grady Gibbons

Mountain Brook

The first comment to this LOE:

Excellent observation by the letter writer. Steve Bradley is the worst type of smarmy paid mouthpiece in the state. The fact that Bentley selected him is indeed evidence that little change will occur in this administration. Disgusting.

Bentley's transition team has its fair share of Alabama Power board members is made up of some of the biggest and most powerful special interests lobbyists in Alabama:

Stephen Bradley--Alabama Power (AP lobbyist, BARD creator)

S. Eason Balch--Alabama Power (AP lobbyist, BARD law firm)

David Cooper--Alabama Power board member (BARD member)

John Johns--Alabama Power board member (BARD member)

"King Coal" Charles McCrary--CEO Alabama Power (BARD grand mule)

Clay Ryan--lobbyist Maynard Cooper & Gale (MCG lobbied for Perry Uniontown Ventures, Perry County, Alabama, the company responsible for receiving toxic coal ash from the TVA Kingston spill. PR man for PUV was Guy McCullough, Bradley's partner in his PR firm.)

Exactly which mindset did Alabama just elect as Governor and its state legislature? The promise of sweeping ethics reforms for change or the old Big Mule ways of Alabama Power and BARD?

 

Governor Bentley's Transition Team--A New Barn With Old Mules

The three key positions of Governor Bentley’s Transition Team consist of:
Chairman Charles McCrary, Alabama Power CEO and BARD member, Legal Adviser S. Eason Balch, Balch & Bingham, law firm APCO and BARD, and Communications Director Stephen Earl Bradley, BARD creator.

These three men enjoy a historic connection to President Andrew Jackson who brought patronage politics to American government saying as he did so: “To the victor belong the spoils.” The spoils in this case is BARD's dominion over everything in Alabama for the next four years.

“In the politics of the United States, a spoil system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a system of awarding offices on the basis of some measure of merit independent of political activity.”

Thomas Nast 1877 Harper's

Transition teams generally serve three primary functions:

• Select or recruit all non civil service appointed officials, chairpersons, and directors of various state agencies.

• Select which incumbents will remain in favor and which ones will be bypassed and ignored, going from “incumbent” to “ex.”

• Insure that by their choice a stable, loyal and reliable governmental infrastructure is put in place that best serves the new administration.

What’s missing in Bentley’s Transition Team is the requirement that the new team deciders have any sense of ethics, integrity and responsibility with regard to the public and environmental good, and will not put the interests of Alabamians before special interests and the Big Mules.

We suspect all of the chosen ones first allegiance will be to the Mules that led them into office and key positions, and in their minds public service will be defined as the public serving us, not the other way around.

When the transition team of Mules leaves the barn on January 17 they’ll leave more than mule apples behind them--they’ll leave a whole barn full of braying relatives at every level of government who will owe their comfortable new stalls to the Big Mules.

The Big Mules can move back to the shade and cover of the tree line secure in the knowledge that their will is being done and their own interests are faithfully served.

When the incoming class of patronage beneficiaries claims their reward, their oath of office will probably sound like this: 

"I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of BARDabama, so long as I continue as a citizen thereof and receive the benefits of Big Muledom. I will, more or less, honestly discharge the duties of my muley purchased office that I am about to trample to the best of my ability. So help me BARD."

Addendum--The first 18 on the list of 25. Note that only two are elected officials, some are former James and Byrne campaign hotshots and yes, we do have the cement industry repped that donated to Bentley one day after his elevated Hwy 280 announcement with Mr. Mark Tyson, President of Ready Mix.

 

We Warned You About BARD's "New Mule" Governor Bentley--Stephen Bradley Named Communications Director

*Updated Thursday pm 11/11

From the PR News Wire November 9, 2010 7:21 pm

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—  Governor-Elect Robert Bentley and Bentley Transition Team Chairman Charles McCrary have announced three key transition staff appointments.

Clay Ryan, an attorney and shareholder in the Birmingham-based law firm Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC, has been named Transition Coordinator.  S. Eason Balch, Jr., a partner in the Birmingham office of the law firm Balch & Bingham, LLP, will serve as Transition Legal Advisor while Steve Bradley, president of Stephen Bradley & Associates LLC, a public relations and governmental affairs firm with offices in Birmingham and Montgomery, will serve as Communications Director.  The appointments are effective immediately and will expire when Governor-Elect Bentley is sworn in on January 17.

"I am pleased that we have been able to fill these key positions.  I promised the people of Alabama I would move quickly to organize our transition so that we could better understand the many challenges facing our state and identify the very best people to serve in the cabinet," Governor-Elect Bentley said.

"In addition to administrative staff already in place in the transition office, the appointment of these three experienced professionals to assist the transition team demonstrates our commitment to support Governor-Elect Bentley in the important task of organizing his administration," said Transition Chairman Charles McCrary.

(SOURCES: Governor-Elect Robert Bentley and APCO CEO Charles McCrary)

Let's remind everyone of Dr. Bentley's words on WAPI's The Richard Dixon Show from October of 2010:

Dixon--"Dr. Bentley, some people want to know about the contributions you are getting from BARD, and that you're being backed by some of the same big business interests that backed your opponent Byrne, what do you have to say about that?"

Bentley--"Never heard of them."

John Archibald's Birmingham News "New Mules Keep Old Kick Alive" words regarding BARD:

The Big Mules are back and kickin'.

Not that they ever left. Self preservation, after all, is a matter of Big Mule instinct.

In the decades and days leading up to the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama money and politics were controlled by a coalition of coal mining giants, utility companies and the steel barons whose bosses built fortunes in Birmingham and lived comfortably in its shadow. This coalition spoke softly, so that regular folks could not hear, but they wielded a mighty big kick.

Social change? Whack.

Progressive tax structure? Whack.

Quality education for all? Whack, whack, whack.

The groups stacked the decks in favor of their status quo, which kept black people in their place and poor whites there with them. And then, masterfully, they used the only real difference between those groups -- skin color -- to pit them against each other.

That left the Big Mules out of sight, and out of the minds of reformers who might take some of what they had.

The public and political face of the New Mules is BARD, the Orwellian Business Alliance for Responsible Development. BARD has worked smartly and relentlessly to crush opposition to its policies, whether that be SWMA or foes of the Northern Beltline

It was about control then, and of course money.

"Since BARD can't control us, they want to destroy us and find another way."

Another way? That would be the Mule way.

And the Mule way, in Alabama, is the way it has always been.

Bentley's claims of honesty, integrity, PAC reforms, lobbyist reforms, and cleaning up corruption just trotted right on out of the truth barn. This BARD approved transition team will ensure that the "right kind" of Mules are in key positions during Bentley's reign. We warned you what Bentley really was folks, so don't stand there with your jaw on the hay bale and pretend you're shocked.

Welcome to BARDabama y'all.

Official Alabama limo

*Update--Bentley's added two more interesting names to the team that now stands at 25:

Vicky Drummond--probably a relation to Drummond Coal family and an influential republican operative in Walker County. 2002 political contributions list her occupation as "housewife."
(Drummond is a grand Mule BARD member)

Michael D. Thompson-- President Thompson Tractor (BARD member)

 

Bachus Buffon Increases Shelby County Reporter Daily Hits

*Updated Friday pm 11/12
Congressman Spencer "Napoleon" Bachus brought some attention to the local Shelby County paper and his own decreased cranium dimensions with his recent cry baby whining about Sarah Palin costing the republicans control of the senate in the midterm elections.

"The Senate would be Republican today except for states (in which Palin endorsed candidates) like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware," Bachus said. "Sarah Palin cost us control of the Senate."

He said Tea Party candidates did well in U.S. House races, but in the U.S. Senate races, "They didn't do well at all."

His mouthing off was covered by numerous prime time opinion shows and mainsteam progressive news outlets on Monday most likely because he muttered the words that immediately sends the press into a frenzy: Tea Party and Sarah Palin. Some of his own have whittled him down for his ill-advised remarks in addition to pointing out that it's not common for a House member to wade into the exclusive club of the senatorial business. But dinosaurs go where they want and their pea brains don't put much thought into it beforehand.

Bachus is a bigot and a loud-mouthed idiot (we like that word this week) and we would like to suggest that he go back to his real day job of an inordinate amount of stock trading while supposedly doing the people's business.

".... the biggest problem with Bachus' trading frenzy is this: Where does the guy find the time? I mean isn't he supposed to be focused on figuring out how to prevent the next financial crisis. Instead he is out playing the Dow. Bachus says he trades on nights and weekends. But with that much trading it's hard to believe that he doesn't spend a good portion of his day watching his account, even if he's not slipping in a few buy and sell orders between House committee meetings.
"This person traded more [options] contracts in a single year than I've traded for my own account in my entire lifetime," says Mr. Gastineau, who spent 20 years as a Wall Street options strategist.

Maybe he should also go back to busying himself with more tirading against additional environmental regulations, continue the trumpeting of the building of  Zombie Highways and voting against bills that would increase science and innovation. After all, an intelligent workforce would not serve his agenda of Alabama's universities churning out additional masses of  robotic big business minions that hold onto the archaic thinking of the good ol' boys (Mules) outdated ways.

Bachus claimed he would "go out and help to get Republicans elected" during this last election cycle and we can't think of one that he helped other than working behind the scenes in the state election with his band of bullies to get control of the Alabama legislature. And now he is going to wade into the national senate fray with his bigoted and misogynistic opinions?

We're not big fans of Palin, but we dislike the self-serving jackass of Alabama's 6th district even more.

Note to Bachus, put a sock in it and enjoy your term while it lasts because you just painted a great big bulls-eye on your back son.

*Update--An ad appeared on the Birmingham Craig's List Nov. 9 seeking a qualified candidate to replace Bachus. It's since "disappeared" but here's the story on it with the ad in it's entirety. We like this part:

* Skilled at raising lots of money (Your opponent has Millions saved up from running unopposed elections for years)
Update # 2--Bachus' big mouth may have cost him his finance chair (applause) and he is getting some heated blowback from Palin backed Ed Royce.

 

"Dumping on Dixie" Biosolids in Harpersville, Alabama Courtesy of Midwestern Based Merrill Brothers

We have covered the issue of the biosolid myth and Alabama's nasty practices with human and industrial waste (aka sewer sludge) twice before and thanks to Merrill Brothers stealthily moving into Harpersville, Alabama (Shelby County) in January of this year under the guise of a starting up a "hunting lodge" we are covering it again. 

They have entered the area under dishonest and false pretenses which should always raise suspicion no matter what issue is at hand--deception equals something to hide.

Note the Christian symbol on the upper right hand side of the sign. Does this imply that Jesus approves?

This facility is located at 201 Tanyard Road, off of Highway 76 (Klein Rd.) in Harpersville on what was formerly the farmland of Dixon Kidd. According to sources in the area, allegedly there was a confrontation of sorts over the summer from concerned parties inquiring about the transportation of raw sewage into the Harpersville area that ended with a firearm drawn and a demand to "get off my land."

Wouldn't it have been easier to just answer the questions about what is going on at the "hunting lodge" rather than to resort to such aggressive measures when being questioned about their activities? Maybe we're being naive, but if you are doing business of a controversial nature, as sewer sludge is, wouldn't a company try to at least exhibit some semblance of transparency and cooperation towards a community they have set themselves up in?

Their mission statement seems to be in conflict with the above attitude and we'd like to ask them if all the Christian banner waving is somehow supposed to give off the appearance of they cannot possibly be doing anything wrong because they're such good Christians. That's the same thing the Catholic church wanted us all to believe and look how that turned out.

There was a previous Region 4 EPA investigation of Merrill Brothers and the City of Childersburg, whom they had contracted with to receive their municipal sewer waste that ended with the EPA "finding no alarming issues." 

That is the same stance the EPA has held throughout their implementation of sewer sludge as "fertilizer." 

They have claimed all along this is a safe process and cases that have ended in just the opposite have been actively campaigned against by the EPA & WEF to be made to effectively "disappear" in the news.

(See R sidebar "From Sewer to Farm to Your Fork." WEF presents itself as the "water people" with visions of clean water, cascading waterfalls, blue skies and beautiful plants, but who they really are is a front group for the sludge industry. There's a reason ethically challenged PR firms and their advertising connections get paid the big bucks.)

Our previous postings cover the story of Synagro (the titan of sewer sludge) and North Alabama. South Alabama has also had it's share of controversy on this subject and it is the headquarters of Merrill Brothers Alabama operations. In the Synagro cases, the EPA was dead wrong on the safety of this practice that was ushered into the area by Synagro PR man Stephen Bradley (yep, there he is representing toxic terror once again) and Commissioner of Agriculture Ron Sparks. Merrill Brothers would have had to gotten permission to enter the state in a similar fashion.

Was Sparks dumb enough to allow this to happen a second time after what happened with Synagro?

We've just elected a new Commissioner of Agriculture, John McMillan, and it's time to start asking questions of him and if he is going to allow this dirty business to continue.

Sewer sludge is under the oversight of the EPA under 503:

Part 503.9(t) Pollutant is an organic substance, an inorganic substance, a combination of organic and inorganic substances, or a pathogenic organism that, after discharge and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into an organism either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through the food chain, could, on the basis of information available to the Administrator of EPA, cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological malfunctions (including malfunction in reproduction), or physical deformations in either organisms (humans) or offspring (children) of the organisms.

But it's "safe" because it has been "treated" right? The EPA tells us "it's safe" so we should just blindly accept that as fact? Can you name one instance where the government has ever gotten it right on issues of this nature in the past?

Full timeline of sewer sludge issue from Sludge News.

Two important and somewhat recent events;

October 2003, 73 farm, labor, and environmental organizations opposed to the land application of sewage sludge signed a petition to EPA demanding that the practice be stopped. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2003, they received an answer from EPA: there will be no changes.

In 2008, a hearing before the Congressional EPW Committee, that is chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer, was scheduled on sewer sludge that was abruptly canceled due to ongoing litigation in Georgia;

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats abruptly canceled a hearing Thursday on using sewage sludge as farm fertilizer after learning that two witnesses from Georgia had cited their upcoming testimony at the hearing in trying to win a settlement in a lawsuit.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had been scheduled to hear testimony from an Augusta-area farmer and a former federal scientist who have fought the Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Georgia over the safety of using sludge on farm fields.

The farmer, Andy McElmurray, and the scientist, David Lewis, are suing the University of Georgia Research Foundation and others, alleging that UGA research was part of a scheme by the EPA to justify a federal policy allowing the continued use of sludge as fertilizer.

A spokeswoman for the committee said the hearing was canceled out of concern the private litigation would distract from the main issue of sludge safety. She said Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., plans to reschedule the session.

It has never been rescheduled. Why is that Senator Boxer?

Alabama regulations are non-existent and the sludge industry is taking full advantage of this egregious lapse by the State of Alabama. 

The following document spells out all 50 states regulations. Alabama appears on pages 4-7:

Sludge Regulations Alabama

In the last election cycle for local amendments in Colbert County, Alabama this appeared on the ballot:

Relating to Colbert County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that treated human sewage biosolids may not be applied to land as a fertilizer or soil amendment, except for sewage biosolids produced by a publicly owned utility in Colbert County.(Proposed by Act 2009-390) 

Out of 10,937 votes cast, 75.8% voted in favor of this amendment to end this process of applying sewer sludge to any lands in Colbert County by any outside company, but it did not go far enough and left open the possibility of Colbert County getting in on the sludge act itself.

In Lawrence County, Alabama they took it a step further with an amendment that read as follows:

Relating to Lawrence County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that treated human sewage biosolids may not be applied to land as a fertilizer or soil amendment. (Proposed by Act 2009-370) 

Out of 8,422 votes cast, this one passed with 77.5% in favor of ending any future sludge applications.

Lawrence probably voted on a harder line because of what happened in the eastern section of the county that residents referred to as "Shit Road." Moulton Mayor Alexander was duped by ADEM & the EPA and he made no bones about his displeasure in 2009 news articles:

Much of the sludge from DU and Decatur industries ends up at Morris Farms, a Hillsboro landfill. Recent ADEM tests concluded the landfill’s leachate — liquid runoff from the waste — has PFOA levels of 91.6 ppb, more than 200 times the EPA drinking water advisory. The PFOS levels are about 275 times the drinking water advisory .

For one day, Alexander, the Moulton mayor, banned Morris Farms from dumping its leachate into the Moulton wastewater treatment plant. ADEM officials sat him down, however, and he reversed his position.

“ADEM said we were already contaminated, and it was too late to do anything about it,” Alexander said Friday. “Nobody notified us of the danger until it was too late. We were already contaminated.”

The effluent from Moulton’s wastewater treatment plant, according to recent ADEM tests, includes 1.7 parts per billion of PFOA and 0.7 ppb of PFOS. That’s about four times the EPA advisory on the chemicals.

Sludge at the bottom of the pond into which the effluent runs — the stuff children wade through on Crow Branch — weighs in at 83 parts per billion, more than 200 times the drinking water limit.

The levels of PFOS, the more dangerous chemical, in the sludge is a remarkable 941 parts per billion, almost 5,000 times the drinking water advisory.

Alexander said Friday ADEM had not shown him these numbers.

He said he is very worried about residents having health problems as a result of contact with Crow Branch, but he has not warned them about the risk.

“EPA and ADEM dropped the ball,” he said, “and as a result we are contaminated.”

But he continued accepting leachate from Morris Farms, did not warn residents about the potential health risk probably because of political reasons, and said the "best remedy would be to sue those responsible" when he should have stopped all transports completely. We understand that suing is the only remedy left after the fact, and hopefully it will serve as a future deterrent, but you cannot unring a bell--the damage has been done and it will continue to happen if the sludge industry wins the PR war on this subject.

The claims of safety and a cheap, natural "organic" fertilizer leave out a few key facts:

• Certain bacteria are thermoresistant. Outbreaks of the common  E-coli strain 0157, which is prevalent in sewer sludge, is the most common cause of food borne illnesses.

• Other pathogenic agents from "treated" sewer sludge can lie dormant in soils for years and will not disappear in the 30-60 day time frame that the EPA "magic" claims.

• Heavy metals and organic compounds are found in elevated numbers in sewer sludge even after "treatment."

• It is common for industries to flush their wastes into municipal sewer systems and unless the EPA is willing to position a sewer sentry at every discharge point into municipal sewers, it is impossible to know what is going into the systems.

EPA testing is limited and does not cover all of the ingredients of "sewer sludge soup" and acceptable levels of human exposure have been consistently lowered over the years.

Now, we ask you if this is the kind of product you would like to have your food grown in?

The "friendly and beneficial" fertilizer before "dewatering."

 

EPA News Release on Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals--Halliburton Refuses

Eight of Nine U.S. Companies Agree to Work with EPA Regarding Chemicals Used in Natural Gas Extraction 

CONTACT: Jalil Isa  (Media Inquiries only)
isa.jalil@epa.gov
202-564-3226
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 9, 2010

Eight of Nine U.S. Companies Agree to Work with EPA Regarding Chemicals Used in Natural Gas Extraction EPA conducting congressionally mandated study to examine the impact of the hydraulic fracturing process on drinking water quality; Halliburton subpoenaed after failing to meet EPA’s voluntary requests for information
 
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that eight out of the nine hydraulic fracturing companies that received voluntary information requests in September have agreed to submit timely and complete information to help the agency conduct its study on hydraulic fracturing. However, the ninth company, Halliburton, has failed to provide EPA the information necessary to move forward with this important study. As a result, and as part of the agency’s effort to move forward as quickly as possible, today EPA issued a subpoena to the company requiring submission of the requested information that has yet to be provided.

EPA’s congressionally mandated hydraulic fracturing study will look at the potential adverse impact of the practice on drinking water and public health. The agency is under a tight deadline to provide initial results by the end of 2012 and the thoroughness of the study depends on timely access to detailed information about the methods used for fracturing. 

EPA announced in March that it would conduct this study and solicit input from the public through a series of public meetings in major oil and gas production regions. The agency has completed the public meetings and thousands of Americans from across the country shared their views on the study and expressed full support for this effort.

On September 9,  EPA reached out to nine leading national and regional hydraulic fracturing service providers – BJ Services, Complete Production Services, Halliburton, Key Energy Services, Patterson-UTI, RPC, Inc., Schlumberger, Superior Well Services, and Weatherford – seeking information on the chemical composition of fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process, data on the impacts of the chemicals on human health and the environment, standard operating procedures at their hydraulic fracturing sites and the locations of sites where fracturing has been conducted.

Except for Halliburton, the companies have either fully complied with the September 9 request or made unconditional commitments to provide all the information on an expeditious schedule. 

More information on the subpoena and mandatory request for information on Halliburton’s hydraulic fracturing operations: http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing

 

Janet Napolitano Is An IDIOT--TSA Pervs Grope Women and Children

*Update Thursday pm 11/11--backlash growing
                                                    lobbyists and special interests profit from fliers misery
This is outside the norm of what we usually cover, but it is so infuriating that we are compelled to report on it. We're not regular readers of Alex Jones because in our opinion, he gets way into the stratosphere often on some issues, but he is dead on with this TSA issue and we are appreciative of his reporting on it. Napolitano's body scanning and touching regulations are the ideas of an absolute fool.

This should enrage all Americans and if the government can get away with this BS they'll get away with anything. We've never been a fan of Napolitano and we view her as a complete nutcase on this issue. As usual the government never thinks far enough ahead on any issue to realize the pitfalls that always come from their grand ideas.

What's really disgusting about this issue is that any pervs that work for TSA will be getting their jollies on America's women and children courtesy of "Big Sis."

Happy flying.

"...the blatant violation of privacy laws, and the consistent lies that the authorities have engaged in over capabilities of the machines, Janet Napolitano, head of the DHS, recently announced plans to expand the full-body scanner program even further.

In the U.S., travelers can refuse the body scanner and opt for the pat down, however, this option is not offered by the TSA, rather the traveler must declare that they wish to “opt out”.

A recent New York Times report describes the humiliating turn of events should airline passengers exercise this right, with individuals being singled out and prodded, probed and poked by TSA agents in front of everyone else queuing in the security lines.

New pat down procedures have recently been instituted by the TSA, allowing agents to use their fingers and the palms of their hands to feel around breasts and genitalia. Previously agents were instructed to brush the backs of their hands against these areas.

 

ADEM Issues Coal Mine Permit Without Reviewing Pollution Control Plans

The Alabama Department of Environmental (mis)Management (ADEM) recently issued a permit to the proposed and highly controversial Walker County, Alabama coal mine without reviewing any pollution control plans plans from the mine operators who are a Drummond Coal subsidiary. Drummond has never been an environmentally friendly company, here or abroad, but they are worth billions and what Drummond wants, Drummond gets.

ADEMs "reasoning" behind issuing the permit;

In Alabama, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is given the authority to issue these permits. However, the agency's approach to permitting has been challenged in the Shepherd Bend case. ADEM gave the mine a permit without ever seeing the mine's plan for preventing pollution, operating under the assumption that the Alabama Surface Mining Commission would review a pollution abatement plan.

In essence what ADEM did was "punt" the responsibility to another agency, as they have done numerous times before, and leave it up to someone else to make sure everything is in order. Wouldn't it make more sense to review the plan first and issue a permit after that? Of course it would which is why that did not happen.

This mine is being fast-tracked and far be it from the state's regulatory agency to exercise due diligence and act in a prudent manner towards Alabama's environment and their citizens. The ASMC has no oversight of water control and it is ridiculous to leave the reviewing up to them. ADEM is well aware of this, perhaps they are thinking no one else is or they just aren't thinking at all. Reader decide.

The following document is quite enlightening and serves as an additional record set of the back and forth communications regarding this mine being situated 4500 feet from the intake of Jefferson County, Alabama's water supplies. Some people are of the mind that it is "much ado about nothing" because the water goes through a filtration process before it reaches the residents of the Birmingham metro area.

That thinking is flawed in two obvious ways:

• Water supplies should be clean at their source.

• If water requires advanced intensive treatment processes the costs rise considerably and will be passed on to consumers.

The Birmingham Water Works Board has opposed the mine, which would discharge water from its sediment ponds into the river upstream of the Mulberry Fork intake. The board fears the mine's heavy metals and sediment will affect drinking water quality and taste and will increase the cost of treatment. 
SheperdsBendMine