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Saturday, April 12, 2008
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TPM Muckraker: "Thanks to ABC News and the AP's follow-up yesterday, we now have a very good idea of how the U.S. began to torture detainees in early 2002, even before the Justice Department had officially blessed the techniques by way of the infamous August, 2002 memo by John Yoo."
"2008 pres"
5:48:20 PM 
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Political Wire: "A new Temple University poll in Pennsylvania shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leads Sen. Barack Obama, 44% to 35%, among likely voters with 19% still undecided."
Left in the West "Here are some staggering numbers from Rasmussen on general election matchups in Montana. John McCain 48% - Barack Obama 43%, John McCain 56% - Hillary Clinton 36%. These numbers came out yesterday -- indicating that the polling happened after the first round of candidate visits.
"The startling truth? An Obama-McCain campaign makes Montana a competitive state, at least by this polling data."
NewMexiKen: "All kinds of people NewMexiKen knows and likes and respects tell me that McCain at least is better than Bush because he's OK on the environment or stem cells or the homeless. But McCain would continue the war, keep the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and appoint 17th century thinkers to the courts. Keep your eye on the important things. He's a crotchety old warrior."
Pollster.com "Zogby Pennsylvania Dems: Pennsylvania, Clinton 47, Obama 43."
Andrew Sullivan: "They are now using his staggeringly honest autobiography against him, using out-of-context quotes to make him seem like a racist. Yes, the repellent Coulter - still treated as a legitimate voice on the far right - has called Obama's book a dime-store "Mein Kampf." Sometimes I wonder if some white Republicans actually believe that black people in this country have no reason to feel any anger or alienation at times. I'm not talking about letting it consume you - just feeling it, dealing with it, managing it.
"I guess I might feel the same way as these sheltered folk if I weren't gay. But anger is a totally legitimate thing to feel when you grow up and realize you will never be allowed to celebrate a marriage or build a family like your parents or siblings. It is totally legitimate when your emotional core is constantly ridiculed, demeaned and even treated as a sickness or a sin. It became a necessity when hundreds of thousands died while others looked on, or persecuted the sick with segregation or disdain, or blamed them for their disease. It is totally understandable when even now, after living in this country for 24 years, with a family and a home, I have to seek a waiver from the government every year to allow me to stay in this country because I have HIV, and only people married to a member of the opposite sex are treated like human beings if immigrants. The government denies you family, dignity and even a secure home - and you are never supposed to feel anger?"
"2008 pres"
5:37:07 PM
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Here's a recap of the recent meeting of the Headwater Authority of the Upper South Platte up in Park County, from The Fairplay Flume. From the article (part 1):
Roughly 75 people heard experts field questions for approximately one and a half hours after their presentations on in-situ uranium mining in South Park at a meeting in Fairplay on April 2. The meeting was sponsored by the Headwater Authority of the Upper South Platte. HASP is a joint business venture between the Center of Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Upper South Platte Water Conservancy District.
Among the speakers was William Wilson, president and chief executive officer of New Horizon Uranium Corp., the company proposing in-situ uranium mining northeast of Hartsel along the Elk Horn Road. The county road bisects South Park from Como to Hartsel...
Wilson opened the meeting by explaining the time frame of operations. The company is now in the first stage of a five- stage process. During the first stage that will last about one year, the company will stake claims, acquire leases from surface property owners and select target areas for exploration drilling. The company plans to drill 20 holes to identify areas for mining uranium. During stage one, surface and groundwater samples will be taken and tested for uranium content. Wilson said the company would sample private wells at the request of the property owner. Stage two would involve drilling approximately 1,000 holes to establish the extent of the uranium ore body. Then a mining feasibility study would be completed. That would take between one and two years. During stage three, applications for all federal, state, and local permits would be submitted. It could take up to three years to receive all permits. Permits Wilson mentioned include an exempt aquifer permit form the United States Environmental Protection Agency, permits from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, a surface reclamation permit for Colorado Department of Reclamation Mining and Safety and any permits that Park County would require. Stage four, mining, would commence once all permits are received. Wilson anticipated that would be seven or eight years from now. He said mining would probably last five to seven years. Stage five, restoration of the well field and surface reclamation, would take about three years after mining was completed.
Parson said even though the mining process uses harmless substances such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and baking soda, it isn't harmless. These substances not only release uranium from the ore body, they also release any other heavy metals found in the rock. These are then all pumped to the surface. According to Parsons, several issues exist including "excursions" where the aquifer in the geologic formation being mined and used to transport uranium travels to other groundwater aquifers. Water under pressure is pumped into the mining zone and then pumped back to the surface. The geologic layers above and below the mining area must be impermeable (water can not travel through them) to prevent contamination of other aquifers. Parsons said cross-contamination can happen if the subsurface is fractured or if wells are nearby. "Track records of the companies show there are excursions," Parsons said. A second issue, Parsons said, is that national regulations require companies to attempt to restore the mined aquifer to pre-mining standards. "Again, the track record is fairly poor," Parsons said. Three examples were cited by Parsons. In Texas where 32 mines exist, groundwater regulations were lowered so companies could meet the standards. In Wyoming, the Smith Ranch Highlands Mine was cited for violations on March 10, 2008, for several reasons, including lack of groundwater restoration. Parsons said that 10 years after mining has ceased, the aquifer is in the same condition as it was when mining stopped. Another example was near Grover in Weld County, where post-restoration of 1980s mining shows a 16-fold increase in radiation in the aquifer. Grover is near the Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado state lines.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
"2008 pres"
11:19:29 AM
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From The Longmont Times-Call: "A report released Friday predicts that northwest Colorado's population could double to about 417,000 over the next 30 years because of the energy boom, and the number of gas wells could soar to more than 50,000. The report commissioned by the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado highlights the energy boom's benefits -- job growth, revenue -- and costs -- increased infrastructure and capital expenses, higher housing prices. The region could face $2.1 billion in costs over the next 28 years for roads, bridges, water and sewer plants and other improvements and up to a $1.4 billion funding shortfall for the infrastructure, according to Denver-based BBC Research and Consulting, which wrote the report. The report says high housing costs, now matching or exceeding Denver-area prices, and labor shortages in other businesses due to competition from the energy industry have become pressing issues in the study area -- Moffat, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties. The projections don't delve much into the impacts of commercial oil-shale development, considered to be at least 10 years away."
"2008 pres"
9:39:28 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 2:19:14 PM.
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