WHAT KIND OF AMERICA?

It's Memorial Day! Usually we "do up" our yard so it looks its best-and fly the stars and stripes.
A few burgers on the grill-and a simple, happy holiday.... not much fuss.
This year, I've been doing a bit more thinking.
It all started when I found "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on You Tube and posted it on my Facebook page. This song has haunted me (in a good way) since I heard it at Robert Kennedy's funeral in the late 60s. For years, I tried to figure out what the song means-and, in a way, the lyrics still stir the pot of theology, church and military history.
Then came a friend's FB post-reminding that we should "keep" the America we've known and loved. Keep it? Is it going away? Hmmm.
So-I formed a query and posted it in return: When our soldiers lay dying on battlefields all over the world, what were they dying FOR? I mean REALLY...
Were they paid to fight and die? Paid to follow orders?
Did they die for freedom? Freedom for who to do what?
Did they die for their own subjective idea of America? For their families and neighbors in a small town somewhere?
Death is a very serious, powerful thing that should have great, enduring meaning.
So, I think about these martyred soldiers when I -from the extremely blessed position of being alive-look at America.
I see a nation that is giving money to enemy governments for favors, giving corporations tax breaks even as the economy has been de-stabilized, workers laid off, jobs shipped overseas,
oil hoarded, our land polluted, etc. I see a nation that will tax a middle class which is losing its health care, Medicare; even as many members have lost their jobs. Oh, and to top things off, schools are being closed and kindergarten taken away-not to mention de-funding for indigent, sick, elderly in nursing homes-whle CEO of Wall St corps get millions in "bonuses."
Is this the America our soldiers died for?
If they died for "freedom" and they did-we better define freedom quickly!
No one is free to play global war games fast-and-loose with precious tax-payer resources, and bet the homes and households of America on risky mortgage loans.
Americans, we have gotten so big and complex and have made deals with the devil for so long that the American dream may be no more.
We need to find our values once more in this fog. What is it we are really about? What will we sacrifice and die for?
Once we know, we need to also know that America is not "one"- and there are enemies within, some obvious, others are wolves in sheep's clothing, I'm afraid.
Often the most dangerous enemies sound the most noble. They know current issues are so complex we can barely stand to study them, that all people are not smart; and they (unscrupulous leaders) throw down "red meat" issues to distract us while they undercut our bedrock foundation.
Instead of "trusting politicians" we need to trust our fellow citizens and together find candidates to represent us. Everybody wants to be a "grassroots" candidate-but they are few and far between.
So why look now at who we are as a nation? Because we are out of money.
Money is a great cover up for mistakes, confusion, schemes, and lack of money really forces us to face priorities and look our leaders in the eye. So perhaps this period of America's history can somehow be a productive one. I hope and trust so.
....Thanks to soldiers, veterans, those who died in service, and even those who live to serve.
That means us, too, fellow voter, by the way. We had better not let our veterans down.

Kessler Park, Murph's/RSR Lead Smelter, Wells, and Cancer : Any Info?

I am 57 years old and know of 6 people my age raised in Kessler Park who now have brain tumors. These folks were raised a few blocks apart, and lived just across I 30 from the old Murph's/RSR lead smelter - as well as other industrial complexes having to do with cement, roofing materials, etc. on Industrial Blvd.
(It is likely there are other numerous cases of cancer I don't know about... especially since so many children and teens raised in KP live elsewhere now. )
So, we should be aware that with extremely high lead and arsenic levels at RSR, a cancer cluster is possible.
Official records say that air in a 13 mle radius was affected by the lead smelter; but no definitive record of water/well involvement is easy or possible to attain. Thirteen miles extends from I 30 to Davis St -if not a lot farther south-according to an online map.
Please leave a comment if you have any info to add. THANKS

PS I have found reliable info that cancer causing chemicals were found in the soil at RSR.

EARTH DAY AND THE MCL LANDFILL LEGACY

What a nice Earth Day at Lake Cliff Park on Zang Blvd today. The park with its vintage fountain never looked lovelier, and what a joy to see people outside together enjoying gorgeous weather and fine music. (a sax-even!) Interestedly for me-and I hope you-I met an Oak Cliff gentleman who gave me a better picture of the Mountain Creek Lake situation than I got from searching old docs on the Internet. He painted a few words pics like "old batteries dumped in the lake" that helped me think of the lake, not just as a repository for chemical run-off, but actually an underwater landfill for old, throw-away military/airplane equipment. Yes, I had noted on this blog that an entire plane is down in the lake-and has been there for decades. Since half the depth of the lake is silt, the old equipment is embedded in the silt, along with Cesium 137, layers of PCBs, metals, hydrocarbons, etc. A real stinking mess quite hidden from view. Someone driving across the Mt Creek Lake Bridge would have no clue they were on a bridge over psychotic water! Just looks pretty and brown.... My Earth Day gentleman acquaintance also referred to national security aspects relating to the Naval Weapons facility on the lake, and when I threw in references to missile-making at TEMCO, we rather agreed that Mt Creek activities were simply not fully discussed back in the day. That is, the days of our youth when we were forbidden by parents to stick our toes in that water. Thorough records were likely not kept or made available to the public, although today it is possible to see records from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that refer to Vought as being contaminated with a radioactive substance probably buried on site. Not important now, I'm sure, as these things go in Texas. I wonder what the cost would be to truly clean up this lake and its surrounds. A projected two billion dollar cost has likely inflated to ten times that amount-so we do nothing, expect nothing, demand nothing. Fellow citizens, the law of our land says polluters have the obligation to clean up their toxic legacy and return property to the citizenry in a livable condition. Even the military-especially the military! But no-we get the toxic landfill legacy. The taxpayer loses however this deal goes down-and, to me, it just feels like a double or triple loss: of land and enjoyment, of health, of tax money, and of tax money going to pay for further war and contamination of more land.

CESIUM 137-in Japan's Nuclear Reactor and in Our MCL

As the tragic situation with radiation in Japan continues, I see Cesium 137 in the news. Cesium is the radioactive substance which has been released to the atmosphere from the reactors-proving that the containment box has been breached. Cesium 137 comes from the reactor core.
Well, as noted in earlier posts, Cesium 137 is embedded in sediment in Mountain Creek Lake.
No official explanation for its presence has been given.
But research shows missile development by TEMCO (as in Ling-Temco-Vought) occurred at the site prior to or during the Cold War.
Cesium 137 likely was in run-off water, which ran off into the lake, along with a host of fuels and toxic chemicals. Acording to the Texas Wildlife and Fisheries Dept, any contribution of toxic substances by industry or the military was most definitely illegal.
In fact, I can't think of anything that would more violate the spirit of the Clean Water Act than radioactive Cesium.
Could this material be removed from the lake? Probably-but then it would be stirred up to possibly endanger humans and would have to be stored elsewhere.
However, I do have problems with Dallas/Grand Prairie's lake remaining radioactive 300 years and polluted forever... or until flooding forces toxic water into inhabited areas.
What do you think?
Citizens' voices needed!!!

Update on Mt Creek Area-Is It Ever Good News?

I attended a very informative political discussion yesterday in the home of a neighbor; and learned a couple of things worth sharing about the Mountain Creek Lake area.
First, Hensley Field...As you may know, Dallas sued the Navy for mega millions because the Navy damaged Dallas Naval Air Station land, which is owned by the city. A funded account was set aside for future improvement to the facility by the city-money coming from the lawsuit; but that MONEY IS GONE-having been legally transferred for use on another favored project.
Second-the Naval Station area is where police training happens; and remember! A grenade was found under the Mt Creek Lake bridge, and a huge ammunition theft, said to be an inside job, took place...This area is troubled by "practice" GUNFIRE, which is halting further development of the area and expansion by existing businesses and organizations.
GUNFIRE? MISSING MONEY?
And I thought I knew about this area! Only a fraction...I'm sure.
Here's hoping Oak Cliff will soon have representation on the city council, representation that will bring these problems out of the ammunition closet where thieves seem to break in and steal. If you get my drift...
This industrial/military area cannot go on as it is with residents living and working on its shores.

HOW CAN WE TRUST WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN WRONG?

EPA vs. TCEQ-it's in the news.
EPA needs to take over air permits because TCEQ has not been the answer to our dirty air problems- that is, our gases are filthy blights and blots upon the parchment of the Clean Air Act . I agree-EPA needs to regulate what Texas won't.
But that leads me to ask, how can EPA expect the people (us) to TRUST and BELIEVE TCEQ
and the work it has produced or ignored in the past????
TCEQ approved closure of the polluting factory in my old neighborhood. It-TCEQ- knew the deep groundwater was contaminated, and the soil toxic. Heck, the soil was basically removed and replaced in parts; but all I really, specifically know now is: TCEQ SAYS THIS PLACE IS OKAY!
I have to trust their bottom line judgment, their calculus; which bears the stamp of the state seal of Texas.
SO, I am to trust TCEQ? The same TCEQ that hid radioactive water in Houston and put the river bottom industries back in business after a surface clean up expected to last five years? The same TCEQ that made deals with toxic industries to end lawsuits? The same TCEQ that let gas drilling pollution in air and water around Ft. Worth get so bad that citizens had to run a campaign in the media to save their health and property?

EPA, in my opinion, needs to review all the closures of toxic industries in Texas that TCEQ approved and decide if they were appropriate in the past, and protective of citizens in the present and future.
The local closure I have studied doesn't look appropriate; and, by the way, I don't love testing done by the pollutor and presented as favorable -in the midst of other unfavorable tests.
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Since when does the pollutor control testing and the submission of test results?

EPA, do not ask us to trust an agency that you say you can't trust.

If we citizens trust wrongly- we literally absorb the cost in our lungs and bones; and many of us never even know what hit us. LITERALLY.

____________________________________

Update: I talked with a highly knowledgeable friend today who had such a good comment:
(I paraphrase) It may take a Congressional investigation to prove that government and state agencies have failed to protect the people of Texas, through laws and statutes which have been enacted for the people's benefit. (From what I've experienced, this feels right and passes the logic/scholarship test.)

DIOXIN STUDY NEEDED FOR DIXICO

Continuing thoughts on the Dixico incinerator:
When organic solvents are burned at low temperatures, and burned incompletely, dioxin and furans are produced. These are known and undisputed carcinogens. The Dixico incinerator was documented repeatedly as burning at too low temperature. One document reads temp was "400."
Back in the 80s, dioxin was not reported by industry-including Dixico; although the dioxin problem is practically synonymous with plastics and PVC, which Dixico dealt with in tons.
Dioxin degrades to half in 15 years, years which have past, UNLESS it is below ground and mixed and bound with sediment in soil as at the bottom of a lake, stream, river, or creek.
I am thinking a dioxin study of Dixico is in order. And...a water study also.
If Dixico were to be studied for CERCLA, many enlightening studies would be done.
But will that happen?
Isn't it easier to let bygones be bygones? It would be if ... so many neighbors had not died.
If two creeks weren't involved, if the chemicals used had been less dangerous and in smaller amounts....So many ifs and so many buts...
What ever happened to enforcing the intent of environmental law in a timely manner-or at all?