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May 5: Ohio Citizen Action ups the ante in Eramet campaign

Kate Russell

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio Citizen Action canvassers based in Columbus have joined the Eramet Marietta good-neighbor campaign and are going door to door in central Ohio to build support. They are joining the canvassers in southern Ohio who have been campaigning all the way from the Cincinnati area to Marietta and the river counties. The organization has also hired a new canvass director, Kate Russell, to lead this push. A Grand Rapids, Michigan, native, Russell earned a B.A. in history from Michigan State University last summer, and began canvassing with Clean Water Action in East Lansing. Sandy Buchanan, Ohio Citizen Action Executive Director, said, 'We are very happy to have Kate join the staff to direct the Columbus field canvass. Her skills and dedication will strengthen Ohio Citizen Action's work in Central Ohio, and we're looking forward to a great summer,'" Ohio Citizen Action.
MORE ON ERAMET

May 5: Steelworker dies at Mittal Burns Harbor plant

CHESTERTON, IN -- "A steelworker died Wednesday in a 'freak accident' at the Burns Harbor facility of Mittal Steel USA, after being pinned between two girders. Paul Gipson, president of United Steelworkers Local 6787 identified the member as Russell Payne, 60, of Portage. Payne leaves a wife and two sons... A total of 27 people have died at the mill in its 42-year history, Gipson said. Most recently, in July 2006, Kevin Sullivan, 50, of LaPorte, was crushed to death at No. 1 Coke Battery when he was caught between the battery and a machine which opens its doors. 'A steel mill is a terrible place to die,' Gipson said," Kevin Nevers, Chesterton Tribune.
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May 5: Coke plant debate rages
Proponents and opponents rally support prior to May 6 meeting

MIDDLETOWN -- "Just days before Middletown City Council votes on the rezoning of 157 acres for a controversial $340 million coke plant, battle lines are being drawn by proponents and opponents of the proposed project... Meanwhile, opponents of the project – many of whom are Monroe homeowners living near the proposed site — also want people to contact Council members to express their concerns about how the plant might affect their health and property values. They are rallying support through their Web site, www.StayInsideTheFence.com, and they are organizing a prayer vigil at 8 p.m. Monday at Truth Tabernacle, 6879 Hamilton-Middletown Road," Ed Richter, Middletown Journal. Published May 2.
MORE ON AK STEEL

May 5: Dann draws more outrage
Watchdog group voices ire over his use of a state plane; a state rep calls for a perjury inquiry

COLUMBUS -- "At his press conference Friday, May 2, in which he admitted to an affair with a staffer and said he was unprepared for the office he was elected to, Attorney General Marc Dann promised to work tirelessly to repair the public's trust. But a short time after the press conference, he flew on the state plane to Cleveland to meet with the Plain Dealer to try to salvage his public image. 'He did what? It's just like he has one bad rookie mistake after another,' said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a good government watchdog group. 'It's important to do your mea culpas but using the state resources to do them just backfires,'" Laura Bischoff and William Hershey, Dayton Daily News. Published May 4.

May 5: Power lobbying no victory for utilities

CLEVELAND -- "'I don't blame the utilities and I don't blame the legislators because they need to get their own messages out at the end of the day,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign finance analyst for Ohio Citizen Action, a pro-consumer group that has often criticized FirstEnergy. 'It is an incredible amount of money, though, when you thinking about what the average Ohioan makes and the kind of day-to-day struggle many are having,'" John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Published May 1.
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May 2: Kansas governor's third coal plant veto sustained

TOPEKA, KS -- "Kansas will not have two new coal-fired power plants at Holcomb in the western part of the state. Late Thursday night, the Kansas House narrowly sustained the third veto of a bill to allow the plants by Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat. The vote in the House was 80-45, four votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the governor's veto. Closely watched as an indicator of the mood of the Midwest on coal power, the battle between the governor and the Republican controlled Statehouse over Sunflower Electric's bid to expand its Holcomb Generating Station has absorbed much of this legislative session," Environmental News Service.
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May 1: Manganese study is important for families

MARIETTA -- "We urge local parents of 7- and 8-year-olds to allow their children to participate in a study of manganese levels in local children’s bodies and its impact.. . . It’s our opinion that it’s better to know this information than to let the emissions continue at levels that could be harmful to children. Certainly parents don’t want their children in harm’s way, neither does the company," editorial, Marietta Times.
MORE ON ERAMET

Apr 30: Protesters who were barred sue fair board; Women with anti-pollution message say parade ruling was free-speech violation

Prof. Daniel Kobil

COLUMBUS -- "Two women say that their free-speech rights were trampled when a county fair board barred them from marching in a Labor Day parade to protest pollution from a local plant. . . Group members planned to wear T-shirts saying 'Eramet: Let's clear the air!' and to hand out literature asking officials of the Marietta-area manganese refinery to reduce pollution, the lawsuit says. . . 'It's an outrage … one of the worst free-speech violations I've seen in some time,' said Daniel Kobil, a law professor at Capital University who represents one of the women. 'It is the essence of our constitution that government can't pick and choose the messages it allows to be expressed in a public forum,' Kobil said," Randy Ludlow, Columbus Dispatch.

MARIETTA -- Fair Board Lawsuit: No Word Yet, Tom Lotshaw, Marietta Register.

MARIETTA -- Local manganese study expands to children, Kate York, Marietta Times.

MARIETTA -- Manganese Health Study Approved by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Katie Schwendeman, Marietta Register.
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Apr 29: Eramet first quarter sales rise 37.9 percent

PARIS, France -- "French mining group Eramet reported a 37.9 percent rise in first quarter sales on Tuesday, led by soaring metal prices, and gave an upbeat outlook. Sales rose to 1.118 billion euros ($1.75 billion), driven by a 92.9 percent surge in its manganese division. Eramet operates mines in New Caledonia, Gabon and Indonesia and is the world's sixth-largest nickel producer. In February, the company posted an 82 percent jump in its 2007 net profit, driven by the spike in metals prices," Sudip Kar-Gupta, Reuters.

Eramet's press release

MARIETTA -- University of Cincinnati and Marietta College partner for manganese study, Callie Lyons, WMOA.

MARIETTA -- Manganese study, Courtney Rochon, WTAP.
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Apr 29: Coal price hikes boost electric rates, more increases coming

Construction continues on the Elm Road Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in Oak Creek, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

NEW YORK, NY -- "Consumers struggling with high gas prices, rising food costs and falling home values have something new to worry about: Sharply rising electricity rates due to a surge in coal prices over the past year. There is an abundance of coal in the United States, but like many other commodities its price is increasingly dependent on events elsewhere in the world. Snowstorms this winter cut coal production in China and heavy rain flooded mines in Australia — the world's largest coal exporter. Meanwhile, demand for coal to generate electricity and make steel is rising almost everywhere, especially in fast-growing China and Indi," John Wilen, Associated Press.
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During the Worker's Memorial Day Tribute ceremony, Tom Sorrell lights a candle for every AK Steel employee who lost their life while working inside the steel mill. (Gary Stelzer)

Apr 29: Community remembers those who've died at AK
Since 1903, 104 Middletown Works workers have been killed on the job at the steel mill

MIDDLETOWN -- "As the 104 names of the Middletown Works union members killed on the job since 1903 were read and a candle lit in honor of each one during a solemn ceremony, Paul Corrill closed his eyes to picture each deceased's loved ones. He envisioned the steelworker and his family. When one of the names — James Michael Corrill — was quietly called, the portrait looked familiar. Michael Corrill, whose father and three brothers worked in the Middletown steel mill, was killed in the coke plant Oct. 12, 1993," Rick McCrabb, Middletown Journal.
MORE ON AK STEEL

Apr 29: A local first: Environmental Justice

Vice Mayor David Crowley

CINCINNATI -- "Cincinnati could be among the first cities in the country to pass a law protecting poor people and minorities from businesses that pollute their neighborhoods. Vice Mayor David Crowley’s Environmental Justice Ordinance, to be discussed today, starts with this premise: Everyone in society should share the burden of pollution and related health problems, not just poor people or those who live in low-income neighborhoods that are often home to polluters... 'We’re an old city, so people grew up working around these factories and living near them,' Crowley said. 'But we’ve got to make sure people are protected,'" Jane Prendergast, Cincinnati Enquirer.

Apr 28: 526 Cleveland area doctors and nurses write Mittal Steel

CLEVELAND -- "Since the spring of 2007, 526 Cleveland area doctors and nurses have written Mittal Steel's plant manager Terry Fedor urging the Cleveland manager to work on pollution prevention at the downtown mill. 'Presently I work as a hospice nurse,' writes registered nurse Theresa Giersz in a letter to Mr. Fedor in September 2007. 'Dying from a lung disease is one of the hardest to witness, not being able to breathe is terrifying. I am aware that lung disease is caused by many factors. One of those factors is the pollution coming from your factory.' The Neighbors of Mittal Steel group and Ohio Citizen Action continue to invite Mr. Fedor to meet and begin dialogue on how Mittal Steel and the community can work towards the common interest of producing steel with fewer emissions," Liz Ilg, Cleveland area Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

LONDON, England -- Lakshmi Mittal tops The Sunday Times Rich List 2008, The Times.
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Apr 28: Tox-Minus challenge

MARIETTA -- "In the fall, the Ohio EPA challenged companies to reduce their chemical emissions as reported under the Toxic Release Inventory or TRI. Five plants in Washington County are taking the EPA up on it. Kraton Polymers plans to reduce their TRI by 20% and reduce wastes treated on site by 15%. Solvay Advanced Polymers is installing new equipment to cut their TRI emissions in half by 2010. Eramet is doing construction work on Furnace #1 to reduce emissions by 50%. They're hoping to reduce plant-wide emissions by 20% in five years," Courtney Rochon, WTAP. Published April 25.
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Apr 28: Mine's selenium deforms fish, expert says

CHARLESTON, WV -- "Selenium pollution from one of West Virginia's largest mountaintop removal mines is dangerously poisoning Mud River fish, leaving some with serious deformities, according to one of the nation's leading experts on the issue. Fish samples showed some specimens with two eyes on one side of the head, and others with curved spines, according to a report filed in federal court by fisheries biologist A. Dennis Lemly. Lemly blamed high concentrations of selenium in discharges from the Hobet 21 mountaintop removal complex upstream from the Mud and from the Mud River Reservoir. 'The Mud River ecosystem is on the brink of a major toxic event,' Lemly said in a report, filed April 18 in U.S. District Court in Huntingto," Ken Ward, Jr., Charleston Gazette. Published April 27.
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Apr 25: Two Ohio counties rank among worst in nation for greenhouse gas emissions

most CO2 in US

CLEVELAND -- "Global warming gets going right here in Cuyahoga County. In fact, only three places in the United States are more responsible than we are for the carbon dioxide emissions that most scientists say are leading to accelerating climate change, a new study claims. Two Ohio counties -- Cuyahoga (fourth) and Jefferson (14th), home to Steubenville -- rank among the worst areas for the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, according to the first-of-its-kind inventory of all 3,141 U.S. counties by researchers at Purdue University," Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
MORE ON CUYAHOGA COUNTY AIR POLLUTION

Apr 25: Three companies agree to limit mountaintop mining

HUNTINGTON, WV -- "A trio of coal companies has agreed to temporarily limit operations at three mountaintop removal mines opposed by environmentalists. The deal struck Wednesday settles the latest round in a long-running battle pitting the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and several other groups against the Army Corps of Engineers and coal mine operators. OVEC won a court ruling in March 2007 that the corps violated federal law by issuing valley fill permits for mountaintop removal mines without conducting extensive environmental reviews. OVEC contends three Clean Water Act permits the corps issued in March "suffer from the same defects" cited by U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers in 2007 when he rescinded permits issued for four Massey Energy Co. mines. Chambers followed that decision up in June with a ruling that using settling ponds to remove sediment from streams at mountaintop removal coal mines violates the Clean Water Act," Tim Huber, Forbes. Published April 23.

CHARLESTON, WV -- Coal operators agree to limit valley fills, Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette. Published April 24.
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Apr 25: Dust a possible C8 source, EPA study says

CHARLESTON, WV -- "Household dust could rival food packaging as a potential major route for human exposure to C8 and related toxic chemicals, two federal government scientists conclude in a new study. C8 and other perfluorinated compounds were found in 95 percent of the dust samples in homes in Ohio and North Carolina, according to the study by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency experts... Lindstrom and Mark Strynar, an EPA physical scientist, tested dust taken from vacuum cleaner bags from 100 homes and 10 day-care centers for C8 and other perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs," Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette.
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Apr 24: Aerosols complicate PFOA picture
Riding the waves—could the oceans be a source of PFOA to the air?

WASHINGTON, DC -- "A largely discounted wrinkle in the chemistry of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) indicates that this ubiquitous chemical moves into the air more readily than previously thought, according to new research. Experts say that the findings could have implications for PFOA's fate in the environment, but they caution against extrapolating these laboratory results to the real world without field-based verification. PFOA is the best known of the perfluoroalkyl carboxylates, and the U.S. EPA has classified it as a likely human carcinogen. Animal studies indicate that perfluorinated chemicals affect the liver, neonatal development, the immune system, and hormone levels. Until recently, PFOA had been widely used in stain repellents, polishes, and paper coatings. Manufacturers have begun voluntary efforts to eliminate its use," Rebecca Renner, Environmental Science and Technology.
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Apr 23: Cleveland Public Power's bright idea
The controversial coal-plant deal is part of an ambitious (and decades-late) expansion plan

AMP employees

American Municipal Power employees negotiate at the Cleveland City Council subcommittee on Cleveland Public Power February 22, 2008. Photo by Jeff Buster.

CLEVELAND -- "If CPP was to survive bitter competition with First Energy and be a progressive utility, everything needed to change. As CPP's Commissioner Ivan Henderson told the Public Utilities Committee, which Zone chairs, in February: 'To be clear, the battle we're in is the battle for CPP's survival.' The coal plant was the immediate answer, Henderson explained at the time. It would provide the cheap, stable rates that would allow CPP first to subsist, then to create the foundation for long-term, tide-shifting change. City Council voted 19-2 to approve the coal plant... An analysis commissioned by Ohio Citizen Action, an environmental activist group, concluded that this committee's authority was limited and may turn out to be 'neither meaningful nor enforceable,'" Charu Gupta, Cleveland Free Times.
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Apr 22: Kids' drawings for Eramet Marietta

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Apr 22: Young steel worker injured in explosion

BALTIMORE, MD -- "A young worker remained in critical condition Monday evening after suffering serious burns in a chemical explosion at the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Sparrows Point, fire officials said. Baltimore County firefighters responded to an explosion at what is now the Arcelor Mittal plant just after 12:30 p.m. Monday, said department spokeswoman Elise Armacost. The contractor, who was not identified, was burned by a burst of molten slag — a 3,000-degree steel waste product — that he dumped into a pit of water, officials said," Jaime Malarkey, The Examiner.

NEW YORK, NY -- Forbes richest people in the world stocks, "The fourth-richest person in the world is Lakshmi Mittal, a resident of London and the head of the largest steel manufacturer in the world, Arcelor Mittal," TheStreet.
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Apr 22: AK Steel first quarter profits up 60 percent

CINCINANTI -- "AK Steel Holding Corp. said Tuesday that its first-quarter profits beat Wall Street estimates, rising 60 percent from a year ago when the integrated steelmaker was in the final three months of a yearlong lockout at its main plant. The steel company reported net income of $101.1 million, or 90 cents a share, for the quarter ended March 31, compared with $62.7 million, or 56 cents a share, a year ago. Results from a year ago included a $15.1 million pretax, non-cash pension charge. Sales totaled $1.79 billion, compared with $1.72 billion a year ago," Terry Kinney, Houston Chronicle.
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Apr 22: Study: Smog linked to premature deaths

COLUMBUS -- "Smog, even short-term exposure, can lead to premature death, according to a study released this morning. The National Academy of Sciences says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should continue to estimate premature deaths linked to ozone, a key ingredient of smog. The EPA does so to calculate smog's health costs and to help explain why reducing the amount people breathe is necessary," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.

Apr 21: Earth Day river cruise in Marietta

more photos
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Apr 21: Worst offenders for carbon dioxide emissions: Top 20 US counties identified

CLEVELAND -- "The top twenty carbon dioxide-emitting counties in the United States have been identified by a research team led by Purdue University... Gurney says Vulcan, which is named for the Roman god of fire, quantifies all of the CO2 that results from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline. It also tracks the hourly outputs at the level of factories, power plants, roadways, neighborhoods and commercial districts," Science Daily. Published April 17.
MORE ON CUYAHOGA COUNTY AIR POLLUTION

Apr 21: Candidates Q&A:
Lower power rates needed

MARTINSVILLE -- "Martinsville City Council candidates say the city should look for ways to reduce electricity rates, whether it is through studying available options or considering new energy sources when possible. In an attempt to lower electric rates, Martinsville City Council voted Feb. 26 to enter into 40-year contracts to buy wholesale power generated by three American Municipal Power-Ohio power plant projects — two in Ohio and one in Illinois... The Martinsville Bulletin asked candidates for city council in the May 6 election, 'How should the city handle its future needs for wholesale electricity? Should the electric department be sold and, if so, under what conditions?,'" Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin. Published April 20.
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Apr 18: Mittal Steel: Ten out of twelve noise readings are above 85 decibels, the level at which hearing damage can begin

noise monitor CLEVELAND -- "Donna Levandowski, neighbor of Mittal Steel on Independence Road and leader in the Neighbors of Mittal Steel group, has been taking notes on the noise levels in her backyard from Mittal Steel. The average person cannot sleep if subjected to 45 decibels of noise, according to the Columbia Encyclopedia. 'At 120 decibels the ear registers pain, but hearing damage begins at a much lower level, about 85 decibels.' The following log shows readings starting at 72 decibels. All of the following readings are taken at night or early morning hours. Eleven out of twelve of these noise readings are above 85 decibels, the level at which hearing damage can begin," Liz Ilg, Cleveland Area Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.

decibels chart
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Apr 18: Earth Day celebrations

MARIETTA -- "Local group Neighbors for Clean Air, along with Ohio Citizen Action, are playing host to an Earth Day river cruise at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. During the hour-long cruise aboard the Valley Gem sternwheeler, fifth- through seventh-graders from Washington and Wood counties will read their winning submissions from a 'Why is Clean Air Important?' essay contest. Eric Fitch, director of Marietta College’s Environmental Sciences Department, will present information about various pollution sources in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Children’s activities will include creating a paper link chain representing 163 tons of airborne manganese from the Eramet facility and a banner-making project in support of a statewide environmental justice law. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will support Neighbors for Clean Air," Connie Cartmell, Marietta Register. Published April 17.
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Apr 17: Fair Board faces lawsuit
Group demands right to march in parade the next time around

MARIETTA -- "The Washington County Fair Board and its president, Steve Tornes, decided to prevent the local group Neighbors for Clean Air from participating in a Labor Day parade to kick off the County Fair last September. Tornes and the Fair Board now face a federal free-speech lawsuit filed against them Thursday by two members of the group. The 2007 occurrence reportedly marked the first time the Fair Board prevented a group from marching in the annual September 1 parade, which has traditionally had no formal application process for participants," Tom Lotshaw, Marietta Register.
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Apr 16: Virginia rejects AEP power plant

snip!

CHARLESTON, WV -- "American Electric Power plans to appeal Virginia's rejection of a plan to build a $2.23 billion clean-coal plant in West Virginia, a company spokesman said. Virginia's State Corporation Commission on Monday denied a request from Columbus, Ohio-based AEP to build the Mason County plant. The commission also rejected a proposal to increase rates to start recovering construction costs from customers. The commission said the plant's estimated price, which dates back to November 2006, isn't credible. It also said AEP has no plans to provide a detailed, updated estimate until it gets full regulatory approval," Tim Huber, Forbes Magazine.
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Apr 16: Richard Renner named Legal Director for National Whistleblower Center

Laura Yeomans, Richard Renner and their daughter Jennie Renner-Yeomans.

DOVER -- "Richard has accepted a job in Washington, D.C. For many years he has worked on different cases with attorneys from a law firm who are the national experts for whistleblowers. These attorneys also run the National Whistleblower Center. Richard will become the Legal Director for this Center and a partner in their law firm. He is very excited as over the years he has wanted to work directly with them. Our daughter Jennie is working full-time for the North Carolina State Democratic Party in Raleigh, NC as their Volunteer Coordinator for a virtual phone banking system where people connect through the Internet and help turning out voters in their area," Laura Yeomans.

Laura Yeomans and Richard Renner were co-directors of the Appalachian Ohio Public Interest Campaign (now Rural Action), and Laura was Ohio Citizen Action's research director. Jennie was an intern with the Money in Politics Project during 2005.
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Apr 15: VIDEO: Executive chatter with Terry Fedor

CLEVELAND -- "The general manager of the ArcelorMittal plant in Cleveland talks about the steel business, management and its relationship with the Steelworkers, and using technology to make steel," Crain's Cleveland Business. Published April 3.
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Apr 15: Eramet to acquire Norway's Tinfos AS in deal worth 593 million euros

A Tinfos plant in southern Norway

PARIS, France -- "Eramet said it will acquire metal alloys producer Tinfos AS of Norway in a cash and shares deal worth about 593 million euros (over $937 million). It has agreed to buy a 93 percent stake from the family that controls the company and will make an offer on the same terms to the holders of the remaining 7 percent of shares. Tinfos had sales of 931 million euros (over $1.4 billion) in 2007 and employs more than 500 people, Eramet said. Its activities include production of silico-manganese at its Kvinesdal plant, which has capacity of approximately 180,000 tonnes (about 198,416 tons) per year and a workforce of around 200," Andrew Newby, Thomson Financial News.
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Apr 15: Earth Week 2008

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio University's Earth Week events are featuring speakers on coal and environmental justice. Last night's presentation on mountaintop removal will be followed on Wednesday by a speech by Jeff Goodell, author of Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future. On Thursday, Ohio Citizen Action Columbus Area Program Director Leo Kennedy, Buckeye Environmental Network Director Teresa Mills, and others will present a panel on environmental justice. Events are free and open to the public," Ohio Citizen Action.
Schedule

Apr 15: Pressure mounting on council to approve coke plant zoning change

MIDDLETOWN -- "Middletown City Council cannot consider confirming the city Planning Commission's recommendation to rezone 157 acres from residential to industrial until its May 6 meeting. However, the city has received requests from James Wainscott, president, CEO and chairman of AK Steel Corp., Michael J. Thomson, executive vice president and CEO of SunCoke Energy, and D. Scott Rich, president of Local Lodge 1943 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, that council confirm the commission's recommendation as an emergency measure so that it takes immediate effect upon passage," Ed Richter, Middletown Journal. Published April 13.
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Apr 15: U.S. EPA agreement on Countywide Landfill; includes extensive monitoring and capping plan

CHICAGO, IL -- "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently entered into an administrative order on consent with Republic Waste Services Inc., the operator of the Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility in East Sparta, Ohio. The order requires Republic to take a number of actions to protect human health and the environment at a projected cost of several million dollars. The company will also reimburse EPA for oversight expenses. 'This is an important milestone on the path to resolving the many community concerns at Countywide,' said Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade," Pollution Online.
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Apr 14: Neighbors of Mittal Steel and Ohio Citizen Action speak with Ursuline College students

Ina Roth, Sara Woodson, and Liz Ilg are pictured here with students from Ursuline College and Sociology Professor Antoinette Charfauros McDaniel. Not pictured: Meegan Cox, Coordinator of Experiential Education at Ursuline College.

PEPPER PIKE -- "Ina Roth, neighbor of Mittal Steel in Old Brooklyn, Sara Woodson, Field Canvass Director with Ohio Citizen Action, and I spoke with a class of fourteen Ursuline College students last week. Sociology professor at Ursuline and member of Ohio Citizen Action, Antoinette Charfauros McDaniel, along with Meegan Cox, Coordinator of Experiental Education at Ursuline, invited us to the college to speak about women in activism and the good neighbor campaign we are working on to get Mittal Steel to modernize its downtown steel mill. A few of the students from this class are now interested in interning with Ohio Citizen Action this summer to work on the Cleveland campaign," Liz Ilg, Cleveland Area Program Director, Ohio Citizen Action.
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Apr 14: Eramet encouraged to continue improvements

MARIETTA -- "While Eramet’s maintenance on furnace number one 'combined with a state-of-the-art abatement system upgrade,' for which I have not seen a time table, is a step in the right direction, it is probably not enough to reduce manganese emissions to a level not likely to cause health effects. A 20 percent reduction on an emission five times over a 'safe' level brings it down to four times that same 'safe' level. I strongly encourage Eramet to continue to aggressively pursue pollution control projects, especially those that will reduce their manganese emissions. This plant is very important to our local economy, but no industry is valuable enough to sacrifice our children’s potential or their futures," letter to the editor, Richard Wittberg, Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, Marietta Times.
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Apr 14: Utilities amassing landfills
Tougher air standards send tons of plants' sludge, coal ash into ground

CONESVILLE -- "The surface of the barren landfill resembles a piece of the moon dropped in the middle of the eastern Ohio countryside. Against a backdrop that includes the towering stacks of American Electric Power's coal-fired Conesville plant, a stream of huge trucks dump load after load of black coal ash and dried gray scrubber sludge for two bulldozers to spread... 'It's obviously another problem with coal,' said Sandy Buchanan, director of Ohio Citizen Action. 'You end up with all this ash and sludge with coal that you don't have with other kinds of power.' Her group is critical of pollution from coal-fired power plants and opposes a proposal from American Municipal Power to build a new plant in Meigs County," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.

Apr 14: Still breathing
Village lives on after power company's buyout, residents' relocation to find cleaner air

AEP's plant burns coal near a bulldozed part of the old Cheshire village. (Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch)

CHESHIRE -- "This village crouched beneath the belching smokestacks of a coal-fired power plant didn't vanish when American Electric Power bought out most of its residents and bulldozed their homes. Instead, the community along the Ohio River moved north and west, expanding its boundaries by annexing land and people from neighboring Cheshire Township. Now, six years after the Columbus-based energy company announced the novel town buyout, on April 16, 2002, Cheshire lives on, and so does its big neighbor," Mary Beth Lane, Columbus Dispatch. Published April 13.
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Apr 14: Did CDC Cave To Pressure Over Toxic Dust?
Documents Obtained Exclusively By CBS News Raise Questions About Public Health Study

ELMORE -- "'It's worrisome; it's very worrisome.' Bernadette Eriksen lives in Elmore, Ohio, where the material engineering company Brush Wellman operates the world's largest manufacturing plant for beryllium, a metal used to make parts found in nuclear weapons, golf clubs and computer chips. During manufacturing it produces a toxic dust. Exposure can cause an incurable, often-fatal lung disease and possibly cancer, Keteyian reports. In 2001, in response to community concerns, the CDC began looking at whether beryllium dust from the plant was a health hazard. By 2005, CDC scientists pledged a thorough investigation - with blood tests for up to 200 residents and household dust readings," CBS News. Published April 10.
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Apr 14: Dann calls for disclosure by Envirosafe

TOLEDO -- "Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is doing something his predecessor, Jim Petro, didn't do: Require Envirosafe Services of Ohio Inc. to disclose details about its ownership. The company's attorney, Richard Sargeant, acknowledged he is in receipt of a letter dated last Friday in which Mr. Dann revealed he would not waive such disclosure requirements. Both Mr. Sargeant and Doug Roberts, Envirosafe president, said they were unsure if the company would appeal. Envirosafe operates Ohio's only commercially operated hazardous waste landfill. It is along Otter Creek and Cedar Point roads in Oregon," Tom Henry, Toledo Blade. Published April 10.
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Apr 13: Athens woman sues board over parade

ATHENS -- "Members of Neighbors for Clean Air were initially given permission to march in the annual parade, according to the suit, and were told by the fair board that anyone was welcome to march in the parade and all they had to do was show up. The group had sky-blue t-shirts made that stated 'Eramet, let's clean the air!' The message on the t-shirts refers to the pollution caused by the Eramet refinery plant. The group has lobbied the French corporation to take steps to limit the pollution in Washington County. Tornes is an employee of Eramet. The night before the parade, a group member was told by a fair board representative that they could no longer participate in the parade the next morning, and that the fair board had unanimously decided to rescind permission for the group to march," Elizabeth Goussetis, Athens Messenger.
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Apr 13: ‘Cannon fodder’ men dying in mines of UK’s richest man, Lakshmi Mittal; The Kazakh miners say conditions were better in Soviet times

KARAGANDA, KAZAKHSTAN -- "The emergencies ministry accused ArcelorMittal of neglecting safety during the rapid expansion of Abaiskaya [mine], where production has risen more than 30% since 2001. ArcelorMittal miners alleged that alarm systems used to detect gas levels date back to Soviet times. They are faulty and lack precision... Many miners said working conditions were better in Soviet times. 'Despite three major accidents, we’ve yet to see someone from senior management resign,' said Svetlana Sarmullin, 27, who lost her husband Nurlan in the Abaiskaya blast. 'They say gas levels were very high. Why did they send my husband and the others down there?,'" Mark Franchetti, Sunday Times.
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Apr 12: Pollution order in works for ArcelorMittal Dofasco

HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA -- "Environment Minister John Gerretsen says a ministry order is being processed for ArcelorMittal Dofasco to meet air pollution laws. The minister couldn't say when the order will come but told reporters yesterday it will likely be within two weeks. The minister's comment followed a visit to Queen's Park yesterday by east end residents fed up with industrial air pollution as well as greasy, black soot on cars and patio furniture. Lorna Moreau, a member of Community Residents Against Pollution, told a news conference how she went to bed one night recently and there was 'beautiful white snow' falling outside, but when she awoke her property was covered in black. 'Everybody comes when you call, but nothing is done,' she said at the conference, attended by members of Environment Hamilton and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek New Democrat MPP Paul Miller,'" Hamilton Spectator, article dated April 11, 2008.
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Apr 11: Federal free-speech lawsuit filed to protect Marietta Labor Day parade marchers

Bill of Rights

COLUMBUS -- "Two members of Neighbors for Clean Air in Marietta, Ellyn Burnes and Florence Beidler, asked the U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio, to issue an injunction to secure their right to march in the 2008 Labor Day parade. The defendants are the Washington County Fair Board, and Steve Tornes, who is both president of the Board and an employee of the Eramet Company. In 2007, the Board prevented Neighbors for Clean Air from marching in the parade wearing t-shirts bearing the words, "Eramet: Let's clear the air." Florence Beidler said, "We love the parade and the county fair, and we want to make sure it is always open to everyone," release, Icove Legal Group, Ltd, 40 KB pdf.

Full text of complaint, 263 KB pdf.