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Title: The Best-ever Symbol of Government Incompetence?
Source:
American Thinker
URL Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011 ... estever_symbol_of_governm.html
Published: May 8, 2011
Author: Alan M Aszkler
Post Date: 2011-05-08 08:32:40 by CZ82
Keywords: None
Views: 1972
Comments: 14
The Best-ever Symbol of Government Incompetence? By Alan M Aszkler America's largest coal mine fire is the marquee for government ineffectiveness and environmental activism's false pretense. Centralia, PA is home to America's largest coal mine fire -- still burning today since May of 1962. Forty-nine years of government folly, environmentalist demonization, and media sensationalism have managed to fan the flames under Centralia, escalating the costs to end this ecological disaster from under $100,000 in the early sixties to over $600 million today. Bureaucratic half-measures started in the 60's with a planned town dump in an old mine pit. Regulations required that any openings to the mine be properly sealed with non combustible material. In May 1962 the local Volunteer Fire Company had been hired by the town council to clean up the landfill. As was done in the past, Firemen set the dump ablaze, let it burn for a while, and then doused the fire, or so they thought. Several days of flareups followed. Finally to their horror they discovered the fire spread through an improperly filled hole in the rock pit, ignited a coal seam and flared into the coal mines below. The first action by PA's Dept. of Environmental Resources in July 1962, was to drill bore holes to monitor the fire. However this misstep provided a natural draft, aiding the fire's combustion. By May 1969, the fire threatened homes. Community leaders proposed surrounding it with a trench, but officials and agencies frittered away time, while failing to fund the $50,000 needed to complete the plan. According to Tony Gaughan (quoted in the book Slow Burn), if the trench had been dug in three shifts per day instead of one, and if they had worked through the Labor Day holiday, the fire would have been contained. In 1978, state and federal governments expended $3.3 million attempting to douse the blaze to no avail. National attention descended on Centralia in February 1981 when the ground collapsed under a 12 year old boy playing in his grandmother's backyard. Todd Domboski survived by holding onto exposed tree roots in a 150 foot deep sinkhole until pulled to safety. Network media, Ted Koppel, and Time magazine led the environmentalist charge, blaming the disaster on the scourge called strip mining. Although burning for over 19 years, environmentalists with their willing accomplices in national media quickly passed judgment and assigned blame to Interior secretary James Watt. Eco-activist Joan Quigley (in her book The Day the Earth Caved In: An American Mining Tragedy) wrote that Watt's resignation "accomplished more for Centralia than Todd Domboski, Concerned Citizens and three decades of federal mine reclamation laws combined." One would think putting out the fire would do more for Centralia. Watt was destroyed, yet no further activist effort was put forward to resolve the disaster. In 1984 Congress appropriated $42 million for voluntary acquisition and relocation in Centralia. By now $7 million was spent fighting the fire. Eleven years later in 1995 $53 million was spent moving residents and fighting the fire with no resolution. Today the Centralia fire burns under the town and in the surrounding hillsides on several fronts. There is nary an eco-activist or carbon crusader in sight. No, their new eco-hysteria is focused 90 short miles away in Dimock, PA. Websites like ProPublica spread the rhetoric of fear for their new energy demon: fracking. Green minions blog with quotes like "stop these people before all of their creeks and ponds are filled with carcinogenic sludge," this while standing upwind of the noxious fumes and toxic gases released up through the back yards, basements, and streets of Centralia. Websites like the Union of Concerned Scientists tout the new mantra, "Join the Cause," "Take Action," and most important "Donate Money." Not money so they can clean up current environmental disasters. No, they need money to lobby Congress to legislate further restrictions on the American domestic energy industry. Yes, money so we can all pay more for our energy yet feel good about ourselves while funding nation states who despise the USA. Carbon Crusader Superhero Al Gore neglected to mention the inconvenient truth that coal mine fires in China alone are producing 3% of the world's industrial CO2 emissions. The largest fire in northern China produces the same carbon footprint as all the cars in the US. Yet Mr. Gore would give China a pass on the Chicago Carbon Exchange. What I find most astonishing is the lackluster zeal from the eco warriors. Websites propagate a global demise from the black death of coal production, yet they are in lockstep support of Alfred Whitehouse, chief of the Reclamation Support Division of the federal Office of Surface Mining who said about the Centralia Fire, "It's too expensive to tackle, and we're not sure we can do it anyway." We can't stop the fire yet they think it'll burn itself out in about 100 to 300 years. Global scientists and the USGS don't fare much better. Throwing out figures such as it would have cost $663 million to put out the Centralia fire in 1983, yet today they say $650 million would douse all the coal mine fires in America. China contributes 3% of global CO2 caused by 20 million tons of coal fires burning annually -- or is it 200 million tons producing 12% of global greenhouse gas? The USGS is currently estimating CO2 output from American Coal fires, yet they know the mercury output is equal to 25% of the output from all American Coal fired generators? Centralia is a metaphor showcasing government failure while exposing environmental activists' true agenda. Government's inability to solve the problem has extended the crisis and escalated the costs. Their best effort is to put up a few warning signs and hope it goes away. Silence is also deafening from the Green crowd. When confronted with a real environmental disaster their inaction is morally repugnant. Can't let toxic fumes or scorched earth stop them from their true purpose, fundraising! Perhaps we should try a different solution before the golden anniversary of Centralia's great mine fire. Deed this land over to the first group of American investors willing to build a Clean Coal generator in Centralia and allow them to mine the coal onsite economically to run it. In less than one year the phoenix will rise in Centralia, the fire will be out, the generator will be running, toxic emissions will be reduced and hundreds of good paying jobs will be created in the plant and the soon to be rebuilt town, fueling a local economy, once again producing tax revenue.
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#1. To: CZ82, *Environmental News*, *Science and technology* (#0)
A well-written article,right up to the last paragraph quoted above. Maybe it is just me,but I can't figure out how they are going to fuel a coal plant with coal that is already on fire,and can't be gotten to without increasing the oxygen to the fire and making it a larger fire. That may be due to my own lack of knowledge on this subject. Does anyone else know if this is technologically possible at this date?
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Written by someone who was absolutely clueless. Lawmakers and Centralia, itself, tried for years to get Bill Scranton and then Ray Schaefer to do something about the fire. They ignored the pleas. It wasn't until Milt Shapp became governor in 1971 that the state got serious about trying to put out the fire.
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..." Ahh, that was 40 years ago! EPIC FAIL!!!
I recall a re-run of MASH I saw where this uber right winger named Colonel Flagg... The fire had been burning for years by then.
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..." So why didn't they just close up all entrances and ventilation shafts and let it suffocate itself?????
"I love the 45 caliber M1911, I respect the 9MM M9 Beretta but I only carry a CZ for my own personal protection". Quote courtesy of Lt Col John Dean Cooper, recognized as the Father of Modern Handgunning
I don't think it is. The author seems to think that with an offer of the deed to the land capitalists will preform their free market magic and everyone will live happily ever after. Deed this land over to the first group of American investors willing to build a Clean Coal generator in Centralia and allow them to mine the coal onsite economically to run it. In less than one year the phoenix will rise in Centralia, the fire will be out, the generator will be running, toxic emissions will be reduced and hundreds of good paying jobs will be created in the plant and the soon to be rebuilt town, fueling a local economy, once again producing tax revenue.
The Republican budget goes after children and the poor. Courage would be going after defense and the rich. Bill Maher
When any intelligent person knows it takes the communists to see to it everyone lives happily ever after, right Descartes?
war has to do something for entertainment. The voices in his head aren't speaking to him and his imaginary friends have found reasons not to come over anymore.
Descartes?
The Republican budget goes after children and the poor. Courage would be going after defense and the rich. Bill Maher
If it's the one I'm thinking of he's a philosopher..... if not... oh well ....
"I love the 45 caliber M1911, I respect the 9MM M9 Beretta but I only carry a CZ for my own personal protection". Quote courtesy of Lt Col John Dean Cooper, recognized as the Father of Modern Handgunning
Scranton and Shaefer were in bed with the mining industry. You couldn't have been governor without so being.
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..." So what you're saying is it was a land grab by the mining companies.....
"I love the 45 caliber M1911, I respect the 9MM M9 Beretta but I only carry a CZ for my own personal protection". Quote courtesy of Lt Col John Dean Cooper, recognized as the Father of Modern Handgunning
There's one in Australia that has been estimated to have been burning for 2000 years.
The Earth itself makes our little man made disasters look mild. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130944.htm
"Finally to their horror they discovered the fire spread through an improperly filled hole in the rock pit, ignited a coal seam and flared into the coal mines below.'
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..."Deed this land over to the first group of American investors willing to build a Clean Coal generator in Centralia and allow them to mine the coal onsite economically to run it. In less than one year the phoenix will rise in Centralia, the fire will be out, the generator will be running, toxic emissions will be reduced and hundreds of good paying jobs will be created in the plant and the soon to be rebuilt town, fueling a local economy, once again producing tax revenue.
#2. To: CZ82 (#0)
--GW Bush
#3. To: war (#2)
It wasn't until Milt Shapp became governor in 1971 that the state got serious about trying to put out the fire
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
Godwinson posted on 2011-02-23 11:47:32 ET
http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=18011&Disp=46#C46
#4. To: hondo68 (#3)
--GW Bush
#5. To: war (#2)
They ignored the pleas. It wasn't until Milt Shapp became governor in 1971 that the state got serious about trying to put out the fire.
#6. To: sneakypete (#1)
Does anyone else know if this is technologically possible at this date?
#7. To: lucysmom (#6)
The author seems to think that with an offer of the deed to the land capitalists will preform their free market magic and everyone will live happily ever after.
#8. To: Rudgear (#7)
When any intelligent person knows it takes the communists to see to it everyone lives happily ever after, right DescartesDescartesi0;?
#9. To: lucysmom (#8)
Descartes?
#10. To: CZ82 (#5)
--GW Bush
#11. To: war (#10)
Scranton and Shaefer were in bed with the mining industry. You couldn't have been governor without so being.
#12. To: war (#4)
The fire had been burning for years by then.
#13. To: mininggold (#12)
#14. To: CZ82 (#11)
--GW Bush
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