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posted by FatPhil on Friday December 09 2016, @09:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the fowled-water dept.

Thousands of snow geese have been killed by the toxic waters of the Berkeley Pit, a flooded former copper mine in Butte, Montana that is one of the most poisonous and acidic bodies of water in the United States.

Unusually warm weather led the flock--tens of thousands of geese--to migrate south from Canada to the American Southwest later than usual, and they ran into a snow storm in Montana. The only open water in the area on which they could land was that contained in the Berkeley Pit.

The geese landed in the pit, whose water is contaminated with arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, and zinc, in late November. The heavy metal contamination has resulted in water so acidic that the organisms able to survive within the pit are the objects of scientific study.[1] Thousands of birds did not survive after touching down on the red-tinged toxic waste.

[...] Montana Resources, the mining company [who jointly manages the pit with the Atlantic Richfield Company], will face fines if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds that its efforts to keep the birds away from the mine were not in compliance with regulatory standards.

[1] Abstract with link to full-text PDF.

In related news, Common Dreams reports Scott Pruitt is an Unacceptable Choice to Run EPA

"Scott Pruitt is the wrong choice to run the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA plays an absolutely vital role in enforcing long-standing policies that protect the health and safety of Americans, based on the best available science. Pruitt has a clear record of hostility to the EPA's mission, and he is a completely inappropriate choice to lead it", [said Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.]

USA Today reports Scott Pruitt, Trump's Pick to Head the EPA, has Sued the EPA

"Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires", said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. "He is a climate science denier who, as Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma, regularly conspired with the fossil fuel industry to attack EPA regulations."


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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 09 2016, @11:16PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 09 2016, @11:16PM (#439481)

    Ha! Trump isn't even in the same league. The Rockefellers are the type of folks Trump tries so hard to be a part of. Sadly he's just a city bred redneck bigot who's such a loud mouth I doubt anyone wants him at their parties except to play the clown. It is even funnier when the clown takes himself 100% seriously, well at least till he spoils the party by becoming a full blown ass.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 10 2016, @12:05AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday December 10 2016, @12:05AM (#439497) Journal

    Whatever Trump once was, he is now poised to become the most powerful human being on the planet. Maybe less powerful than some of his predecessors, but at least he starts off with a Republican Congress. Even if the Republican Congress turns against him, he can get a lot done and stop a lot from being done. But he seems to be playing nice with the Republican establishment on most issues.

    (inb4 "the Bilderberg elites, Skull and Bones, and Reptilians hold the real power")

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @12:57AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @12:57AM (#439516)

      Many of the Reds in Congress loathe him.

      The inauguration is January 20 (a Friday).
      If he hasn't divested his holdings by Monday January 23, expect to see articles of impeachment brought to the floor of the House as soon as they are in session.

      Don't be surprised when a bunch of Reds vote to accept them (along with all of the Blues).

      ...and the Senate has been a case of the-minority-rules for years (because of the kind of "filibuster" where you don't even have to talk and hold the floor to kill something).

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Saturday December 10 2016, @01:10AM

        by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday December 10 2016, @01:10AM (#439526) Journal

        Trump's cabinet picks betray the direction of his administration. He has also met with and made nice with the Republicans who would have the power to oppose him (chiefly Paul Ryan).

        He will "make a deal". There will be no impeachment. At least not in the first two years.

        --
        [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @04:05AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @04:05AM (#439559)

          > Trump's cabinet picks betray the direction of his administration.

          This. He is catering to the most extreme of the republicans, so there is a chance that some of the not so delusional will oppose him. But they are going to feel a ton of party pressure to fall in line. Trumps MO is starting to look like he will play the role of distractor-in-chief while his appointees quietly go about the nuts-and-bolts work of implementing a hard-right wish list.

          • (Score: 1) by dboz87 on Monday December 12 2016, @07:14PM

            by dboz87 (1285) on Monday December 12 2016, @07:14PM (#440508)

            Good. The Republicans won.

  • (Score: 2) by ilPapa on Saturday December 10 2016, @01:08AM

    by ilPapa (2366) on Saturday December 10 2016, @01:08AM (#439524) Journal

    Ha! Trump isn't even in the same league. The Rockefellers are the type of folks Trump tries so hard to be a part of. Sadly he's just a city bred redneck bigot who's such a loud mouth

    The Rockefellers never had a reality TV show.

    But I believe they would have respected a man who can grift like Donald Trump can grift. He gets the Secret Service to PAY HIM to protect him by renting them floors in Trump Towers just because Melania wants to stay in New York (though who could blame her). He's going to continue to be executive producer of his TV show while he's president, which means he'll be in business with a network that is supposed to cover him. It is a long con that old Mr Rockefeller would have admired.

    --
    You are still welcome on my lawn.
  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @07:50AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 10 2016, @07:50AM (#439623)

    Montanan here. An interesting historical episode was when Hauser [wikipedia.org] convinced Anaconda Company to convert from steam power to electrical for its Butte mines. Hauser was involved in the construction of several hydro-electric dams on the Missouri River and elsewhere. But Anaconda then wished to break contracts with Hauser, sabotaged his dams, and formed the Montana Power Company. MPC became the monopoly power company in Montana eventually, using other dirty tricks to try and bankrupt rural electrical cooperatives, and opening coal-powered generating facilities to produce power for export (see Colstrip. [wikipedia.org]) Montana Power went belly up in 1997 when they tried a Enron-type re-purposing that resulted in bankruptcy and the loss of much on the part of retirement funds that thought investments in regulated utilities was safe. And you may have also seen Anaconda Company in the movie "Motorcycle Diaries" about Che Guevara. Yes, The Donald can only dream about doing as much damage as Rockefeller did.