While Vrede is Away

[rstrong]

Up to half a million cars are going to the scrapyard because of the Texas flooding. Including new cars on the dealer lots.

Which means a whole lot of cars showing up in used car lots and "private sales" all over North America that you don't want to go near.

[O Really]

They called those "Katrina cars" last time. "Harvey cars" seem a bit geeky - maybe they'll just call them rabbits.

[Vrede too]

Pooka cars?

Might want to stay away from Crosby.

I'll try, but he gets around.

[Vrede too]

Alternative Harvey donations

[billy.pilgrim]

Alternative Harvey donations

Thanks

[rstrong]

Remember the Bhopal disaster, the chemical leak that killed thousands of people in India? Over the next few decades, as chemical storage tanks rust out and no-one maintaining them, that leak gets repeated a thousand times around the world at various chemical plants.

CROSBY, TEXAS - A mandatory evacuation is underway in a one and a half mile radius of the Arkema Chemical plant in Crosby. Chemical refrigeration at the plant has been compromised due to high water and lack of power.
[...]
The plant’s chemical inventory includes acetone, benzoyl chloride, chlorodifluromethane, cumene, cumene hydroperpoxide, DI(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, ethybenzene, ethylene glycol, hydrochloric acid, mercury, methyl ethylketone, n-hexane, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, sulfuric acid and butyl alcohol.

That's a lot faster than I was expecting.

Once again I'm too optimistic.

CBC: Explosions confirmed at flood-damaged chemical plant outside Houston

The company evacuated remaining workers at the damaged plant on Tuesday, and the county ordered the evacuation of residents within a 2.4-kilometre radius of the plant, which makes organic peroxides used in the production of plastic resins, polystyrene, paints and other products.

Organic peroxides can become unstable and explode if they aren't properly refrigerated. Floodwaters that followed the deluge from tropical storm Harvey knocked out power to the plant and then shut down backup generators.
[...]
In a tweet, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said a deputy was taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes. Nine other deputies drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution, the office said.

[Vrede too]

Private profit, socialized risk.

[Vrede too]

... While many of the Houston images are heartbreaking, some of the images are impressive. Some of those flooded freeways are much lower than ground level. This helps with noise abatement, but it looks like water retention was part of the plan. I've also seen aerial photo of completely flooded streets - surrounding green lawns and houses above water level. Someone's been planning ahead and doing it right.

The video here shows what you're talking about, though I don't know whether it was good flood planning or just luck. The pics show much worse.

A bird's-eye view of Harvey's devastation

Trump order undermines rebuilding better for future floods

The petition to the Trump administration reads:

"We cannot afford another Hurricane Harvey. To protect American lives and infrastructure in future disasters, federal agencies must rely on science-based planning. Restore the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard."

... One inch of rain puts down 27,000 gallons of water on one acre.
Fill in the wetlands and remove the natural vegetation, and, sooner or later, you're sunk.

Harvey by the numbers (so far)

... 260 billion: Rough estimate of gallons of rain that have fallen on the city of Houston so far, assuming an average of 24 inches across 620 square miles. That’s approximately as much water as the Mississippi River carries past New Orleans in 16 hours....

TV news said 20 trillion gallons dumped on the region as of yesterday.

Trump Wants to Cut FEMA Budget Before the Next Major Hurricane

[Vrede too]

... 30,000: Estimated number of (Houston) people who will be forced from their homes as a result of Hurricane Harvey, according to the Washington Post. I would have guessed more.

Yeah, me too. Actually as a percentage of the 6.5 mill that live in the metro area, that's not very many. Probably be more as the water rises.

TV news: 100,000 homes affected. I think that's the entire region.

[billy.pilgrim]

Angry Honoré: Stop congratulating one another


Get to work and stop patting each other on the back

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/30 ... in-sot.cnn



Someone needs to explain to the general that that's the republican way

[billy.pilgrim]

Remember the Bhopal disaster, the chemical leak that killed thousands of people in India? Over the next few decades, as chemical storage tanks rust out and no-one maintaining them, that leak gets repeated a thousand times around the world at various chemical plants.

CROSBY, TEXAS - A mandatory evacuation is underway in a one and a half mile radius of the Arkema Chemical plant in Crosby. Chemical refrigeration at the plant has been compromised due to high water and lack of power.
[...]
The plant’s chemical inventory includes acetone, benzoyl chloride, chlorodifluromethane, cumene, cumene hydroperpoxide, DI(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, ethybenzene, ethylene glycol, hydrochloric acid, mercury, methyl ethylketone, n-hexane, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, sulfuric acid and butyl alcohol.

That's a lot faster than I was expecting.

Once again I'm too optimistic.

CBC: Explosions confirmed at flood-damaged chemical plant outside Houston

The company evacuated remaining workers at the damaged plant on Tuesday, and the county ordered the evacuation of residents within a 2.4-kilometre radius of the plant, which makes organic peroxides used in the production of plastic resins, polystyrene, paints and other products.

Organic peroxides can become unstable and explode if they aren't properly refrigerated. Floodwaters that followed the deluge from tropical storm Harvey knocked out power to the plant and then shut down backup generators.
[...]
In a tweet, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said a deputy was taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes. Nine other deputies drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution, the office said.

You do not have the right to know what a corporation is doing next door - not even when they are violating the law.


http://www.thedailybeast.com/burning-te ... DAfternoon


Arkema Incorporated, the plant’s parent company, claimed it did everything it could to prevent the fires, but safety inspectors this year fined Arkema this past spring. And people living within a 1.5-mile mandatory evacuation zone didn’t know what chemicals were stored at the plant, thanks to a 2014 decision by then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, which classified once-public reports on hazardous chemicals. Abbott is now governor.
And people living within a 1.5-mile mandatory evacuation zone didn’t know what chemicals were stored at the plant, thanks to a 2014 decision by then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, which classified once-public reports on hazardous chemicals. Abbott is now governor.
Arkema and its Crosby facility have racked up over a dozen violations and “informal enforcement actions” over safety and environmental problems over the past five years, according to records from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.



"but the opt-in, self-reporting nature of the program has led critics to question its effectiveness."

"A 2015 report by the Center for Effective Government focused on Arkema and six other Responsible Care-compliant chemical plants, and found that those plants sometimes led the nation in safety violations, according to a compilation of government inspection records from 2012 to 2014. During that time period, Arkema racked up 78 violations at its various U.S. plants, the report found."

"The reports were previously public record, until Abbott as attorney general yanked public access to the reports in 2014, making them available only to officials and emergency responders. Abbott justified classifying the information “because it reveals the location, quantity and identity of hazardous chemicals … likely to assist in the construction of an explosive weapon,” WFAA reported."

[Vrede too]

I don't know where gas comes from out here, but pump prices in WA jumped 7-10 cents from Friday night to Saturday morning. Now around $2.85, with some stations still $2.79ish. That's just garden variety robbery.

My survey of one station saw it go up 10 cents from Friday morning to Friday evening.

20 cents in last 2 days

44 cents in one week, now $2.70.

[Vrede too]

Greetings, Responders,

We've heard from several of you asking for updates or for information regarding deployments to Texas to assist with the relief efforts due to Hurricane Harvey. At this point, there have not been any requests for NC SMRS (State Medical Response System) resources (material or human) to be deployed to Texas.

Here's are excerpts that we received via email from NCOEMS (NC Office of Emergency Medical Services) on Wednesday:

Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) and healthcare facilities in North Carolina are NOT being alerted or activated for the evacuation and movement of patients out of affected areas in Texas. We will not be initiating bed counts or any additional measures to be taken at this time.

This is for a couple of reasons:
The desire is to keep patients and family members as close to their homes and communities as possible, and
As we are still in hurricane season, with another system developing in the Atlantic, North Carolina and other coastal states remain under potential impact.
There have not been any EMAC requests for health and medical support to Texas or Louisiana at this time. Currently, state officials are looking to current federal resources deployed, as well as resources in adjacent states.

Tropical Storm Irma is developing in the Atlantic, and while it's too early to determine her future path. North Carolina's response system MUST continue to consider the fact that we are moving into peak hurricane season for the east coast. We must maintain operational readiness to support possible events in NC and our surrounding neighbors.

This may all change as situations contine to develop. We encourage all of our team members to check and update go-packs and personal deployment supplies. I've attached a packing list of recommended personal supplies for deployments. In the meantime, we will continue to provide updates as they become available to us....

Some models show Irma hitting NC.
https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/ ... icane-irma

Maybe I'll end up back in Kinston.

[billy.pilgrim]

I don't know where gas comes from out here, but pump prices in WA jumped 7-10 cents from Friday night to Saturday morning. Now around $2.85, with some stations still $2.79ish. That's just garden variety robbery.

My survey of one station saw it go up 10 cents from Friday morning to Friday evening.

20 cents in last 2 days

44 cents in one week, now $2.70.

We are only up 35 - for now


I hope there aren't lines in our future

[Boatrocker]

I don't know where gas comes from out here, but pump prices in WA jumped 7-10 cents from Friday night to Saturday morning. Now around $2.85, with some stations still $2.79ish. That's just garden variety robbery.

My survey of one station saw it go up 10 cents from Friday morning to Friday evening.

20 cents in last 2 days

44 cents in one week, now $2.70.

Oil companies fucking love gulf hurricanes.

[Vrede too]

I've been summoned for jury duty 9/27. Would it be wrong of me to root for Irma?

Seriously, I don't mind the civic duty in theory. Doesn't matter, my extensive criminal record (all nonviolent direct action) and ability to coherently string 3 or more sentences together gets me excluded by the prosecution.

[rstrong]

Neil deGrasse Tyson describes being selected for jury duty:

“In 2002, having spent more than three years in one residence for the first time in my life, I got called for jury duty. I show up on time, ready to serve. When we get to the voir dire, the lawyer says to me, “I see you’re an astrophysicist. What’s that?” I answer, “Astrophysics is the laws of physics, applied to the universe—the Big Bang, black holes, that sort of thing.” Then he asks, “What do you teach at Princeton?” and I say, “I teach a class on the evaluation of evidence and the relative unreliability of eyewitness testimony.” Five minutes later, I’m on the street.

A few years later, jury duty again. The judge states that the defendant is charged with possession of 1,700 milligrams of cocaine. It was found on his body, he was arrested, and he is now on trial. This time, after the Q&A is over, the judge asks us whether there are any questions we’d like to ask the court, and I say, “Yes, Your Honor. Why did you say he was in possession of 1,700 milligrams of cocaine? That equals 1.7 grams. The ‘thousand’ cancels with the ‘milli-’ and you get 1.7 grams, which is less than the weight of a dime.” Again I’m out on the street.”

You can hear him tell the story on YouTube.

[GoCubsGo]

I've been summoned for jury duty 9/27. Would it be wrong of me to root for Irma?

Seriously, I don't mind the civic duty in theory. Doesn't matter, my extensive criminal record (all nonviolent direct action) and ability to coherently string 3 or more sentences together gets me excluded by the prosecution.

Had to serve once in Henderson County, meth case,it sucked. Second time, called the number the night before and got a recording that I didn't have to show.

[Vrede too]

... Had to serve once in Henderson County, meth case,it sucked....

If selected I would have a hard time voting 'Guilty' in any nonviolent drug case.

[k9nanny]

If I'm called this time and if I go, it'll be as a volunteer. Thanks sooo much for the mention of snakes. Gators everywhere, too.

Rats. Giant swamp rats.
Today, on a travel site I visit, locals mentioned "rafts of fire ants." Ouch!