Well, the Waste...er...West Texas nuclear waste-dumping situation has come full circle finally, as I predicted away back in 2009, then predicted in my blog in 2010 and 2011. Waste Control Specialists, the creation of Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, through his Valhi Corporation, burrowed its way into West Texas through various means. Harold Simmons, via his mouthpiece Charles McDonald, rolled into Andrews, a small West Texas town, and began spreading the message that Andrews, and Andrews County, was wasting away, dying a slow and agonizing death, parallel to the slow and agonizing death of the petroleum industry, the lifeblood and Andrews, and much of West Texas. But Simmons also preached a message of salvation, a message of job creation, a message of permanent and ever-increasing wealth for Andrews, the County of Andrews, and of course to all the people living in the area. Let me bury low-level nuclear medical waste in your backyard. If you don't let me pollute your backyard, your town, your county, and your beloved West Texas will die!
At the same time Simmons and the executives of Waste Control Specialists began a strong and money-loaded campaign that spread through the cash-grabbing Texas Legislature, several state agencies, and right up to Texas Governor "Three-Peat Rick" Perry. With money and "lobbying" buying up votes and support, pretty soon the way was prepared for Waste Control Specialists to secure a license to procure and bury the afore-mentioned low-level nuclear waste from hospitals across the nation. With state representatives, senators, agency executives, and the governor behind Harold Simmons, there was no doubt that sooner or later his Waste Control Specialists would receive its license. So sure was Simmons of the outcome of his lobbying effort that he ordered construction to begin before public hearings were ever convened. Even with the objection of several state scientists, who raised the alarm of danger to land, water, and yes, to the people around the facility, Simmons continued building.
Who, you might ask, would want nuclear waste dumped in their own backyard? Well, no one. BUT...if the waste was just some contaminated gloves, plastic containers, spent isotopes, medical scrubs, etc., what could it possibly hurt? And...the economy, the very LIFE of Andrews and the surrounding area would be saved! Plus...and this was a BIG plus back in 2009...the City of Andrews and the County of Andrews, the State of Texas as well, would all receive a percentage of Waste Control Specialists' profits each year! There was nothing out west of Andrews but barren, empty wasteland anyway...why not put a little nuclear poison out there, if the people of the area, the local governments, and the various politicians, would be able to line their pockets with the almighty buck.
While all this was going on, saner and more sober voices were crying out against this disaster-in-waiting. The State's own scientists did their best to convince both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the state legislature that the Waste Control Specialists facility was dangerous to the environment, and that that company's own studies were flawed, either accidentally or purposely. The Ogallala Aquifer was not safe from contamination nor was the facility itself safe from possible earthquakes or erosion. These scientists were fired for one reason or another after making their protests. Please don't believe me...all this is now a matter of public record.
Since Waste Control Specialists was licensed, the corporation has slowly, gradually, brought in more and more dangerous waste, so now, in addition to the low-level waste that was originally supposed to be the mainstay of the operation (in the propaganda, not in Simmons' actual plans!), soon spent nuclear reactor rods and other waste were being brought in. Later, in 2013 and 2014 depleted uranium and other weapons-grade waste was brought in and is still making its way into West Texas.
Harold Simmons died in November, 2013 but his "legacy" lives on. In a final coup before his death, Simmons and his minions got license amendments and state legislation passed limiting Waste Control Specialists' liability in the case (the INEVITABLE CASE) of an accidental waste spill. Thus, not only did Simmons and his organization make BILLIONS off of the "deal" but Waste Control Specialists was not even liable for cleanups, either at the facility itself or for material in transit to the facility. Who IS responsible for the cleanup, that would inevitably run into the millions of dollars? Yes, that's right...you and I, the good ol' people of Texas, 99% of whom do not benefit in any way from the Waste Control Specialists facility. Again, don't believe me...check this for yourself.
Only now are cities around the state and across the nation beginning to understand the full ramifications of Mr. Simmons' "best little (nuclear) waste dump in Texas." This is the full circle I was talking about. The waste being brought to the West Texas facility has expanded from low-level radioactive medical waste to spent nuclear reactor fuel to weapons-grade nuclear waste, and NOW to radioactive water and contaminated soil. And the leaders of cities around the nation, both great and small, are now coming to realize that the radioactive sludge, spent nuclear fuel, waste water from reactors, and nuclear weapons waste, or obsolete nuclear weapons (my opinion, but I would be willing to bet a paycheck on it) will be trucked through their cities and towns on the way to West Texas. Authorities along the Interstates and federal highways are also finally getting the full picture.
The government of this state chose to ignore the "best interest" of the people of the entire state in order to cater to an evil man who knew only the motivation of profit by any means possible, and a portion of the people of Andrews and Andrews County who were taken in by Simmons' hysterical propaganda that the sky was falling. These people embraced Waste Control Specialists and the "benefits" the nuclear waste dump would bring. Texas political representatives shielded themselves from the voice of most of Texas, embraced the desires of a very few, and eagerly, like kids getting candy from Santa, gave Harold Simmons everything he wanted for the bucks he was showering on them...and at what cost to Texas!
Sadly, with Waste Control Specialists accepting the full gamut of radioactive waste, Harold Simmons' legacy of waste and destruction will very likely impact the entire nation in one way or another over time. With this type of nuclear waste being transported around the country by truck and by rail, accidents are inevitable, and may occur at any point in the transportation system, not just in Texas. Again, Waste Control Specialists, its parent company Valhi, and the parent of them all Contran (Simmons' holding company) will only be liable for cleanups in Texas to the tune of $150,000 per "incident," a sum that would hardly pay for one day of a hazmat team's operation. And yes, Texas, your "representatives" authorized all this, as well as did the unelected heads of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
I believe that each city government may have the power to require that trucks laden with radioactive waste bound for West Texas find routes around their cities, but to do so, many of these cities will have to build special route highways at a cost of millions of dollars. Can entire counties ban such freight? I doubt it. The hazardous cargo might not pass directly through some cities but it will definitely pass directly by SOMEONE, some small town, someone's home. And accidents will occur sooner or later. Even worse, some criminal element may attempt to hijack this cargo, possibly causing an accident, possibly holding innocent people hostage along the way. Worst of all, the people at Waste Control Specialists will all be casually clasping their hands and telling us none of this is THEIR fault.
Can these shipments of radioactive waste somehow be stopped along the way? Can over-the-road shipping be made so cumbersome and inconvenient that trucking firms would not engage in this activity? The city, county, and state governments can have a negative impact on the radioactive waste shipping business. In the end, though, it appears that we should all expect to see these shipments running through Texas and the rest of the nation. Yes, the Waste Control Specialists situation has come full circle, and as the saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost.
May God bless and Protect Texas
May God Bless America
At the same time Simmons and the executives of Waste Control Specialists began a strong and money-loaded campaign that spread through the cash-grabbing Texas Legislature, several state agencies, and right up to Texas Governor "Three-Peat Rick" Perry. With money and "lobbying" buying up votes and support, pretty soon the way was prepared for Waste Control Specialists to secure a license to procure and bury the afore-mentioned low-level nuclear waste from hospitals across the nation. With state representatives, senators, agency executives, and the governor behind Harold Simmons, there was no doubt that sooner or later his Waste Control Specialists would receive its license. So sure was Simmons of the outcome of his lobbying effort that he ordered construction to begin before public hearings were ever convened. Even with the objection of several state scientists, who raised the alarm of danger to land, water, and yes, to the people around the facility, Simmons continued building.
Who, you might ask, would want nuclear waste dumped in their own backyard? Well, no one. BUT...if the waste was just some contaminated gloves, plastic containers, spent isotopes, medical scrubs, etc., what could it possibly hurt? And...the economy, the very LIFE of Andrews and the surrounding area would be saved! Plus...and this was a BIG plus back in 2009...the City of Andrews and the County of Andrews, the State of Texas as well, would all receive a percentage of Waste Control Specialists' profits each year! There was nothing out west of Andrews but barren, empty wasteland anyway...why not put a little nuclear poison out there, if the people of the area, the local governments, and the various politicians, would be able to line their pockets with the almighty buck.
While all this was going on, saner and more sober voices were crying out against this disaster-in-waiting. The State's own scientists did their best to convince both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the state legislature that the Waste Control Specialists facility was dangerous to the environment, and that that company's own studies were flawed, either accidentally or purposely. The Ogallala Aquifer was not safe from contamination nor was the facility itself safe from possible earthquakes or erosion. These scientists were fired for one reason or another after making their protests. Please don't believe me...all this is now a matter of public record.
Since Waste Control Specialists was licensed, the corporation has slowly, gradually, brought in more and more dangerous waste, so now, in addition to the low-level waste that was originally supposed to be the mainstay of the operation (in the propaganda, not in Simmons' actual plans!), soon spent nuclear reactor rods and other waste were being brought in. Later, in 2013 and 2014 depleted uranium and other weapons-grade waste was brought in and is still making its way into West Texas.
Harold Simmons died in November, 2013 but his "legacy" lives on. In a final coup before his death, Simmons and his minions got license amendments and state legislation passed limiting Waste Control Specialists' liability in the case (the INEVITABLE CASE) of an accidental waste spill. Thus, not only did Simmons and his organization make BILLIONS off of the "deal" but Waste Control Specialists was not even liable for cleanups, either at the facility itself or for material in transit to the facility. Who IS responsible for the cleanup, that would inevitably run into the millions of dollars? Yes, that's right...you and I, the good ol' people of Texas, 99% of whom do not benefit in any way from the Waste Control Specialists facility. Again, don't believe me...check this for yourself.
Only now are cities around the state and across the nation beginning to understand the full ramifications of Mr. Simmons' "best little (nuclear) waste dump in Texas." This is the full circle I was talking about. The waste being brought to the West Texas facility has expanded from low-level radioactive medical waste to spent nuclear reactor fuel to weapons-grade nuclear waste, and NOW to radioactive water and contaminated soil. And the leaders of cities around the nation, both great and small, are now coming to realize that the radioactive sludge, spent nuclear fuel, waste water from reactors, and nuclear weapons waste, or obsolete nuclear weapons (my opinion, but I would be willing to bet a paycheck on it) will be trucked through their cities and towns on the way to West Texas. Authorities along the Interstates and federal highways are also finally getting the full picture.
The government of this state chose to ignore the "best interest" of the people of the entire state in order to cater to an evil man who knew only the motivation of profit by any means possible, and a portion of the people of Andrews and Andrews County who were taken in by Simmons' hysterical propaganda that the sky was falling. These people embraced Waste Control Specialists and the "benefits" the nuclear waste dump would bring. Texas political representatives shielded themselves from the voice of most of Texas, embraced the desires of a very few, and eagerly, like kids getting candy from Santa, gave Harold Simmons everything he wanted for the bucks he was showering on them...and at what cost to Texas!
Sadly, with Waste Control Specialists accepting the full gamut of radioactive waste, Harold Simmons' legacy of waste and destruction will very likely impact the entire nation in one way or another over time. With this type of nuclear waste being transported around the country by truck and by rail, accidents are inevitable, and may occur at any point in the transportation system, not just in Texas. Again, Waste Control Specialists, its parent company Valhi, and the parent of them all Contran (Simmons' holding company) will only be liable for cleanups in Texas to the tune of $150,000 per "incident," a sum that would hardly pay for one day of a hazmat team's operation. And yes, Texas, your "representatives" authorized all this, as well as did the unelected heads of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
I believe that each city government may have the power to require that trucks laden with radioactive waste bound for West Texas find routes around their cities, but to do so, many of these cities will have to build special route highways at a cost of millions of dollars. Can entire counties ban such freight? I doubt it. The hazardous cargo might not pass directly through some cities but it will definitely pass directly by SOMEONE, some small town, someone's home. And accidents will occur sooner or later. Even worse, some criminal element may attempt to hijack this cargo, possibly causing an accident, possibly holding innocent people hostage along the way. Worst of all, the people at Waste Control Specialists will all be casually clasping their hands and telling us none of this is THEIR fault.
Can these shipments of radioactive waste somehow be stopped along the way? Can over-the-road shipping be made so cumbersome and inconvenient that trucking firms would not engage in this activity? The city, county, and state governments can have a negative impact on the radioactive waste shipping business. In the end, though, it appears that we should all expect to see these shipments running through Texas and the rest of the nation. Yes, the Waste Control Specialists situation has come full circle, and as the saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost.
May God bless and Protect Texas
May God Bless America
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