General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKoch Brothers Face Lawsuit Over Chicago's Toxic Black Dust: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/02/koch-brothers-lawsuit-chicago-petcoke_n_5255853.htmlEnvironmentalists are planning to take billionaires Charles and David Koch to court, alleging the brothers' companies are responsible for polluting Chicago's Southeast Side with the black, thick dust known as petroleum coke -- or petcoke, a byproduct of the oil refining process.
ThinkProgress reported this week that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) have given a 90-day notice of an intention to sue Koch-owned companies including KCBX Terminals over the pollution associated with their petcoke storage facilities located along the Calumet River in a low-income, partially industrial Chicago community.
In a press release, the groups said the lawsuit stems from neighbors complaining that the dust spewing from the facilities' large, uncovered petcoke piles has polluted the river, "invaded" their homes and blackened area skies.
"People are complaining about finding dust from these sites inside their homes," Peggy Salazar, SETF executive director, said in a statement. "Black dust is coating their houses and probably their lungs. This has to stop. And hopefully this suit will achieve that."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I sure hope they make them pay a whole lot. Maybe, just maybe, these assholes should be sentenced to live on Chicago's Southeast Side as close to the dust as possible as the case drags through court...That would do it....
lunasun
(21,646 posts)"Black dust is coating their houses and probably their lungs. This has to stop. And hopefully this suit will achieve that."
Stuart G
(38,445 posts)Also, I hope that this is filed and decided quickly. Like on emergency basis, to stop this as soon as possible.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)thanks to the alert/jury system. It's a shame ...can't tell someone to go fuck themselves.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)Stuart G
(38,445 posts)In Illinois in the 40s, I suspect that we were told burning coal for heat was ok. Then in the early 50s, a London killer smog killed thousands. (over 10,000) ...So a few years later, they made burning coal for heat..against the law..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog
Cigarette smoking ok..till the 60s.
Now this dust....It is not ok.
We all know..
2pooped2pop
(5,420 posts)Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)Make them clean it up, make them pay.
They are costing the taxpayers money because they make people sick.