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OHIO: 500,000 Gallons Of Toxic Wastewater From Train Derailment Moved To Texas

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(Deer Park, Texas) — Toxic wastewater in Ohio used to extinguish a fire after a train derailment in Ohio was transported to a Houston suburb for disposal, according to a county official in Texas, who said there are still unanswered questions about the material’s transportation and disposal.

At a press conference on Thursday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo stated that 500,000 gallons (1.8 million liters) of wastewater had been delivered to Deer Park, Texas.

“I know our community was as surprised as I was by the news,” Hidalgo said. “I also want people to understand that there are many things we don’t know that we should. That doesn’t necessarily imply that something is wrong. And I want to emphasize that.”

Hidalgo said the county learned of the wastewater transfer on Wednesday from the site of a fiery Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which prompted evacuations after toxic chemicals were released from five derailed tanker rail cars carrying vinyl chloride that was in danger of exploding.

The wastewater was delivered to Texas Molecular, which injects hazardous waste into the ground. The company told KHOU-TV that it has experience with this type of disposal.

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Tainted Water All over Ohio

“Our technology safely removes hazardous constituents from the biosphere. “We are part of the solution to reduce risk and protect the environment, whether in our local area or other places that require the environmental capabilities we provide,” the company in Ohio stated.

Hidalgo stated that Texas Molecular informed county officials that it had taken delivery of 500,000 gallons of firefighting water, with an additional 1.5 million gallons expected to be hauled to the site by approximately 30 trucks per day.

“It’s a very real problem; we were told yesterday that the materials would arrive, only to find out today that they’ve been here for a week,” said Hidalgo, who wants more information on the injection well’s precautions.

The delivery also raises concerns about the modes of transportation, which she said could include trains, as well as the potential health effects on workers involved in the transfers and the communities between the Ohio crash site and the disposal area in Deer Park, one of 34 communities in Harris County.

Even after discussions with officials from the federal Departments of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other industry and environmental experts, Hidalgo said that uncertainties remain.

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Ohio and Romulus, which are closer to the crash site, could also handle the wastewater

“The government officials have readily provided the information they have, but what we’re learning is that they don’t appear to have the complete picture,” she said. “I’m not sure who has a complete picture of what’s going on here, and that’s a problem,”

She stated that Harris County has approximately ten injection wells capable of receiving hazardous commercial waste, making the area one of the few locations where the materials could be disposed of. However, she stated that similar facilities in Vickery, Ohio, and Romulus, Michigan, which are closer to the crash site, could also handle the wastewater.

“All of this could be for logistical reasons. There could be financial reasons. “Perhaps Texas Molecular outbid Michigan,” Hidalgo speculated. “It doesn’t mean anything sinister is going on, but we need to know the answer to this question.”

Hidalgo said that she found out about the disposal site from a journalist, not a regulatory agency or the company, which she called “unacceptable.”

Texas Molecular, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, “is authorized to accept and manage a variety of waste streams, including vinyl chloride, as part of their… hazardous waste permit and underground injection control permit.”

The chemical is “very, very toxic,” according to Dr. George Guillen, executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston, but the risk to the public is minimal.

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Improving rail safety while regulators work to tighten safety regulations.

“In some cases, this injection is usually 4,000 or 5,000 feet below any drinking water aquifer,” said Guillen, a biology and environmental science professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Guillen and Deer Park resident Tammy Baxter expressed concern about transporting the chemicals from East Palestine to Deer Park, which is more than 1,300 miles (2,090 kilometers).

“A closer deep well injection is required,” Baxter told KTRK. “It’s stupid to put it on the road. We have accidents all the time… It’s ridiculous to move it that far.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the derailment site on Thursday, warned Norfolk Southern to keep its promises to clean up the mess outside East Palestine and help the town recover.

Buttigieg has also announced a package of reforms aimed at improving rail safety while regulators work to tighten safety regulations.

SOURCE – (AP)

 

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Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

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Trudeau, Montreal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

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Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

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Baby Gorilla, Calgary Zoo
The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

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Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

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Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

  1. Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
  2. Numbers cannot be repeated
  3. Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
  4. Each play buys 3 lines
  5. Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)

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