One of my favorite emcees is Mos Def. A while ago, he made a song titled “New World Water” on his first album. Now fast forward to 2014 and we realize that the record is more than just a song.

Water is a natural resource made available to all inhabitants on Earth. Many believe that the accessibility and availability of water is a human right. Now may be the time to reexamine these premises and assertions. Are you aware that the GLOBAL WATER SUMMIT OF 2014 just concluded this past April in Paris, France? Were you aware that they have GLOBAL WATER SUMMITS?

This summit is the “Who’s Who” of global executive leaders, private equity firms, hedge fund managers, technology strategists, and infrastructure development experts. Yes, the water we know, need, and love is currently being speculated on for venture capital investments as an emerging market.

The itinerary of the summit consisted of 45 sessions that addressed desalination, advanced water treatment technologies, water transport, developing public policies for urban water use, and devising sustainable water solutions in: Africa, Singapore, Israel, India, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Pakistan, and Bahrain.

Here are 5 titles of the 45 sessions that were presented

1. Water’s impact on Profitability, New Metrics Underpinning Investment in Water Management Programmes
2.  Water conflict and peacemaking in Future Cities
3.  Venture Capital Investments in Water: Ingredients to success
4.  Technology investor focus: Which water treatment technologies are getting investors’ attention and why
5.  Competition in the urban water supply chain: What are the emerging trends?
This is the lexicon of speculators. It sounds more than just sustainability and environmental conservation.

Why is this important?

Globally and domestically, there are companies and individuals that are buying up water rights. What are water rights? When you purchase property, people typically think of acreage, square feet, and overall perimeters they will own. However, real estate savvy individuals recognize the importance of what is below your land. Your property may be pregnant with gold, oil, coal, water, and more. You can purchase the rights to own those resources below your property.

Some people own property but someone else may own the water rights to the H2O beneath it. Bloomberg Businessweek produced an article that detailed how the Royal Dutch Shell is buying groundwater rights in Colorado, Nestle is purchasing water rights throughout America, and investors in Australia are buying water rights and reselling it to farmers at a marked up value.

The article also details how an old Texas oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, owns 68,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle that sits on the Ogallala Aquifer that contains a QUADRILLION gallons of water. He projects that he will eventually sell 65 billion gallons a year to Dallas.
This is important because government agencies forecast that the demand for water will exceed the supply by 40 percent by 2030. The demand is based on increased population, climate change, urbanization, and industrialization. The principle basis of economics is scarcity. How do you manage scarce resources, and match it with the demand of the public, while making a profit? Throughout America, water rights are being purchased like home foreclosures. This is occurring in Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and other states.

The proposed technology and infrastructure

The proposed and current technological processes deal with desalination of ocean and seawater. This process is similar to hemodialysis. Water filtration plants are being built and renovated throughout America. The filtration plants will suck up ocean water and filter out the salt content so that it’s suitable and safe for human consumption and redeposit the remaining salt back to the ocean.

There is also reverse osmosis. This process is being used and heavily proposed nationwide. This takes groundwater, sewage waste water and systematically separates the particulate matter, contaminants, microorganisms, pharmaceuticals, and carcinogens and then passes them through ultrafiltration membranes, ultraviolet lights, and ozone to “purify” it. I encourage you to read everything on your bottle of Dasani, that’s all I will say.

Furthermore, according to three different stories in USA Today, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Times, the U.S. Navy has confirmed that they’ve developed a method that can convert seawater into jetfuel. We all know our country’s thirst for war (no pun intended).

Proponents for reverse osmosis feel that it’s safe for consumption, but currently many companies and utilities use it for agricultural irrigation, toilet, bath, cleaning, industrial needs (thermonuclear energy, semiconductors, and etc.).

It’s all about the Benjamins Baby

The Environmental Protection Agency said that America will need to spend at least $380 billion to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure. This is why you have Private Equity Firms like Blackstone in attendance at the summit. The Clark County Water Reclamation District is currently estimating spending $585 million to construct a 17 mile long water pipeline to supply Las Vegas. California constructed a $481 million Groundwater Replenishment System that conducts reverse osmosis. In the U.K., a water service provider was propositioned by a conglomeration of Kuwaiti, Canadian, and British investors for $8 billion. In Melbourne, Australia a company named Tandou Ltd has approximately $30 million in water rights. Nikko Asset Management, a Tokyo based subsidiary tried to raise $100 million from Australia for water funds. A utility company called, Canadian River Municipal Water Authority purchased 43,000 acres of water in Texas for $14.5 Million.

The story gets even deeper… Stay tuned for “The New World Water Part 2.” This is too much info for one article.

Global Water Summit 2014 Itinerary link: http://www.watermeetsmoney.com/agenda

Rapper Mos Def was prophetic (Youtube link) New World Water, listen closely: http://youtu.be/IxvQKZPb6Wo

What does it mean to you when heads of major hedge funds and private equity firm managers speculate on the profitability of water?

First, I’d like to be fair and address the current need for water management:

Reasons that water management should be exercised

We’ve witnessed oil spills like the Exxon Valdez and the BP oil spill. We’ve also seen millions of gallons of toxic coal ash leak into North Carolina’s Dan River and the toxic spill into West Virginia’s drinking water supply. We’ve also witnessed and continue to hear about the nuclear spill from the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor, which has made way to the west coast. Portions of Iowa and other states that rely on agricultural commerce have seen a pervasive infiltration of nitrates into their water supply from fertilizer. We’ve witnessed an increase in water deficits in drought-prone areas throughout the Midwest to California. Many remember Shane Snyder, an ecological toxicologist who elucidated the increase of feminized male marine life in Lake Mead (Nevada), the Potomac River (DC), Denver, and California. This phenomena was occurring due to “traces of codeine, Prozac, Valium, common antibiotics, insect repellents and a host of chemicals termed endocrine disruptors into the Lake Mead reservoir.”

We must remember the Uranium contamination of Red Water Pond Road of the Navajo Nation of the Native Americans. Their reservation is the site of the largest Uranium dump in America. The remaining groups of the Navajo tribe will be displaced from their reservation because the EPA has ruled it too toxic for inhabiting due to Uranium mining and dumping (their cattle and kids play in contaminated water).

Lastly, the Supreme Court recently said that ex-military and North Carolina plaintiffs couldn’t be rewarded from a lawsuit against an electronics company that is responsible for toxic contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The water was tainted with benzene, Trichloroethylene, and other chemicals that led to generations of individuals with rare forms of leukemia, liver, kidney and other cancers…….Yes, mater Management and oversight are needed!

The technology

Big corporations have procured the best scientists and engineers to devise water treatment systems that multinational corporations are investing in, encouraging nations to adopt, and develop international standards. According to the agenda of the Global Water Summit of 2014, they’ve designed bacteria that breaks down waste, ultrafiltration membranes, advanced desalination systems, nanofiltration technology, hydrolysis, reverse osmosis systems and a myriad of other “solutions”.

My issues

When have you ever seen the privatization of earth’s natural resources turn out good? Throughout the Global Water Summit agenda, a specific theme is: Repetitive, Ubiquitous, and Diffuse. The theme is maximization of profit and how to impose this technology on nations and local municipalities for profit. I wouldn’t have a problem if the approach was noble in effort, but money and profit always pervert noble motives.
I believe this will evolve into a system of “hoard and ration.” The major corporations have hundreds of billions of dollars to sway politicians to present logical arguments on water conservation, but it will ultimately lead to “hydro-austerity.” The fact that this summit wasn’t even in the news or the traditional newspaper outlets speaks volumes. The exclusivity of the summit allows the privileged, wealthy, and powerful conglomerates to posture themselves for windfall profits because water is mandatory for life.

Examples of my hypothesis

California has already initiated proposals and standards to be imposed on its citizens. An article in the Sacramento Bee highlighted future mandates. “All urban water districts in California must decrease water usage per person at least 20 percent by 2020. By 2017, all pre-1994 homes must be retrofitted with low-flow plumbing fixtures in showers and toilets. The city faces a 2025 deadline under state law to finish metering all customers.” Furthermore, they are shrinking lot sizes of properties that are on the market to regulate water consumption.

These are means to reduce water consumption, but this will also lead to increase in water bills and taxes. The forced adoption of new water efficient technology is a pat on the back to the designers of the technology that attended the conference. They will get rich by imposing new laws and standards centered on the science and technology they developed and marketed around the globe.

How can we apply this knowledge of the Global Water Summit as African Americans?

The EPA said that we will need to spend at least $380 Billion dollars to upgrade our water infrastructure. Maybe we can get finance expert and scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins to explain how to invest in Tax Free Municipal Bonds that are set aside for the upgrades nationwide. Also, now is the time to thoroughly survey your property and find out if you’re sitting on water, and look into purchasing water rights too.

For comedy sake

We may have more water available if they didn’t waste so much hosing us down during civil rights protests. I also know that these company executives are studying how to charge us for water as they smoke cigars in their jacuzzi. Maybe all this depletion of water will eventually result in the recovery of Malaysian Flight 370 (yeah right!). I project that the division between the rich and poor will produce a real “Watergate” — rich on one side, and poor on the other. We need Moses to come and tap some of these rocks to spew forth some fresh water. Man I miss water balloon fights and Super Soakers.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Humanity’s future is locked in an Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault?

originally published on: http://themedicalblog.net/2015/03/03/vault-containing-thousands-of-seeds-could-save-humanity-in-a-crisis/

Eat to live.

That’s a simple clear cut statement. However, there is a cascading complexity behind that simple clear cut statement. The fruits, vegetables, grains, and the meat we eat all require seeds. The animals that humans consume, graze on grass, are fed corn, and other grain. The beer, wine, and liquor we drink is based off barley, hops, grapes and other grains that originate from seeds.

The medicine we take to cure or manage diseases and ailments, are plant-based because drugs are synthesized from plant based molecules in nature. The clothes we wear are largely based on cotton (from a cotton seed) and leather from animals that consume vegetation for the most part.

As humans we must become more concerned and cognizant of global food security. The lack of high quality seeds is directly correlated to our ultimate survival (or extinction) on Earth.

Science and technology have never waited on anybody, and never will. Researchers, scientists, and engineers have designed a DOOMSDAY SEED VAULT in the Arctic.

The SVALBARD SEED VAULT is located on an archipelago in Norway. The seed vault is reportedly built into the side of a mountain on one of Norway’s remote islands. The vault has amassed seed populations of over 800,000 diverse seeds from every inch of the globe. The rarest and most ancient seeds that date back thousands of years is warehoused here, along with the most recent addition, 21,000 Marijuana seeds.

The motive, intention, or impetus for constructing this DOOMSDAY SEED VAULT is centered on preservation of seed diversity in case of any environmental ecological catastrophe. The various articles I’ve read give diverse examples of what they are safeguarding the seeds from.   The developers cite natural disasters like the possibilities of tsunamis, volcanoes, asteroids, decreased water and nutrient availability, earthquakes, and pestilence. They also cite manmade disasters: war, population growth, and climate change.

This vault will serve as the agricultural hard drive of all seeds. Whenever an ecological disaster occurs, they have the seed back up to replenish and restore species of crops that would otherwise be permanently eradicated.

The vault is watched by the Norwegian government, but financed by various entities, and people like Bill and Melinda Gates. The overall management of the vault is claimed by the GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST.

A New York Times article describes it as the “Fort Knox” of seeds. The vault has been in construction for years and initially opened in 2008. Its been fortified in a manner to resist a nuclear disaster and asteroids. Expert predictions say that it’s built to last at least 1000 years. No one person has all the access codes to gain complete access. There is no full time staff, seed delivery dates are specific, and tightly controlled.

The researchers, scientists, engineers, and sponsors all think that it’s just a matter of time until one of the aforementioned disasters strike and devastate the planet. There are groups that have concerns about the warehousing of seeds, and the implications of global agricultural control.

I found this to be very interesting, personally. I think that it’s smart to have an agricultural contingency plan, and this is a proactive maneuver to combat permanent crop loss. I also have reservations about agricultural and nutritional control, because there is a human component to the process.

The human component always introduces the potential for corruption of power and control. We also have real time evidence of nutritional market control with companies like Monsanto and the “patenting” of what was placed on Earth naturally for all to enjoy. Remember in earlier times, seeds have been used in bartering, and currency. Wars have been fought over crops like the OPIUM WARS, Tobacco crops have generated hundreds of billions of dollars, and markets were established to facilitate the SPICE TRADE.

However, I feel that communities across America can network and develop other innovative and sustainable systems of agriculture themselves.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hit me on Twitter @docswagg06

Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

11 serious trends that we may be ignoring

by Dr. Samori Swygert

Are we paying attention to these critical trends in today’s society? Our Brave New World is so busy. The average citizen is stuck on a social hamster wheel and the rest of the country is like a circus or movie.

It appears as if we only have enough time to take a breather of a nap, and do it all again the next day. We only have a morsel of “me time” between careers, spouses, children, relatives, social/civic/religious commitments, school, traffic and friends.

However, do we take enough time to piece apart what we are seeing? Do some of us just brush off serious events like they’re one-time scenarios? Are we growing desensitized?

Let’s look at these trends:

1. Parents killing children and children killing parents

A 16-year-old may face 40 years for killing his parents because they punished him by taking away his iPod. In the same vein, we just saw a father throw his child off the roof in New York City this winter, and a mother driving her kids into the sea, and a father hacked his son to death because he said his son was possessed. What’s behind all of this? I’m positive that there is some mental health issues at hand here. However, these are not isolated incidents. There has been a surge in these atrocities across the nation, but are we paying attention and taking tally? Why is murder considered as a solution for problems now?

2. Teen Suicide is on the rise

The cry for help, attention, and love from our children is reaching the highest audible decibel, but we still turn a deaf ear to our offspring. Elementary school kids to college students are killing themselves in unprecedented numbers. Our youth are killing themselves because they feel they aren’t accepted, they’re bullied, harassed about sëxual orientation, unloved, feel the pain of broken families, and more. Are we too busy as parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors to stop, listen, talk to and help workout the complexities of life with our youth?

3. There’s an increase in the diagnoses of Bipolar Schizophrenia, ADD, ADHD, OCD, Depression

Whenever you watch a TV show, a drug commercial comes on that advertises the latest prescription drug for a psychological disorder. The commercial typically starts like this, “Do you feel moody sometimes; Have your friends sensed a change in you?; Do you just not feel like that person you once were?; Do you have problems focusing through the day?” The commercial will list a myriad of signs, symptoms, and subjective adjectives that you can relate to. However, that is just the commercials. How many people do you know that have been diagnosed with a mental disorder? How many children do you know that have been diagnosed with a behavioral/mental disorder? Are you paying attention to this increase? What is it about today’s society that has many of us undergoing behavioral/mental/psychiatric disorders? Why are so many Americans suffering from mental illness lately?

4. There’s an increase in natural disasters

We have grown accustomed to natural disasters plaguing our environment. They appear to happen like clockwork. The only thing that we can’t predict is the severity and the number of casualties involved. Think about the tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, wildfires, sinkholes, droughts, and flooding. Some of us are so busy, and don’t care to think in depth, as long as these disasters don’t affect us or our loved ones. I’m also aware of man-made disasters and human tinkering of our planet with geo-engineering, fracking, mining, and underground experimentation. Where are we headed environmentally if these disasters keep occurring naturally or by human manipulation of nature?

5. There’s an increase in emerging infectious disease

I’m not just referring to HIV, I’m talking about the resurgence, and spread of new and old diseases. Polio has reappeared all over the globe, we have MERS spreading, the measles and mumps are popping up all over the map, SARS and “SARS-like” diseases are spreading. There’s the Chikungunya virus plaguing Africa and the Caribbean. How, why, and where do these diseases originate? Are we dealing with pure microbial progression or something more sinister in nature?

6. A surge in blatant police brutality

It’s strictly my opinion that police brutality has increased in frequency and rapidity. It seems like every other week, police officers are being caught abusing their power, using excessive force, and/or shooting unarmed citizens. How comfortable or conditioned are we with this abuse of power, and increased militarization of local law enforcement?

7. Surges in banking fiascos

We can talk about the long list of banking employees that have committed suicide since last year. We can talk about how hundreds of millions of dollars keep going missing, and a manager will get fired with a fat severance check. We can talk about the Libor scandal, or even the closing of banks in Europe, or offshore banking with Credit Suisse. Yet, Wall Street is seeing one of its biggest rallies in history. How do you feel about that?

8. Stripping of civil liberties

Police can take your DNA samples, your phone, your email, and your text messages are no longer private. Drones hover above us; cameras are ubiquitous. Cops can now pull you over for driving and search your car based on an “anonymous tip.” Do you feel like everything is being taken away from you bit by bit?

9. Food, Device, Automobile, and Drug recalls

If it’s not tomatoes, spinach, chicken, thousands of pounds of beef, automobile airbags, ignition switches, defective seat belts, child car seats, peanut butter, or prescription medication, something is always being recalled. What is really going on in our production and manufacturing process? Does safety, quality, and care go into anything we make anymore?

10. Pastoral Suicides

I won’t even try to count the amount of pastoral suicides. All I will say is visit: www.allchristiannews.com and do your own homework.

11. Gentrification

Across America we’re seeing citizens being displaced from their communities. We can look at Harlem, Chicago, Washington, D.C., all the way to California, and you will see this socio-economic phenomenon rearing its head. How are we creating a population of nomadic citizens?

Thoughts????

U.S. Geological Survey says “fracking” is causing earthquakes

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

Earth is being rendered uninhabitable at a rapid pace.  This scares and saddens me to see this. Many of us are unconcerned because we don’t see the immediate severity of our environmental insults.

I read an article in the Huffington Post today about earthquakes being caused by the hydraulic fracturing , “fracking”, in America.  This is disturbing because our endless quest and pursuit in science, technology, and capitalism  is sabotaging our very existence on earth.

I’ve always theorized that these recent string of eartquakes and sinkholes are arising from the increase in fracking.  To me it only makes sense.  We’re penentrating the layers of earth and disrupting the mantle, and fragile fault lines that have provided structural integrity for ages.  We’re pumping high pressured fluid, sand and chemicals deep into the earth, and extracting oil on a nationwide scale.  What do we expect to happen?  One researcher described fracking as performing an enema within the earth, but all over North America.

The United States Geological Survey said that the fracking is causing earthquake but not a significant seismic magnitude.  The report says most of the earthquakes register around a level 3 or less in magnitud, however that is just this study.  I’m sure the more pervasive we get with fracking, we’ll see a surge in frequency and magnitude of earthquakes.

I do understand that we do need alternative sources of energy.  This is only logical because of the explosion of earth’s population and the demands that come with it.  However, also feel that there is a greed and power factor involved, and capitalist entities choose to hoard and control natural resources in excess. 

I’m very passionate about science, nutrition, and our environment, and I don’t think we are caring about our ecosystem as we should.  Ecological damage is a neccessary evil when we advance industrialization, but is it worth it in the end?  I cringe when I think of the ecological environment our babies and kids have to grow up in.  Some will never know the pure beauty of earth by the time they’re adults.  They’ll never experience and enjoy the treasure nature blessed us with.

We allow corporate entities conduct dangerous penny pinching, environmentally hazardous maneuvers that repeatedely damage our environment.  Think about Exxon Valdez Oil spill, the BP Oil spill, the Dan River Coal ash leak, the Fukushima Nuclear reactor leak, and more.  With our countries nuclear capabilities, is it possible that an earthquake can damage these facilities and harm us??

The news outlets just released an article this week that detailed how the military will be using our seawater to make Jet Fuel.  So extrapolate, and predict what the potential outcomes and ramifications will be.  Water is so neccessary for life, however this will now become monetized and militarized on a whole new scale.  This reminds me of the movie Elysium.  Our most vital and essential resources will are being exploited in gluttonous excess without any 2nd thoughts about our future habitat.  

Maybe those that have money will get their timeshare and mansion across town on another planet.  How do we balance need and greed with our lives in mind?

Sources

1. http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/man-made-earthquakes/

2. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/10/game-changer-us-navy-can-now-turn-seawater-jet-fue/

Reported by: Dr. Samori Swygert

A few days ago, Your Black World published an article I wrote about the environmental crisis involving Duke Energy (the nation’s largest electricity plant) in North Carolina.   The article detailed how 82,000 tons of “coal ash” had spilled into the Dan River in North Carolina.  The components of coal ash contain lead, arsenic, and mercury.

Well, a very important update to the story was aired last night on MSNBC during the Rachel Maddow show.

Maddow revealed that the company has pumped 61 MILLION GALLONS of contamination from the spill into a tributary that feeds directly into the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.  The problem is that the Cape Fear River supplies drinking water for parts of North Carolina.

According to the LA Times, “Regulators said they were taking water samples at sites on the Cape Fear River, which runs through Fayetteville on its way to the coast near Wilmington, North Carolina”.  The pumping of the contaminants took place in Central North Carolina.

The company has been cited by the state agency and stands to face fines of $25,000 a day for each violation.  However, the article in the LA Times noted that the director of the state agency that is regulating the spill …………was a Duke Energy employee for 28 years.  This may represent a conflict of interest.  I won’t go further into speculation without proof, but this doesn’t smell right.

Source: LA Times

This is why I posted the original article because everything got so quiet about the story.  How do you remain quiet about 82,000 tons of this tοxic waste?  I cringe at the thought of what could have been the ultimate result had it not have been for the bold, courageous, and inquisitive nature of this watchdog group to fly over the contamination site and reveal their findings.

These companies are playing with our lives, and there’s nothing funny, humorous, or comical about this at all.  This demonstrates that their only concern is the dollar.  They have no morals, virtues, standards, ethics or regard for humanity and the environment we live in.  They should be brought up on charges.  What could have been the long term implications of this?  If this had proceeded unchecked, we could have seen unexplainable rates of birth defects, neurocognitive abnormalities, cancers, and an assortment of other physiological effects on us, our babies, and wildlife.

Keep in mind that Duke was warned about this by the EPA in 2009.

Does this bother you, or are you concerned about Kim Kardashian and “Housewives of Atlanta”?  What are your thoughts?

You can also find this at: http://www.yourblackworld.net/2014/03/black-news/dr-swyger-energy-company-dumps-61m-gallons-of-t%CE%BFxins-in-drinking-water/

82,000 Tons of toxic coal ash in Dan River (NC) Lead, Arsenic, Mercury

By:Doc Swagg

Once again, another energy industry catastrophe has struck and inflicted a subsequent blow to our environment.  This follows the spill in West Virginia no less than a month ago.

An energy company, Duke Energy, is responsible for a  “coal ash” spill into the Dan River.  This river runs from North Carolina to Virginia.  The most recent reports estimate a spill of 82,000 tons of the coal ash, and 27 million gallons of contaminated water.

The spill is important because it contains environmental toxins and hazardous contaminants such as: Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury.  Video footage across several nationwide and local news networks show murky discolored water.  This is extremely significant, because this will affect the aquatic life in that region.  Despite what TV reporters may say, there are several  physiological problems with this.  Lead in the blood can stay in your system for  for well over a month, it can stay in your connective tissue for well over 2 months, and can remain n bone and teeth for 10 years.  Lead damages sperm cells,  it’s known to lead to still births, miscarriages, and multiple developmental abnormalities in babies neurological system.  Lead levels down stream are 13 times higher than normal.

Below is a link about lead from an occupational safety resources:

http://www.osh.net/articles/archive/osh_basics_2001_may26.htm

Mercury also causes harmful neurological abnormalities in fetuses, babies, and young children.  Below is a link from the EPA about the harmful effects of Mercury:

http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm

According to the EPA, arsenic is linked to cancer of the bladder, liver, kidneys, lung, and prostate.  Arsenic also can cause partial paralysis, blindness, skin and gastrointestinal problems.  The Arsenic levels found downstream from the spill are reportedly 35 times higher than the Maximum Acceptable Contaminant amount in drinking water set forth by the EPA.

The EPA effects of Arsenic are below:

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/index.cfm

These are threats to our health because of the fish that we introduce to our food chain have the potential to harm us, and the drinking/bathing water put us at risk for all of these conditions.  The spill is new, so we have yet to see what the final impact will be.  I hope that the news media covers this meticulously and vigilantly.  Make no mistake about this. This is very serious!

This is the Executive Summary from 2009 that the EPA already warned about the hazards of Coal Ash from Duke Energy and its destructive potential at the Dan River:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/surveys2/dan-river-final.pdf