Tag Archives | Minnesota

“Lawsuits Charge that 3M Knew About the Dangers of Its Chemicals”

By on April 12, 2016 in 3M, PFO's, Uncategorized

What it really means when Minnesota’s courts and regulatory agencies service special interests.  Another 3M scandal in which I had some involvement was the expanded burning of hazardous waste at the 3M haz waste incinerator in Cottage Grove.  In that business, the MPCA also acted as a servant of 3M rather than a protector of Minnesotans.  Of course it is generally easy for elected officials, courts, and regulators to stomp on individuals and small businesses.  The real test of integrity is how they behave when confronted with powerful special interests such as 3M, Xcel energy, or US Steel.   From what I can see the record is pretty bad, with Attorney General Lori Swanson looking better than some others.

https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/lawsuits-charge-that-3m-knew-about-the-dangers-of-pfcs/

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Un-plastic-bagging Minneapolis and Minnesota

By on March 21, 2016 in Uncategorized

Discouraging single-use (“carryout”) plastic shopping bags is increasingly common around the world, for rather obvious reasons.

Reducing combustible trash helps fight garbage incineration!

According to the new media outlet MinnyApple (http://www.minnyapple.com/2016/03/18/plastic/#comment-1457):

“Minnesotans throw away 87,000 tons of plastic bags every year. Less than 5% of plastic bags are recycled nationally. Plastic bags frequently clog machinery at single-sort recycling facilities. Some plastic bags end up as litter in our environment, breaking down into smaller pieces of plastic, that leech chemicals into soil and water. In Minneapolis, most plastic bags that are thrown away end up in the downtown incinerator.”

Plastic bags are mostly made out of polyethylene which is mostly made out of natural gas (background on PE here: http://www.britannica.com/science/polyethylene )

So it is not surprising that may powerful interests are lobbying against this change–oil and gas people, plastics manufacturers, and especially the mega-evil Grocery Manufacturers Association (also a big opponent of GMO labeling).

One important reason for change is to keep plastic bags and other combustible stuff out of garbage incinerators.  Burning plastic is just burning petroleum-once-removed and contributes to air pollution and climate change.  And the burners need the “heat value” of the plastic,   So one may expect Minnesota’s politically powerful garbage incinerator industry to be against limiting plastic bags.  Note that 87,000 tons above!

Minneapolis City Council Member Cam Gordon, Chair of the Health, Environment & Community Engagement Committee of the Council, has scheduled a public hearing for 1:30 on March 21,2016 on a draft ordinance.

“Carry out bags in retail establishments” ordinance (Bring your own bag) http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-175529

This ordinance was first announced to the City Council on August 7, 2016 (procedural history here: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMS1Q-079203 )

Only two of the 13 council members (Gordon, Ward 2 and Warsame, Ward 6) are listed as sponsors of this ordinance, in spite of it’s no-brainer nature. Where are the other 11 council members???? (http://www.minneapolismn.gov/council/)

A cynic could suggest that the Council leadership has assigned the areas it doesn’t really care much about (Health, Environment & Community Engagement ) to its most greenie-weenie member, a sort of ghetto of the most important, to be ignored as much as possible.

Regardless, Cam Gordon deserves support on this good-for-the-public-interest ordinance:

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Public hearing at1:30 on March 21,2016 (agenda Item #1, http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/hece/WCMSP-175147 )

“How to have your voice heard:” http://www.minneapolismn.gov/council/engage/WCMS1Q-074472

You can email all Council Members with one group email address:

citycouncilmembers@minneapolismn.gov

Individual contact info below:

“Ward office keep tally sheets on policy proposals, controversial topics, and other matters that are then provided to the Council Member. Aides generally lump calls into “pro” and “con” categories, giving their Council Member an instant poll on a particular topic.”

Ward Council Member Phone

1Kevin Reich(612) 673-2201
2Cam Gordon(612) 673-2202
3Jacob Frey(612) 673-2203
4Barbara A. Johnson(612) 673-2204
5Blong Yang(612) 673-2205
6Abdi Warsame(612) 673-2206
7Lisa Goodman(612) 673-2207
8Elizabeth Glidden(612) 673-2208
9Alondra Cano(612) 673-2209
10Lisa Bender(612) 673-2210
11John Quincy(612) 673-2211
12Andrew Johnson(612) 673-2212
13Linea Palmisano(612) 673-2213

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For those not connected to Minneapolis, please use Gordon’s ordinance as a model for similar action from YOUR local government and from you state Senator and Representative.

So, speak up!

Alan Muller

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