Another name calling editorial in the July 2, 2010 edition of The World regarding ORC and a recent storm water permit.

This week, when word came that the company had received its final environmental permit, an anti-development activist warned of “serious potential ” for groundwater contamination. [emphasis mine]

‘Anti development activist’? That is quite a stretch, even for The World. Of course, when you can’t write worth a damn or build a real argument against verified facts, I guess low grade publications posing as news organizations will resort to name calling. Here is Sharon Comden’s response

Clark, if you want to check my facts-Bill Mason is the DEQ geologist who did the technical risk assessment for hexavalent chromium that was used by DEQ, National Marine Fisheries, Dept. of State Lands, and the Army Corps of Engineers. I’m sure your reporter has his contact information. The World stories made it sound like an army of technocrats all arrived at the same conclusion about the risks of this project. In fact, the regulatory agencies relied on Bill because they simply didn’t have the resources in
their own units. I hope he is right, however, he did not contact Dr. Chris Oze, the top expert in this field right now.

The 62,000 gallons/day figure came from a URS technical memo submitted to DOGAMI for this most recent permit and both the North and South Seven Devils sites were estimated to produce 62,000 gallons/day each. The 21 million figure is the product of 62,000 gallons/day x 340 days/year.

If your going to label people at least get it right. Anti development activist (never heard of one of those before) but anti stupidity activist, now I could get behind that.

The editorial goes on to talk about risk but the author clearly has no idea or interest in what the risks really are. How many jobs will be lost in order to create the jobs promised by ORC? When ORC packs up and goes, taking the chromite with them, what then? A predecessor sand mining operating in Georgia and Florida employing Dan Smith and Joseph Drew packed up after only three years taking the proffered jobs with them. What about that risk?

What about the reduced property values? Is The World paper anti development, as in anti real estate development? Strip mining in a coastal zone is not going to enhance that industry.