This is so tragic, and just wrong. Actively changing scientist's recommendations and assessments because a company "balked" at the very standards and methods that are designed to keep it and its environment safe? This is the very reason the EPA was created to begin with, so this kind of stuff does not happen. That's so fucking sad that it's not only happening on their watch, but from inside the EPA itself. Such a tragedy...And to the commenter who said it had to do with Trump, no this had nothing to do with Trump. While Trump did make many unusual, business-focused appointees for department heads, the issue of corruption is as old as human institutions themselves. I'd only hoped the robust institutions in the states wouldn't so blatantly fall prey to this kind of bogus horseshit. Trying to shift the convo to Trump or suggest this is actually orange man bad's fault is actively harmful to a fruitful discussion about this, because it provides active cover for the real perpetrators. But sure, keeping pointing the finger of blame at Trump for everything while the real perps slip right through your other fingers, chump.
Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
61–67 of 67 posts
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Truth is an absolute defense to libel in the US. Furthermore because this is the sort of reporting on a matter of public concern that society benefits from the standard gets tighter: it's not enough to show something was false, you have to show the publication should have known or acted maliciously in publishing. Incredibly high bar.
The super strong libel immunity only kicks in for public figures. These random managers probably aren't. So negligence is the bar for liability, not the Actual Malice of NYT v. Sullivan.
I don’t know my jurisprudence very well, but as I recall a government employee acting in an official capacity is a public figure by default.
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#63It won't be a vaccine that makes you sterile. It will be one of the chemicals that end up everywhere because of corruption at the only agency that would protect us. This is also why those people for a unregulated free market are insane. Sure the company pedaling the dangerous chemical will eventual go out of business. But how many people will die and suffer and does anyone think that the people responsible will still…
I’m willing to bet it will be one of the chemicals introduced to public water by your local utility company.
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#64I try not to get emotional, but part of me thinks if death penalty were applicable to such crimes it would be an extraordinarily pragmatic decision. The history of chemicals damaging American lives due to corruption is long and sordid. Many of these chemicals, if improperly classified, can ruin an order of magnitude more lives than any serial killer. It can be rather shocking and disturbing to remind oneself exactly…
I am absolutely opposed to the death penalty and to punitive prison sentences in general, but I do feel like there needs to be some kind of extra harsh treatment for people who do things like this. I'm honestly at a loss for what it might be. Maybe public humiliation, or exile?
mass poisoning is psychopath territory. Take the people responsible and throw them in mental hospitals to be evaluated and hopefully treated. It's that or prison. In any case they need to be kept away from the rest of society because they've already demonstrated that they'll hurt large numbers of people in monstrous ways just to satisfy their own greed. I'm not at all interested in vengeance. I think it's tragic to have to keep some people locked up, but the public needs to be protected from people like that.
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Purple Air network and their map is great. Each has two Plantower PMS5003 sensors for redundancy or accuracy. However, you can purchase the Plantower sensors yourself at about $15/unit, which could help with the costs when you're trying to roll out a lot of them.
If you used the Plantower PMS5003 sensor by itself how would you be able to distribute the data? PurpleAir has arrangement with government to have their data added to official measurements and can be seen on https://fire.airnow.gov
Purple Air already has pretty good coverage of Lake Michigan[1].
They also have good coverage in my area, but when wildfire smoke was bad in CA last year I spread out four PM2.5 sensors outside and two inside using Home Assistant/ESPHome. They respond to conditions very quickly, and I could see waves of smoke pass through.
Why does that matter? Keeping everything closed up and using an air purifier really improves the indoor air quality, but it also gets oppressive when you never exchange any fresh air. The nearest Purple Air sensor is 2000ft away on the other side of a hill. At times it might be an equivalent 80 AQI here and 200 AQI there or vice versa. It was convenient to know when opening a window to let out some stale air brought in less new smoke to have to filter.
A DIY approach isn't just cheaper, it allows the addition of other types of sensors like NO2, SO2 and ozone, and it makes fine-grained data collection affordable. Kingsloi expressed an interest in monitoring other pollutants in addition to PM2.5/PM10. In my particular case it is adding NDIR CO2 sensor inside.
All of these sensors have a limited life span. The $250 PurpleAir PA-II has a 1 year warranty. Even though it is likely to last a lot longer than that, it is a pretty large markup over $40 per setup, especially if Kingsloi's needs include other pollutant sensors. The Purple Air network is an advantage, but a nonprofit started by Kingsloi could partner with air quality organizations in Michigan or Illinois, too.
[1] https://www.purpleair.com/map?opt=1/m/i/mAQI/a10/cC0#6.34/43...
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Truth or (as you point out) ignorance. Which is different from the UK and a lot of other countries. But the practical question is: can The Intercept afford a legal fight against Dow?
They likely have insurance for that sort of thing. I produce content for Youtube and even I have a media liability policy.
How much does that cost and how is it priced?
Re: Whistleblowers expose corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office
#67My little girl was born with really rare heart disease and a genetic condition, a boy a few streets behind us developed a really rare cancer. - https://kingsley.sh/posts/2021/staggering-cost-of-surviving-... - https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/us/ben-watkins-masterchef/ind... This comes a year or so after a ArcelorMittal spilled ammonia and cyanide into Lake Michigan, and didn't sound the alarm for a few days. My wife a…
How did you set up that air quality sensor? Can you post a link to it?