Toxic Spill Reaches Danube

Hi,

This has been all over the box here in Europe for a couple of days.

It is a real mess and is a good example of how far behind some of the supposed "new world" counties who have been clamouring for entry to the EU are still in many ways

Can you imagine just how much money the EU would have to spend if they were a member country. The latest news says that this toxic slurry has entered the Danube already, so we're going to have to pay in some way for it's clean-up.

The Blue Danube? Now it's mostly going to be the Brown Danube, with a hint of rotting fish aroma. And no BP to pay for the clean-up.

Heavy metals in the drinking water aquifer is going to mean a little slump in bottled water sales.

And when it is drying up, it will be spread with the wind...

FISHTIGUA wrote:

Hungary has been an EU member since 2004...

Notwithstanding, the issue of all these huge toxic lakes adjoining refining and other manufacturing / reprocessing plants will one day have to be treated [sic]. That toxic lake in Hungary didn't come about from a single years' production...?! The continuous collusion (and bribery) at all levels of government and business hitherto will nevertheless have a temporary effect - I can imagine a few businessmen getting (suspended) custodial sentences, the companies involved being handed-down apparently stiff fines and even a few government employees being dismissed "on full pay" etc. until the furore dies down, before it's "business as usual".

Do Bhopal and/or Union Carbide mean anything to anyone here? I couldn't find the link, but apparently the US supreme court has just only recently decided that non-US litigants can no longer attack US and/or foreign corporations in US courts anymore (hope I got that right...)? Not that it matters in any practical sense. After all, Union Carbide got away with paying the then Indian government damages of about US$ 470 million "in full and final settlement" (where did it all go?) for anywhere between 2,200 immediate and confirmed deaths, rising to almost 10 times that number in the weeks afterwards, depending on which Indian govt. agency was involved, with perhaps upto 1/2 million others injured as a direct result, which may result in their early deaths. Ever since 9/11, the USA has prosecuted 2 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan "in pursuit of damages". At a cost to the prosecutor of well over US$ 1 trillion to date. And how many 10s of thousands of civilian deaths over the past 8-9 years?

Why worry about any "red discharges" into the Danube (once the "mother river" of early European civilisations), when today, the sturgeon are no more and there remain plenty of hardly-dried blood patches on dry Earth...?

I need another Scotch.

Sludge

Similar to the TVA debacle in Tennessee

FISHTIGUA, still awaiting your wise input.

I can only reasonably speak of France where I've lived for the past 20 years. Everytime I see a new building go up, I automatically wonder how much some local planning official received as a "facilitator". How much an elected-official may have received, whether or not "the cash" went towards promoting their own life-style or perhaps went into the general coffers of a recognised political party.

France is at least as corrupt as the UK (believe me that when a UK MP builds a duck-house and declares that as an expense, your average French MP has gone well beyoind that.

Here, the subject is of Hungarian MPs. A poor EU country comparatively, whose politicians are probably more corrupt then honest. If the average Hungarian has no confidence in their own State, what's the point of relying on the Hungarian State to contain any toxic spill? Whether or not they have the ability to do so? Meanwhile, I imagine that various Hungarian politicians are doing their max. to send all their liquid assets outside of EU jurisdiction, as are the owners of the aluminium plant concerned. Never mind, the USA will ensure any necessary "extradtion flights" if the situation becomes difficult. For valued allies, however shallow are the red tides, justice will be done?!

Having seen this on the news what there is questions that many of the media has failed to ask ..

TBH it was an accident waiting to happen and why didn't the hungarian Goverment not seek to resolve this problem before it happened laziness or the Company at least have the sludge in sealed containers and the lack of safety inspections was apparent .

Geez, what kind of anti-American hippy, pinko tree hugger wrote that?

Congressmen have to make a living too, they have kids to feed, and it's hard to do without help from the pharmaceutical and agrochemical lobbyists.

Next thing the author will be asking for is health care or some such socialist plot to force the children of insurance executives into the workforce. If that happens they will have to stop moving so many jobs to the kind of places they really don't want to have to visit.

Man, talk a about a slippery slope ... this free press thing is going too far!

Oh Marmot, you can be so sweet sometimes?! Here's hoping you get that extra-strong hug at bed-time tonight...?!