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The [Tuesday] Papers"A federal judge has denied East Chicago residents their bid to intervene in court proceedings for the clean-up of lead and arsenic in their neighborhood," AP reports. "The Post-Tribune reports that Judge Philip Simon ruled last week against a request from residents to intervene between the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and companies held responsible for the pollution at the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site. "The ruling agreed with a prior opinion from a magistrate judge who ruled the residents' request came too late in the process." * Why do I instinctually suppose East Chicago residents just got screwed (again)? Let's dig in a little. "Attorneys representing residents have accused the EPA of minimizing health concerns and cleaning up a limited number of properties despite knowing for decades about widespread contamination," the Northwest Indiana Times reported last month. Residents say they didn't realize the extent of contamination until summer 2016, when city officials announced families at the West Calumet Housing Complex had to relocate due to the severe contamination and that they would demolish the site. That seems persuasive. Simon, the judge who signed off on the 2014 consent decree, said Tuesday that EPA's cleanup does indeed appear to be a "totally different landscape" that what was presented to him back then - with the West Calumet Housing Complex now vacated and East Chicago eying demolition. So what changed? Simon suggested it seemed inevitable EPA would have to return, eventually, to the courts for approval because federal Superfund statute requires the agency to do so in the cases of substantial cleanup amendments. So they can't intervene now, but when another terrible thing happens they'll get another shot? * "Lang also argued Tuesday the motion was filed too late and that granting them intervener status would 'unnecessary delay' ongoing time-critical cleanups at the site. According to EPA, nearly 290 properties have been remediated since summer 2016. Another 718 require remediation. Simon appeared perplexed at that argument, saying, "Don't you feel silly, having found out about this problem (in the 1980s), and your concern is that citizens are delaying this? That's amazing," Simon said. And yet, swallow it he did. - Previously: * Flawed CDC Report Left East Chicago Children Vulnerable To Lead Poisoning. - I haven't forgotten about East Chicago (or Flint or Aleppo or Darfur) and neither should you. That's why those cities are featured by our Weather Desk over there on the left rail. - New on the Beachwood . . . Be A CHIdiot * Publisher Files Censorship Suit Against Illinois Department Of Corrections * Who Will Win The Ivy King Cup? * The Paradise Papers: Journalists Flee Venezuela To Publish Investigation * MLK And The Ram We are living in a culture of normalized deceit. * The Weekend In Chicago Rock - On This Day In . . . 2012: What The Sun-Times Left Out Of Its Fond Remembrance Of Jeff Zaslow. * 2017: What Hitler Couldn't Do. * 2014: Rahm Responds To Rooftop Snow Messages. * 2014: How The Tribune Saw The Beatles. * 2015: On Jackie Robinson West And Adults Behaving Badly. * 2016: CPD's Bogus Lineups And Missing Files. If you're going to be in what former Tribune editor/publisher/president Jack Fuller called a "truth profession," you should be beyond reproach. Or, as Bob Dylan once said, it you want to be an outlaw you have to be honest. Also, they should all be truth professions. * 2017: Empty Statements, Empty Pockets And Susanna Hoffs. * 2011: The Real Rahm. Rated VF for Very Funny. - ChicagoGram - ChicagoTube Chicago Clergy To Back Dreamers With Lenten Fast. - BeachBook The Campaign Of Randy Bryce, The Democrat Challenging Paul Ryan, Is Not Just Pro-Union But Unionized. * How To Stay Warm At A Bitter-Cold Olympics: Face Tape And A Whistle-Like Gadget. - Consumer reports via Consumer World, which I love. Phone Prices Going Up With No End In Sight. * LL Bean Cuts Their Lifetime Guarantee Short. Not sure I can blame them; once again, greedy, selfish people ruin it for everyone else. Just be cool, people! * Beware Of "Sales" At These Stores. Our whole economy is built on deceit. - TweetWood
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- The Beachwood Tronc Line: You have to do some of the work yourself. Posted on February 13, 2018 |
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