JAMES MADISON QUOTE - 1822

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."

SCOTTSBORO WEATHER - SUN & MOON RISE

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Jackson County Commission, Regular Session, Environmental Concerns Presentation, Cancer Rates, Biosolids Sewage Sludge Issue, ADEM Testing of Water on Sand Mountain, October 23, 2017

Historical poor stewardship by corporations and individual polluters, along with negligent state and federal agencies are killing people in Jackson County Alabama. An extreme statement when extreme measures need to be taken. The placing of money before the health and welfare of citizens is unacceptable. 
Center for Disease Control's National Cancer Institute's, NCI, Map of Alabama in regards to cancers and cancer rates. Jackson County, upper right hand corner of map in red, demonstrates high cancer death rates. Various cancers are present in the community at levels which are above the state and national averages. A review of the statistical data indicates females are at greater risk of cancer deaths. Female death rates for Jackson county are ranked at #7 while males are ranked #11 in the state of Alabama. My presentation to the Jackson County Commission may be seen at 7 minutes 18 seconds in the below video of the commission meeting.

Testing by ADEM, April and May 2017 of water in the area of North Sand Mountain demonstrated increased levels of e. coli, low oxygen content of water, dangerous levels of "oxygen demand" indicating organic pollutants present, Nitrogen Ammonia highly elevated, total phosphorus elevated. The problem with ADEM appears to be timely and continuous followup testing of water in the areas of pollution. 

NCI CANCERS STATS for the State of Alabama, Jackson County
(cancers of concern, sex and age relations, elevated rates, red grouping)
#1 Thyroid cancer incidence for all sexes, age under 50, #3 incidence rate for all ages.
#2 Pancreatic cancer incidents for males all ages, #6 death rate for men.
#2 ovarian cancer deaths (females) all ages.
#6 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma incidence all ages female.
#2 Liver cancer deaths, male all ages.
#4 Leukemia deaths, males all ages.
#2 Kidney, pelvic, renal cancer incidence, female, all ages.
#3 Colon and Rectal cancer deaths female all ages; #9 death rate for both sexes.
#1 Brain cancer deaths males, all ages; #2 deaths for both sexes.
#4 Bladder cancer deaths, both sexes all ages.

HISTORICAL POLLUTION and POOR STEWARDSHIP

Report from the Huntsville Times, January 8, 2008, on historical dumping in mining sites on North Sand Mountain, TVA involvement; E. coli and mercury contamination in area of concern.There is a question whether the remediation effort was accomplished. In 1995 wells were tested in the Flat Rock Fabious area by the health department, over 50% of wells tested demonstrated e. coli content in the well water at unsafe levels. Area contamination was a great concern at this time, 1995, due to a massive fish, turtle and amphibian kill in the Coon Gulf area, reports from local residents state, "Nothing was living, the stench was horrible, you could walk across the water because of all the floating dead animals." ( Article reproduced under fair use rights for non-profit news reporting regarding community health. Click on image for an expanded view.) 

MEETING AGENDA


VIDEO

Monday, October 23, 2017

Scottsboro City Council Meeting Regular Session, Final 2017-2018 Budget Approval - Council Member Smith Questions Cost Overruns on City Projects October 23, 2017

Scottsboro City Hall photo by G. Morgan

Facebook City Council Reports Video

AGENDA


VIDEO



                                                      PHOTOS
City Council President Tony Wallingsford, center, asks for motions to bring agenda items forward for a vote. City Clerk Whitney Phillips sits on Mr. Wallingsfords's right; City Attorney Steve Kennamer reads applicable document on Mr. Wallingsford's left.

Council Member Keith Smith, photo left, asks questions regarding city projects cost overruns.

Mayor Robin Shelton, photo left, addresses Mr. Smith's (photo right) concerns. Council Member Gary Stewart, center, looks on.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Jackson County Commission Work Session, City of Chattanooga Presentation on Sewer Sludge - or JUSTIFICATION OF A PATHOGEN BOMB? Sand Mountain Citizens Express Concerns on Health and Environment, October 16, 2017

Jackson County Courthouse South Side, photo by G. Morgan

Photo Credit - AlzheimerDisease TV - Fair Use Rights for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

Big News Item -"OWWW THAT SMELL" (the continuing saga) - Sand Mountain Citizens express concerns regarding health and environment from sewer sludge spreading. Previous articles on Sewer Sludge and my reports on my field investigation of the problem. More information regarding documentation should be received toward the end of this week. City of Chattanooga made a presentation regarding this issue. 

THE CITY OF CHATTANOOGA AND ITS CONTRACTOR ARE NOT TELLING THE ENTIRE STORY 
Previous articles and more info on this issue: http://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/biosolids%20sewage%20sludge

Mad Cow Disease (BSE) 
"Disease-causing proteins can evade sewage treatment procedures."
"Prions, the infective particles behind diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), can breach standard sewage treatment methods, new research shows.The discovery raises the possibility that the rogue proteins, which are infamously hard to detect, can jump one of the most important barriers that safeguard human health."

FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
The bottom line is this, a failure to adequately and scientifically evaluate and assign an accurate risk factor to this dangerous practice. Deaths and sickness have occurred from sewage sludge application. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094820/  


AGENDA

VIDEOS



                                            PART 2 VIDEO
'                                            
 PHOTOS
Citizens express concerns about the spreading of sewage sludge near their homes, sickness reported, foul smells, large amounts of disease carrying flies, creeks/streams with no life.
This citizens says it is about the money, our safety and health doesn't matter. The stench is horrible, large amounts of blood on the ground attracting predators at the sewage sites. photo by G. Morgan

Dumping of the sewage from Chattanooga has been occurring since 1995,killing fish, poisoning wildlife and contaminating wells. This citizens has the documents, the photos and other evidence of negligent and dangerous applications of sewage onto farmlands and pumping into abandoned mines.
photo by G. Morgan
We are worried about our children.
photo by G. Morgan
If you don't believe us come and see for yourself. We have to live here, you don't.
Photo by G. Morgan
Rare cancers reported and other sickness. photo by G. Morgan
The creeks are contaminated, no signs of life. When we were children we used to swim and fish in the creeks on Sand Mountain, not now, it will make you sick. photo by G. Morgan
City of Chattanooga employee attempts to answer citizen's questions. Commissioners look on.
photo by G. Morgan

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Jackson County Commission Meeting October 10, 2017


Jackson County Courthouse North Entrance, photo by G. Morgan

It was disclosed that the trees for the City of Scottsboro's beautification/renovation project on the downtown square will be from Florida and will cost $36,000 - they are guaranteed to live, hahaha, seriously. Shrubbery will cost approximately $14,000, there was no indication if the shrubbery was guaranteed to live or die. Previous shrubbery was allowed to deteriorate and go for months untrimmed.

AGENDA

Note cost of renovation of heating and cooling system, $1.1 million dollars. Minimum work will cost approximately $100K, including engineering cost should be near $125K-$150K. This is a 1967 system, the air cooling, heating and handeling system been recommended for replacement and upgrades for the past 25 years. Costs have rose 100% in those years as a result of past commission's neglect.

VIDEO 



                                            Video Capture Photos
Jackson County Buildings Maintenance Chief informs commission on air, cooling and heating system problems in the courthouse. Original air system dating back to 1967. Controls and actuators, obsolete systems are not efficient nor are parts available. It was recommended 25 years ago that the system needed to be upgraded. Plans have been submitted and pushed aside for 25 years, now the cost appreciation is at the 100% level. Comprehensive plans for upgrades have been discarded by previous commissions.

Commission seated, the new Chair leads meeting, 'Ya' in it with both feet now Mike, good luck. :)


Monday, October 9, 2017

Scottsboro City Council Regular Session - Budget Approved October 9, 2017

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

FACEBOOK Live video link for report section. 

AGENDA
Current Budget approved for $21.256 million total, in accordance with state law 90% of the budget was approved tonight for $19.112 million.

VIDEO

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Scottsboro City Council Work Session October 2, 2017

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

Occasionally I will provide a live Facebook video from the delegation and report segment at the City Council Meeting, this is the Facebook URL of that segment.

AGENDA
Click on image for an expanded view.

VIDEO



From this point on I'll be providing a few video-auto photo captures from the meeting.





Monday, October 2, 2017

Jackson County Commission Work Session October 2, 2017

South Side of Jackson County Courthouse, photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA
Click on image for an expanded view.

VIDEO



I'll be providing a few video auto-photo captures in my blog posting.