[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Whistleblower reveals how government rushed to give all clear after East Palestine train derailment and says he was threatened when he asked why.
An EPA whistleblower has come forward with shocking claims over the government's response to the toxic East Palestine train derailment.
Robert Kroutil, a scientist who spent four decades in government agencies, claimed to NewsNation that the EPA strayed from its normal safety procedures when testing for hazardous contamination around the crash site.
He alleged that leaders delayed in deploying a chemical testing plane for five days, but still decided that evacuated residents were free to return to their homes after only three days.
Residents who returned home quickly reported adverse reactions, including rashes, breathing problems and nausea.
'That deployment was the most unusual deployment I’ve ever seen,' Kroutil said of the testing aircraft. 'You just wouldn’t do it that way.'
Kroutil originally worked for the Department of Defense, where he worked to develop the Airborne Spectralphotometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) aircraft, a high-tech plane used to detect levels of chemical contamination in the air.
He continued this work when he moved to the EPA to work as a contractor, but said throughout his career he had never seen the aircraft used in the manner that it was in the East Palestine disaster.
At the time that officials told residents it was safe for them to return to their homes, EPA Chief Michael Reagan specifically singled out the use of the ASPECT plane as a reason he made the decision.
'We’ve had boots on the ground, leading robust air quality testing, including the advanced technology ASPECT plane,' he said.
However, procedures normally called for the ASPECT plane to be deployed within hours, and Kroutil said he is still confused why it wasn't deployed in a timely manner, feeling it may have missed key data on the levels of toxicity in the area.
'In East Palestine, we had a big delay,' he told NewsNation. 'There was a big delay in getting the aircraft to Pittsburgh.'
Asked why officials may have postponed the flight, Kroutil said he is 'still asking myself that question.'
Following the derailment on February 3, 20203, he said: 'We should be collecting data on the 4th, the 5th, the 6th (of February), multiple flights on the 7th.
'We should be there at least two weeks to monitor the situation.'
Instead, Kroutil claimed the ASPECT plane wasn't even deployed until the toxic plume of smoke had dissipated - and many residents returned home - and collected only a fraction of the data he would have expected.
'We only were deployed for two missions on Feb. 7. By that time the plumes were out, the fire was out. It was after the event and burn, so that was not the time to actually use this particular aircraft,' he said.
'The aircraft only collected data, eight minutes worth of data with the targets'. Usually, he claimed, it would have collected over 100 minutes of data.
Although EPA heads cited the plane as one of their reasons for telling residents it was safe, Kroutil claimed scientists determined the data was inconclusive - a point that didn't appear on the agency's final report on the incident.
Kroutil (pictured) began his career with the Department of Defense, and spent four decades in government agencies before resigning over his East Palestine allegations
Kroutil (pictured) began his career with the Department of Defense, and spent four decades in government agencies before resigning over his East Palestine allegations
Kroutil also alleged that the plane turned off its chemical sensors over some creeks in East Palestine, which he insisted is against normal protocol and no reason was given for the move.
'I’ve done 180 different responses,' he said. 'I’ve never heard the program manager tell us to turn the sensor off when collecting data.'
He claims that when he complained to higher-ups, he never received a response.
In response, NewsNation said the EPA disagreed with Kroutil's characterization of the response, and said the ASPECT aircraft was unable to fly earlier due to weather conditions.
'Within hours of the derailment on Feb. 3, 2023, EPA responders were on-scene, establishing a robust air monitoring network at the site and within the community,' the agency said.
'EPA’s ASPECT plane was just one component of a comprehensive air monitoring and sampling network that included several instruments to collect air samples and measure contaminants at and around the site.'
Kroutil said the weather data contradicted this, and claimed the plane would have been safe to fly at 2,000 feet instead of its normal altitude of 2,800 feet.
As his fears over the derailment's response grew, the scientist said he was also taken aback by being told not to include the words 'East Palestine' from his communications with his program manager.
This may have been used as a loophole so that those communications wouldn't be included in a Freedom of Information Act response about the derailment, Kroutil said.
Because of this, he decided to file his own FOIA request - which he said was quickly met by a threat.
'I was told that I’d be fired within 24 hours if I didn’t rescind my FOIA request,' he claimed.
Kroutil resigned his post after he rescinded the request, and insisted that he is now whistleblowing for one reason - 'because it's the truth.'
The former agency staffer is being offered legal protections by the Government Accountability Project (GAO) as he steps forward with his claims.
Lesley Pacey, an investigator with the GAP, said of their support: 'The EPA didn’t gather the chemical information that it could have gathered to inform first responders, the community, government officials, to protect the public.'
'They could have done this and they didn’t. The question is why.'
#1
It’s not like the movies, folks; marauders will disappear swiftly during a crash. After the first year I would be surprised if any of these individuals or groups still exist.
It's called living off the land (population). Groups keep moving after they ravage a locale. If they're stopped or forced back upon the route they've taken, then they'll decline. Pre-logistic armies operated that way for thousands of years.
[ZeroHedge] China has unexpectedly forgiven all of Zimbabwe’s debts. Estimates suggest the total amount could be as high as $10 billion.
It is worth noting that the Zimbos are under sanctions, and as such are in the naughty books of the IMF and the World Bank. Lucky them as both are parasites.
China has eagerly filled this niche by lending and forgiving debts.
Now, before you get all giddy about those nice Chinese being all cuddly and philanthropic, realise that in the real world they’ll have cut some deals.
Likely a 20-cents-on-the-dollar type of deal.
In other words, something like this, “You owe us $10 billion, and can’t pay? What a shame. How about we forgive it, have a beer and oh… well, maybe let us, you know, ”look after” that port of yours over there. Yes, we know it’s worth something north of $100 billion. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of it. Promise!”
The map below indicates all of China’s investments and forgiven debts in Africa.
Here’s the point worth noting. China is actively becoming the continent’s main trade and political partner. Conquest by trade was how the Inca became dominant. Not a terrible strategy.
Considering that Africa is the only continent with a huge potential for development, these investments will likely pay off massively in the future.
If I was a betting man, I’d say China will become the net beneficiary of all this chaos. Whether or not it is helpful to Africa remains to be seen.
They’ll become subjugated — this time by China rather than the IMF, World Bank, and Western globalists. We wait to find out what it looks like before passing judgement.
"So, we are going to make history and print the 1 Billion ZimBuck. What culturally significant marker of our society should we use for such a historic occasion?"
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Petr Akopov
[REGNUM] The appointment of Andrei Belousov as Minister of Defense was one of Vladimir Putin’s most unexpected personnel decisions in a quarter of a century. However, it is not illogical - and it is certainly not atypical for the president. From the very beginning, the army was one of Putin’s main priorities - it is no coincidence that almost immediately, in 2001, Sergei Ivanov, the president’s closest ally and friend, was appointed to the Ministry of Defense. It was under him that the army reform began, which they developed together with Putin and the General Staff. But the qualities of a professional intelligence officer and analyst were not enough to restore order in the extremely neglected military economy - and it was also necessary to rebuild both the Ministry of Defense itself and the army as such.
#1
It's like baseball. If the team doesn't win, you can't fire the team, so you fire the manager.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
05/15/2024 8:44 Comments ||
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#2
But Dale assures me that the two week Special Operation is proceeding as planned. He talks to people.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/15/2024 8:53 Comments ||
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#3
Massive delegation is being sent to China. Counterparts being introduced. This is huge. Putin's new team with all his major players meet and greet. Belousov, Shoigu indicates long range plans and all the west offers is more sanctions. They attack India with sanctions. Counterparts meet and plan coordination for future interactions that will be quite extensive.
[Breitbart] A key gauge of inflation surged by much more than expected in April, confirming that the pace of inflation has accelerated.
The producer price index for final demand, which measures the prices paid to U.S. businesses for their goods and services, rose by 2.2 percent in April, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Compared with a year ago, the index is up 2.2 percent, the largest increase in a year.
Economists had forecast a 0.3 percent gain in April compared with March and a 2.2 percent gain year-over-year.
The impact of the higher-than-expected figures for April was somewhat softened because the prior month’s estimate was revised down from a 0.2 percent gain to a decrease of 0.1 percent.
The so-called core producer price index—a measure that excludes prices of food and energy—jumped 0.5 percent in April after calling 0.1 percent in March. Economists had forecast a 0.2 percent gain. Over the year, core producer prices are up 2.4 percent.
Another measure that also excludes wholesale and retail merchant margins known as trade services prices, rose 0.4 percent in April. Compared with a year ago, this “core core” measure is up 3.1 percent, the largest year-over-year gain since a year ago.
The producer price part of the measure’s name comes from the fact that the price changes are measured from the point of view of the seller of the goods rather than the buyer. That means they do not include sales or excise taxes or government subsidies that go to consumers. Shipping costs that are paid by consumers are also excluded. The prices of imports are not included because those are not received by U.S. producers but by foreign producers.
The final demand part of the measure’s name comes from the fact what is measured is the prices of sales to what are sometimes called end-users. That is, these are not sales of components or materials that are directly employed to create goods and services sold to consumers. These are products sold to customers who are government buyers, household buyers, businesses buying capital goods, and foreign buyers.
The index for final demand services rose 0.6 percent in April, the largest rise since jumping 0.8 percent in July 2023. Prices for final demand goods rose 0.4 percent in April after falling 0.2 percent in March.
The much hotter-than-expected inflation figure is likely to be seen as delaying any rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Officials have said that they need to see evidence that inflation will continue to fall before they will begin reducing their federal funds benchmark interest rate.
#1
CPI and Real Earnings scheduled for release at 830am EDT 15 May.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/15/2024 0:37 Comments ||
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#2
Then we wait a month until the real numbers are exposed?
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
05/15/2024 4:52 Comments ||
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#3
Here's the CPI side of this:
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX - APRIL 2024
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, after rising 0.4 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.4 percent before seasonal adjustment.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/15/2024 9:19 Comments ||
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#4
HEY DC SWAMP!!!!!
How about a REAL VIEW ON US INFLATION, as it affects the Workers & Retirees of America?
Because what the Fed's are trying to push as data, is far from the Real Cost of Living to the Working class and retirees, since Biden's group "took" the White House.
Surely, it all boils down to Congress overspending and its Pork Barrels to the tune of a $34T National Debt.
Thus, making the US Dollar near worthless to foreign vendors and countries. Where too much now of what we import and consume now comes from.
OH, and don't forget the usual election year increase in the Min Wage for votes.
#7
The BLS removed one of its coffee indicators (it was for a specific size container). It still has two coffee indicators. You can see the entire food list here
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/15/2024 10:51 Comments ||
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#8
I have a recipe which calls for 4 lbs. of potatoes. When I started making it, bags at the store were 5 lbs. Today, they are 3 lbs. bags and more expensive.
#9
More than expected by who? I’ve seen destroyer sailors in foreign ports act with more fiscal responsibility than the Biden Administration. Buttigieg sneezes inflation. Everything these clowns do is inflationary. They ought to seek a Goodyear sponsorship.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/15/2024 17:02 Comments ||
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#2
I am seeing even the poorest impacted in Maryland. 70% reductions for families with children with food stamps.25-29 dollars for a month assistance. Obama's new normal. The rich get richer.
From the V Kontakte page of Reports from the New Russia militia.
Useful information, and not just for the fighting in Ukraine..
“Tactical medicine instructor with call sign Latvian:
Dear friends, today I’ll tell you about gunshot wounds that military personnel face in the Northern Military District zone and other local conflicts.
The wounds themselves are divided into through, blind and tangential (based on the type of wound channel), penetrating and non-penetrating (in relation to planes).
Well, of course, by localization: head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, spine and limbs.
Most gunshot wounds have an entrance hole, a wound channel and an exit hole (in the case of a through wound) or several exit holes (in the case of the destruction of the bullet or the release of bone fragments from the body).
More recently, on his channel, we talked about how the wound channel has a rather complex and irregular shape, which is a factor in changing the trajectory of the projectile in human tissue when it comes into contact with internal tissues and their contractility.
The most dangerous thing in a gunshot wound is not the primary type of injury - the penetrating cavity, wound channel or exit cavity, but the shock wave that spreads inside the body when injured.
I think many people have noticed that with a gunshot wound, a huge “bruise” forms around the wound site, that is, a bruise zone caused by this shock wave appears.
This is the most dangerous factor that can subsequently cause death.
This zone is a zone of secondary necrosis or “molecular concussion”.
In order to avoid the development of secondary necrosis, at the stage of providing assistance to a fighter, it is necessary to administer antibiotics (any wound by default means infection) and, if possible, carry out primary treatment of the wound and the wound channel itself before transferring the victim to the hospital stage.”
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
