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http://pesn.com/2005/05/12/6900093_MagnesiumCorporation_of_America/
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DOJ Files Civil Action Against MagCorp for PCB Violations
Leading U.S. polluter, US Magnesium Corporation of Salt Lake City, has
been on the EPA's list as the largest toxic air polluter in the country.
Though its emissions have improved, they are still significant. Local
inventor said he demonstrated the successful burning of some of their emissions
for energy and clean-up, but they declined to integrate the technique.
"We do not have an emissions problem." --
MagCorp Engineer, 1994.
"Our emissions are mainly
water." -- Tom Tripp, May 13, 2005.
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2005
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (May 12, 2005) - Today the U.S. Department of Justice filed
a civil action against US Magnesium Corporation (MagCorp) of Salt Lake
City for illegal manufacture, disposal and lack of cleaning PCB waste.
MagCorp is the only producer of primary magnesium in the United States, drawing
from the Great Salt Lake. They also manufacture liquid chlorine.
This is not the first time MagCorp has been charged. For nearly 13 years,
they topped the EPA's list as the largest toxic air polluter in the
country. In 1998, MagCorp emitted 57.7 million pounds of chlorine gas into
the atmosphere. By 2003, they had reduced that down to 2.9 million pounds.
The waste-water ditches around USMC-SLC are contaminated with dioxin at levels
as high as 170 parts per billion. EPA action levels for clean-up
begin at one part per billion. (ref)
According to today's filing, PCBs are toxic chemicals that are extremely stable
and persistent in the environment. They have been proven to cause liver
damage, adverse skin effects, and changes in other biological functions, and are
suspected of causing cancer in humans. PCBs bioaccumulate in humans and
other organisms.
When MagCorp propositioned the local government about locating their
facilities in Utah in 1969, a deal was struck in which MagCorp was promised
certain tax advantages and a set power rate of 2 cents per kilowatt hour of
energy, in exchange for so many jobs brought into the economy. The 30-year
electricity contract expired in 1999, and, after several years of court
disputes, was renewed at 2.514 cents per kW-h in Nov. 2004. That amount is
slightly lower than "cost of service" according to Public Service
Commission docket number 03-035-19. (ref)
A good rate for municipalities purchasing power at wholesale rates is 4 cents
per kW-h.
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Though MagCorp filed for bankruptcy on August 2, 2001, the principals do not
seem to be hurting for cash. According to KSL radio in Salt Lake City,
company owner, Ira Rennert, recently bought an entire city block outside of New
York City (Hampton) and built a multi a mansion worth tens of millions of
dollars.
Late in 1994, Salt Lake City inventor, Paul Pantone took a sample of the
emissions from MagCorp and demonstrated that he could burn it in his GEET
engine. He noted significant reduction in toxic emissions. When he
approached two MagCorp engineers about integrating this solution, they said to
him, "You don't seem to understand. We do not have an emissions
problem." When Pantone pointed out the extent of paint corrosion on
the cars in their parking lot, again, they denied that the emissions from their
plant were to blame. Pantone has a phone conference appointment tomorrow
morning with Tom Tripp, a manager at MagCorp, to present this proposal once
again.
Pantone commented that when he first moved to Salt Lake City, he noticed that
the bridges appeared as though they had been acid washed. When he learned
of MagCorp and investigated their facility, he realized why this is the case,
considering the amount of acid steam emitted from the plant. He thinks he
can make a difference. Will MagCorp listen?
Perhaps Mr. Rennart can spare some of his personal wealth for some research and
development into Pantone's claim.
(See response below)
# # #
SOURCES
CONTACT
MagCorp: Tom Tripp 801-532-1522 x259
Related Coverage
- EPA
Sues Magnesium Company - (AP / KSL-TV; May 14)
- Feds sue plant for alleged
PCB spill - Such complaints aren't all
that new for the Utah firm, once-worst U.S. polluter. (SL Tribune;
front page; May 14, 2005)
- for years was the nation's worst polluter
- government seeks to hold Rennert responsible, force a cleanup and
forbid further operations that would violate environmental laws.
- EPA in 2001 sued MagCorp, the company's former incarnation, to collect
fines for toxic waste violations totaling $902 million. EPA claimed
MagCorp was poisoning the environment with dioxins and hexachlorobenzene
- lawsuit alleges PCBs were found at U.S. Magnesium in concentrations as
high as 600 parts per million
- In 1996, Rennert's holding company sold bonds to raise $150 million.
Rennert pocketed almost $89 million in management fees and dividends
- Big
polluter cuts emissions - But state still ranks third in level of toxic
releases. (Deseret News; May 11, 2005)
- Utah third nationally in
release of toxins - The EPA report, released Wednesday, shows that five
Nevada mines spewed 3,830 pounds of mercury into the atmosphere in 2003,
accounting for 90 percent of all mercury emitted into the air in Utah,
Nevada and Idaho. (Salt Lake Tribune; May 12, 2005)
Phone Conversation
May 13, 2005
In a phone conversation responding to the above article, Tom Tripp, a manager
at U.S. Magnesium, set forth his counter points. He said that the
Department of Justice civil action filing is unfounded, and that MagCorp is not
in violation as stated. He also stated that the EPA charges are likewise
unfounded. He said that MagCorp is not a major U.S. polluter, certainly
not the leading polluter -- that one coal plant in Pennsylvania puts out more
pollution than all the industrial plants in Utah combined. He said that
the state of the bridges in Salt Lake City has nothing to do with emissions from
MagCorp. He said that a person on the board of directors of a holding
company being very wealthy is not uncommon nor unique to their company. He
said that the sample Paul Pantone took for analysis was not an emission, but an
intermediate solution used in the processing of their materials. He said
that MagCorp is not inclined to give Mr. Pantone any of their time to see if he
might have a solution to any of their emissions, which are mainly water.
If you buy all that, then you've not seen enough movies like Erin
Brockovich, The
Pelican Brief, High
Crimes, or The
Firm.
Pantone responded by saying that he is not at all surprised by that reply from
Tripp. "It is the same kind of response I have gotten from forty-five
different government officials in Utah when seeking to present methods by which
the valley's pollution could be cleared up. They dismiss me without
testing for themselves."
Just because an inventor's explanations might not wash with accredited theories
of science, does not necessarily mean that their technology is bogus. Many
researchers have independently verified Pantone's core Geet technology.
* * * *
Tripp's Email
(Responding to the above phone conversation report)
From: Tom Tripp
To: 'Sterling D. Allan'
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 11:58 AM
Subject: RE: MagCorp article follow-up
I intended to say that unless there is some yet to be disclosed substantial
evidence that Mr . Pantone's "invention" has some basis on a commonly
understood scientific principles, has been demonstrated in some objective way,
or has passed some sort of commercial test it would not be of interest. US
Magnesium remains very skeptical and isn't willing to engage in that kind of
unfounded research.
During his 1994 visit Mr. Pantone was given an intermediate chemical stream. Why
that stream was selected is outside of records and memory. After applying his
techniques, it was reported by Mr. Pantone that he had successfully destroyed
contaminants. However, Mr. Pantone had no data (chemical analyses, residual
samples, other objective evidence) to back up his claims other than to say
"he could tell by smell." When pressed he could produce no further
affirmative information and the process description seemed scientifically
dubious.
Based on our previous experience, further effort doesn't seem warranted.
* * * *
Sterling's email Reply to Tom
From: Sterling D. Allan
To: ttripp{at}usmagnesium.com
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: MagCorp article follow-up
Tom,
History tells us that the greatest innovations do not follow established
convention, but push the envelope into new understandings of science.
Pantone's work is of this ilk. Just because it does not follow convention does
not mean it is not worth your trouble to investigate.
Most inventors do not have the resources with which to obtain the kind of data
you are requesting. But you do. What would it hurt for you to have him come to
your facility, put some of your emissions in on the front end, run it through
his Geet, and measure what comes out the other end.
I know of numerous researchers who have replicated the Geet and have confirmed
its claims, including the transmutation of elements due to the plasma state
achieved in the Geet.
Sterling D. Allan
Executive Director, PES Network Inc
* * * *
Paul Pantone Responds to Tom Tripp
From: Paul Pantone
To: Sterling D. Allan
Cc: ttripp{at}usmagnesium.com [...]
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: MagCorp article follow-up
Tom, Sterling, et al,
Excuse me!!! I got the sample from an outside contractor who brought it to me.
Your company REFUSED to give a sample. I then went with 4 witnesses to the rear
door of Data Chem, in Salt Lake and ran my GEET Engine on the solution. The
Tedlar Bag, used to gather the exhaust was taken from the unit by the employees
of Data Chem. They reported that the exhaust was nothing more than clean fresh
air. This is what I stated at your facilities weeks later.
The response was that your company doesn't have a pollution problem, and if it
costs us ten cents, we weren't interested.
Yet I receive letters of news articles like attached and you need proof?
About 25% of the people who come to me for education hold Physics degrees, and
cannot begin to explain how THEY can build one within hours of class. With 197
discoveries, not in science books, I do have what I say and to date cannot be
disputed.
I did not come to MagCorp to ask for money, it was sincere as to stop the air
from being further damaged. But, why should I expect your company to care any
more that the Government has shown...
Paul Pantone, Inventor
- - - -
Attachment 1
72 Elements found in crude oil at Brigham Young University. After going
through the GEET reaction chamber, only 12 elements were found.
click for enlargement
Attachment 2:
Endorsement letter from Adnreas Kurt Richter, Ph.D., P.E.
click for enlargement
Attachment 3:
'Pickle Power' project prevails -- news article
click for enlargement
See also
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan May 6, 2005
Last updated July 16, 2005
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