Title:Smelter to face tougher emissions rules
Author: ABC News
Date: Thursday, May 17th, 2012
http://www.eco-business.com/news/smelter-to-face-tougher-emissions-rules/
Summary: South Australia's Environmental Minister, Paul Caica, says that Nyrsatr, a smelting company in Port Pirie, has to face more stringent conditions under rules set by the EPA.This means that the emission levels of zinc and lead have to be lower. Steven Marshall opposes to these new restrictions, believing that it will just be another burden like carbon pricing.He also argues that it will hurt the "viability of the smelting business. All of this is due to the EPA investigating two emission spikes that had occurred in 2009.Right now zinc smelting at Nyrsatr is under rigged conditions.
Reaction: When I read this article I thoroughly agreed with the EPA. It is responsible of them to put restrictions on this particular smelter. Although thermal inversions are not very common in this part of the world, any kind of emission can have a drastic effect on the people living in the area. I do not see any reason why not to enforce more stringent rules on smelting as long as it is for the betterment of the people in that area. Smelting is good for our economy, but not if it is making people sick.
Question:
1.What are laws like in the U.S. about smelting, are they stringent or laid back? Why?
2.How drastically would another incident like Denora do to the world in terms of Environmental laws?Why?
3.What is more dangerous, Zinc in the air or Lead in the air? Why?
Caption: Tragic event in Denora, Pa that had lasted 4 days and sickened thousands of people. It was cause by zinc smelting during a thermal inversion.
Author: ABC News
Date: Thursday, May 17th, 2012
http://www.eco-business.com/news/smelter-to-face-tougher-emissions-rules/
Summary: South Australia's Environmental Minister, Paul Caica, says that Nyrsatr, a smelting company in Port Pirie, has to face more stringent conditions under rules set by the EPA.This means that the emission levels of zinc and lead have to be lower. Steven Marshall opposes to these new restrictions, believing that it will just be another burden like carbon pricing.He also argues that it will hurt the "viability of the smelting business. All of this is due to the EPA investigating two emission spikes that had occurred in 2009.Right now zinc smelting at Nyrsatr is under rigged conditions.
Reaction: When I read this article I thoroughly agreed with the EPA. It is responsible of them to put restrictions on this particular smelter. Although thermal inversions are not very common in this part of the world, any kind of emission can have a drastic effect on the people living in the area. I do not see any reason why not to enforce more stringent rules on smelting as long as it is for the betterment of the people in that area. Smelting is good for our economy, but not if it is making people sick.
Question:
1.What are laws like in the U.S. about smelting, are they stringent or laid back? Why?
2.How drastically would another incident like Denora do to the world in terms of Environmental laws?Why?
3.What is more dangerous, Zinc in the air or Lead in the air? Why?
Zinc smelting is a dangerous industry and should be monitored as much as possible. Denora’s incident was tragic the EPA should do what they can to make sure such an incident never happens again. I’m sure there could also be an alternate to zinc smelting. And scientist should work on that. Or, maybe, even find a way to prevent thermal inversions. 3 new questions are:
ReplyDelete1. How often do thermal inversions occur?
2. Do you think zinc smelting plants are trying to find was to be more efficient and less dangerous, or do they care too much about money?
3. Exactly how should the plants be monitored?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to care environment, and for people. Releasing toxins in the air could be potentially harmful. We need to be careful about making the same mistakes. Denora for example was a horrid event that could have been prevented if there was more regulation, so I am in favor of the EPA. To answer Hagin's 1st question, they occur in the winter more, since the ground is cooler from snow.
ReplyDeleteQuestions
Is there a way to make the process more clean?
What is more important, people's health or money?
Should the EPA make more regluations?
Of course I side with the EPA. The health of people and other organisms always will outweigh finances for me. Life is infinitely more important than money. I am glad when companies that harm the environment lose business, because the more business they get under those conditions, the worse pollution will get. Zinc smelting, however important, can never be worth more than life. I just wish more officials will realize that.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I believe that if another Denora-type incident occurred, people would be more environmentally cautious as long as it was on their minds. It would become fashionable to be pollution-free until the incident vacates the media and the minds of the people. Unfortunately, unless society experiences a drastic change, money will remain more important than life.