FAKE DEMOCRATS TO SEXY DOGS TO A CHOP JOB!

FAKE DEMOCRATS TO SEXY DOGS TO A CHOP JOB, (Frazer Chronicles)

There truly are strange things that happen in our country every day.....well, usually at night, but the time of day or night doesn't matter, some of the stuff that goes on in America is bizarre, going way past strange.

Political shenanigans have been going on for hundreds of years, and although it is a fact, the time money and effort involved, political party's need to reign in this sort of activity, "gee, the American public might start to think that you politicians only worry about your jobs and your parties, and not the country."

The other 2 issues in today's blog are a bit more touchy then a simple "fake Democrat," the delicate nature of a  dog being sexy to other K9's is.....kind of in the eye of the beholder, but dogs can't talk, "at least like humans,"so how the hell would a human know how a male or female dog felt about the other? I guess a guy can see a dog as sexy, a whole new way of looking at domesticated house pets, that frankly makes me a little sick.

I have a dog, she's a female, and yes, I think she is pretty, but sexy, I never thought about that. Wait a minute, let me take a closer look..........nope, sexy does not come to mind when I look at my dog, any part of my dog, I love her, but for Gods sake, "shes just a dog."

Lastly we visit a kind of "chop shop," or the "house of a women scorned," or an Islamic fable, "Husein Chop." No matter how you slice it, "no pun intended," this last bit of audacity that people can do, one to the other is truly unbelievable.

Let me be clear, there never has been a voluntary action of the type that I will talk about in the history of man, in fact, the old saying, "size does matter" will play a prominent in the final part of today's blog.

Lets get started with today's tales, the FAKE DEMOCRATS of Wisconsin. 6 fake Democrats were defeated in a special election in the opening act of the recall elections which are slated for August. The idea behind the 6 "fakers," which were actually supported by the Republican party, was to run against the "legitimate" Democrats who will run against the recalled Republican state senators.

"Now that I have you all completely confused," "like I am," let me lay it out for you as best I can. The 6 Republican senators, Rob Cowles, Alberta Darling, Sheila Harsdorf, Randy Hopper, Luther Olsen and Dan Kapanke have been recalled by signed petitions for basically their stance on collective bargaining issues for state union workers in Wisconsin.

The 6 "real Democrats" who won primary elections, and are back by the Democratic party are Nancy Nusbaum, Sandy Pasch, Shelly Moore, Fred Clark, Jessica King and Jennifer Shilling. The ruse for the July 12th. elections was to give the Republican party more time to campaign for the August elections.

I personally don't buy it, I think more then anything else, the elections were to "cloud" the issues, and to give the Republican party more time to do their redistricting. The money that it cost to hold these special elections.....before the elections is nothing more then a political ploy, "I could have used that money."

Anyways, now everybody knows how Wisconsin politics works, I hope, cause I'm gonna call somebody to figure it out, I still don't get it.

The case of the SEXY DOG, or "how to end up in the slam for being a pervert." In Muskegon, Michigan a judge sent a man back to prison for sexually assaulting his pet dog for 17 months to 22 years. The judge also ordered the states corrections office to get counseling for the Muskegon man.

Jose Sanchez pleaded no contest to a charge of bestiality, as he didn't want to drag the 60 pound female dog through painful  court proceedings. The dog has been taken in by a foster family who I assume specializes in SVD's, "sexually victimized dogs."

Our 3rd. "low light" of the day involves a case of a CHOP JOB in Garden Grove, California, which included a drugging incident. You might say that this story also included an illegal bounding, or imprisonment issue, but those charges, as yet, have not been addressed.

The evening started Innocent enough, when 51 year old Cathy Becker prepared a meal for her estranged husband. The man, whose name was not released, thought, "I'm sure," that there was a possible reconciliation in the works, if only for 1 night and the man sat down with his wife to enjoy a meal.....and whatever happened next during the evening.

What happened next was mostly a fog to the man, as first he became violently ill, went into the bedroom to lie down before losing consciousness. When he woke, he was bound to the bed, hands and feet, with a rope, and his wife was preforming a chop job on his penis.

That's right Cathy Becker was cutting her husbands weeny off, at the base, slashing his bologna, doing a whack job, or preforming a Peckerecktomy. When she was done, with the man bleeding profusely and screaming with pain, the women calmly took the digit to the garbage disposal for the final indignation.

She was arrested by the Garden Grove cops for an arrested act of pure evil.

 

NUCLEAR REGULATIONS RESULT, A PERMENATE ORANGE AFRO!

NUCLEAR REGULATIONS RESULTS, A PERMEATE ORANGE AFRO! (Frazer Chronicles)

You'd think that with a energy source so powerful, and accidents with such potentially catastrophic results, governmental regulations would be one of the most stringent in the country. That assumption might be wrong, if you were talking about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the organization responsible for nuclear power plant safety and so much more.

Taking a quick look at the NRC which was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened in January of 1975. The NRC oversees reactor safety and security, reactor licensing and renewal, radioactive material safety, security and licensing, and spent fuel management (storage, security, recycling and disposal).

The mission of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is to regulate the nation's civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment. The NRC's regulatory mission covers three main areas:

REACTORS, commercial reactors for generating electric power and research and test reactors used for research, testing and training.

MATERIALS, uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial and academic settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel.

WASTE, transportation, storage and disposal of nuclear materials and waste and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service.

The NRC is headed by 5 commissioners appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for 5 year terms. The current chairman is Gregory B. Jaczko who was first sworn in as a commissioner in January of 2005. Guess some of these commissioners make a career out of this committee as "Greg's" term runs through June of 2013.

There are 64 nuclear sites located throughout the United States and most are less then the 50 mile "safe zone" from major population zones that has been talked about since the Fukushima disaster in Japan. In addition, the NRC is in the midst of a examination of all U.S. reactors and the commission is also seeking suspension of 6 existing reactor licenses, 13 new  combined construction permit and operating license decisions and several other actions. 

To give you an idea of the power of the NRC and the "bite" that they posses, let me cite the Yankee nuclear facility in Brattleboro, Vermont, on the border of Vermont and New Hampshire. A nuclear watchdog group asked the NRC for a study on leaks of radioactive water at the Brattleboro reactor, it was told that the NRC had seen the reports, but never had officially taken custody of the reports.....therefore it wasn't public.

Yankee never denied the leak, the information that they "allowed" the NRC to look at is simply protected by that little bug-a-boo called "claims of proprietary information." You know I've run across that "stipulation" that industry seems to use whenever they don't want the "prying" eye of a watchdog group, a governmental regulatory committee, or just some "John Q. Public" like me to look "their" landscape over.

I know what the word means, "proprietary, owner, or ownership," "see, I'm not dumb," but I figured there must be more to the word then is seen by the naked eye, so I looked it up in my trusty Webster and came up with basically the same answers that I had understood with one exception, and this meaning might be the kicker. "A Monk who has reserved goods and effects to himself, not withstanding his renunciation of all at the time of profession."

I hope that clears things up for you, because I'm more befuddled then I was before that last paragraph. For the purpose of this blog, I'm sure that Entergy Nuclear Options do not, and never have had a Monk as an owner, or one on their board of directors. 

These people.....both the NRC and the Yankee plant owner, Entergy Nuclear Options Incorporated, are at it again, playing their little "hide and seek" games with the public. Lets get one thing very straight right now, the leak, radioactive water, "tritium" is linked with cancer when ingested in high amounts

Critics say it's the style of communication between regulators and the regulated that completely cuts out the public as well as state regulators that try to track these leaks. In fact, an NRC spokeswomen confirmed that the agency routinely sees industry reports that it does not share on it's public website.

The Nuclear Regulatory Committee's online documents, which already reads like stereo, was recently redesigned and has become even harder to navigate. The NRC uses power company's claims of proprietary information, security concerns as reasons to limit information. The NRC also reports that the industry is sharing information on a voluntary basis.....another reason not to reveal information.

Wait.....I thought that the NRC was the regulatory body for Nuclear Power Plants, I'm sure I read it someplace during the course of my research. Yep.....I found it, right after Nuclear Reactor Accidents in the United States Section. The job of the NRC IS TO OVERSEE THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY. Thank God I found it, I thought I was losing my mind.

Now, if we can just get the NRC and these power companies that operate the power plants in the United States to act more like they should, you know, regulator and regulated, there will be less orange Afros and paint pealing off houses.

FRACKING, GREENIES ARE SEEING RED!

FRACKING, GREENIES ARE SEEING RED! (Frazer Chronicles)

I am not a tree hugger, nor an "environmental wacko," just a simple guy, one that increasingly is overwhelmed by the activities that seem to be continually changing as I gain weight and age on this planet that we call home. I am writing a 4 part article for several newspapers on the effects of iron mining and the good and the bad that it will have to the communities involved.

You see, that is the one thing that all exploration forgets to remember and address in their collect quest for whatever mineral that they are searching for. Coal, oil, lead, zinc, iron, gold or silver, there are good advantages as well as bad consequences whenever the basic endeavor is to extract a mineral from the ground.

Number 1, you weaken the ground at the extraction point as well as the ground above the working areas for whatever material is being taken from the earth. No matter what is said, what testimonials are delivered, this is one undeniable fact.

Number 2 water tables are always in danger of being polluted as well as rivers, lakes, streams that are relied upon for human consumption. During the Bush administration, in 2005, Fracking was exempted from the Safe Water Act, which means that the process is happening today with little or no regulations.

The number of natural gas wells numbers more then 3300, over just the past several years, with thousands more on natural gas companies "to do list." These wells have been drilled into the a shale formation that underlies much of New York, and Pennsylvania, and parts of Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia.

With the exception of West Virginia, these states are heavily populated and an "in depth study" is a necessity when an exploratory program the size that the gas industry seems to have initiated is already underway.

Hydraulic Fracturing, "fracking" is the process of initiating and subsequently propagating a fracture in a rock layer, employing the pressure of a fluid as the source of energy. The fracturing is done by a wellbore  drilled into reservoir rock formations, in order to increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of oil and natural gas.

Fracking is simply a slang for the fracturing of rock formations, introducing what is called proppants into the fracture, "proppants are carefully designed and sized particles of sand or ceramic," to hold the fracture open. The objects are carefully sized for sphenicity to provide an efficient conduit for production from the reservoir to the wellbore.

Many fracturing chemicals can be toxic to humans and wildlife and include chemicals that can cause cancer. Usually between 50,000 and 350,000 gallons of various stimulation and fracturing fluids and up to 320,000 pounds of proppants are typically used in the early process of searching for oil and natural gas.

These fluids have the potential to contaminate millions of gallons of ground water. The tipping point between man and nature is so critical and can be so precarious, that great care needs to be used when injecting acid that actually breaks down rock formations, so that oil or gas can be easily forced to the surface and "harvested" by the oil and gas companies.

To give the reader an idea of exactly how strong these oil and gas drilling and harvesting companies are, picture a land owner who has leased his mineral rights to an oil and gas company, and he inquires about the chemicals that are being pumped into the earth, under his property. He will not, I repeat, "he will not be allowed that information." If the EPA asks the same question, "with all their power," they will not be allowed that information, the reason, "proprietary information."

The disposal of Fracking fluids, like with many industrial disposal rules can be fast and loose. With the oil and gas fracturing solutions, they are either transported to other well sites, or disposed of at whatever current site they are at. A cheaper way is to simply dilute the fluids with water and inject them into the surrounding area of the well.

"That can't be legal," you say, well.....it is.....and they do, inject many thousands of polluted gallons of the crap into the ground to co-mingle with good old ground water that we drink. The oil and gas companies, the EPA and the Federal Government are a funny bunch of ducks, each with an eye to money, in varying amounts.

A study released in May of this year concludes that fracking has seriously contaminated shallow ground water supplies in northern Pennsylvania with flammable methane, in other words, don't drink water and smoke, or take a shower with a lit cigarette.

Well blowouts and spills of fracturing fluids, again in Pennsylvania's Clearfield  County sent more then 35,000 of fracturing fluid into the air and surrounding landscape in a forest area.  People were evacuated, and the 2 companies involved with developing the well were ordered to cease operations in the state until an investigation clears them of any wrongdoing.

There also seems to be a link between fracking for oil and natural gas and seismic events as well as air quality and health issues, may also contribute to global warming and can cause crime rates, population booms and all of the things that accompany more people living in an are without the benefit of more roadways, better sewer systems as well as water.

The financial impact on a community may also be overstated by the oil and gas companies with regards to the number of years that activity will last, given the fact that companies may overstate the reserves, and  actually how many local people will be employed.

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER!

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER! (Frazer Chronicles)

All her misunderstanding about current events, her misspeaking and stretching the facts, Michele Bachmann at least kept her signature off a piece of paper so that, down the road she could, deny, deny, deny. Politicians say things every day that are untrue, or slant an issue in their favor, or flat get something wrong. But to sign a pledge, "wow," a big mistake, it ranks right up there with a guy video taping his extra marital affair.

The pledge, titled "The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family," originated with a group led by Bob Vander Plaats, a frustrated unsuccessful GOP gubernatorial candidate and Evangelical Christian leader in Iowa.  The group, the Family Leader, is  asking all GOP 2012 candidates to sign it.

The pledge asks signatories to be faithful to their spouses and to the United States Constitution. I'm not sure what that has to do with doing a governmental job, you know, faithful to your spouse and the Constitution. Can't a guy be faithful to his spouse when he's with his her, and not faithful to the constitution and then faithful to the Constitution when he's working, but not to his spouse? 

It all seems a bit confusing to me, "is a politician at work 24/7," I mean, they do get paid a pretty good wage and their benefits are "to kill for," but on duty 24/7, I think that is a lot too ask from an elected official. There's got to be some personal time, you know, for rest and relaxation.

The pledge also condemns adultery, "and quickies," why would anybody condemn....."wait quickie divorce," I'm sorry, I read it wrong." The 2 page document also decries infidelity, pornography, cohabitation and the Islamic Sharia law. The document also suggests that more African-American children are born out of wedlock now then when they were under slavery, "well.....sure, they have more time."

The pledge also warns that the "institution of marriage is under "great crisis," "ya I can agree with that one, when an "institution" is successful only about 50% of the time, I'd call that a real bummer, but the unsuccessful rate of marriages isn't do to any political view, or preference,  it's usually do to money problems, people out of work, or incompatibility. 

The pledge/document also takes exception to homosexuality and it's decaying effect on society, is a risky lifestyle, and is genetically against the laws of nature, "you know," to desire another of your own gender. Genetics come into the conversation when Mr. Vander Plaats states that heterosexual inclinations are determined at birth, and are as irresistible as skin color and as innate a trait like race, gender and eye color.

This guy, Bob Vander Plaat, is an Iowa Hawkeye, where they take their political views pretty serious, and pretty conservatively.  I could care less, "I'm not running for anything," about what fringe "whack job outfit" is crusading for. I don't like "homo's," I don't like their lifestyles, I think that they are misguided and weak individuals, but I have no right to try and force my opinion on those that feel "completed" by laying with one another, it's their business. "Oh, and by the way, homosexuals do not attack straights."

Every election cycle, some new fringe issue comes out of the woodwork, I guess religiosity, the institution of marriage and protecting it are this years "hot button" issues. Stay tuned, I'm sure that they will change, and for God's sake, quite drinking the water in Iowa. 

BUSINESS IS BOOMING!

BUSINESS IS BOOMING! (Frazer Chronicles-Small Arms Survey)

Private security companies are booming across the globe, "the hell you say," that's right, I ain't kidding, and the industry is getting bigger. Anywhere from 19.7  to 25 million employees, war has taken over as the worlds biggest industry. Exotic names like AirScan, Custer Battles, Global Enforce, Obelisk International L.L.C. and my 2 favorites, Sharp End International and Red Star, are just a few of the companies. 

The United States, naturally, leads the world in security and private contract companies with a total of 25 that are based in the country, while "God" only knows how many companies are based in foreign lands with U.S. ties. These security companies provide all sorts of services to military forces throughout the world, from engineering, to construction, to airborne surveillance, security, logistics and maritime security.

The boom has been triggered mostly by terrorists threats,  insurgencies and drug wars throughout mostly the Middle east, . according to the annual 2011 Small Arms Survey which was recently released from it's Geneva offices.

Outside the war zones in  Asia and Africa, the Latin American region has the highest ratio of arms per employee, about 10 times higher then in Western Europe. In prisons, at airports, along borders and on the streets, security provisions is increasingly in the hands of private personnel. In foreign countries, whether this type of security is enhancing or impairing security is unclear.

The Geneva report points out that the 20 or so million private security force has doubled or even tripled over the past in the past 10-15 years. Governmental "outsourcing" of many security functions seems to be driving the boom in the business. Accounting mechanisms have not kept up with the rapidly expanding growth of the private security industry.

A United Nations Working group has been trying to rein in the widespread human rights abuses by these private military and security groups. A global discussion is underway with regards to surveillance, regulations, and to monitor these private security companies. A draft has been proposed, which spells out legislative oversight and judicial measures to punish private security firms for any unlawful acts.

Actually the "cat has been let out of the bag," and as private security companies assume more and more of the daily security duties in war zones, in security efforts, in surveillance, in food service and in training, the autonomy with which these companies operate can only increase. There is still a gray area with exactly who security companies in Iraq are beholden to with regards to oversight.

The conduct code for private security companies, according to a 1989 UN Convention, which was signed by only 32 non-aligned countries, deals little with the conduct of these companies. Another process is the "Montreux Document," basically a "summary" of states obligations with regards to international law.

What this basically means, with regards to private security companies is, they have little to fear with whatever they deem as necessary during the course of the daily operations and decisions. Human rights, kidnappings, murder, all done in the name of business as usual.

Included with this booming industry, "of course" are what is referred to as "light weapons,"  and the munitions that fuel them. These "small arms" include mortars, grenade launchers, recoilless rifles,  portable missiles and rockets. Despite the importance of light weapons to modern military operations and the potential threat to international security posed by excessive or ill-conceived light weapon transfer, "sales" the international trade in light weapons is significantly less transparent then the sale of other weapons.

The top  exporters of these types of weapons is.....surprise, the United States, who had 8641 recorded weapons contracts worth billions in 2010. A dollar figure is not attached with each transactions because some are spaced over many years and the rate of interest can be variable. The next closest to the U.S. was Russia with 6039 reported transactions.

The average beginning salary for a security contractor with the proper clearances is a little over $77 thousand dollars, about $20,000 more then a government employee with the same security clearances. Some private security companies that are operating in either Afghanistan, or Iraq require less clearances, or none at all and in some cases are paid cash. It is also the case with many private companies that they pay bonuses,  based on performances  in cash, which of course is untraceable.

With the United States having no military draft, and a portion of all military activity that is waged by the United States is in the hands of private security-military contractors, it is hard to imagine the United States cutting back on military activity. Congress seems unwilling, or somehow incapable of slashing the military budget, so until taxpayers revolts, somehow makes an impression on the government, war will remain a part of Americas society.

Maybe the United States should have  signs over every border entrance, "Open for Business," because it seems that the only business that is booming in this time of suggested austerity and joblessness is war and military conflict.   

MILWAUKEE COPS SCORE ANOTHER WIN!

MILWAUKEE COPS SCORE ANOTHER WIN! (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Do Milwaukee residents really know what kind of police department they have, people of color do, and now lots of whites do as well.  Milwaukee law enforcement just can't seem to get it right, first it was nude dancing by cops at a summer picnic, then it was Bambi, and now the Riverwest attacks. People here in Wisconsin and many places throughout the country seem to be giving law enforcement a pass on the quality of their work.

There are basically 3 kinds of people that live in the United States when it comes to law enforcement and those hired to uphold the laws of the land. Those that respect the law, those that fear the law and those who have no respect for the law what-so-ever. I guess you could say that there is a 4th. type of person, those that manipulate the law for their own benefit, but I believe that there are so few of them, that they can't be categorized in with the top 3.

The latest "gaff" by the Milwaukee Cops was a seeming inability to control a rampaging riotous group of as many as 60 "young" people, who beat and robbed a smaller group who where watching the fireworks from Kilbourn Reservoir Park on Sunday night.

A women who was among the victims of beaten people said that "police told us to leave and started kicking us out of the park." The women also said that the cops "made me feel like I was at fault for enjoying a holiday weekend at a public park." I feel that readers can disregard her feelings of "being at fault for enjoying the holiday," "they didn't care."

Police Chief Edward Flynn was left, Wednesday evening at a meeting,  to apologize, and to squirm in front of about 200 concerned citizens. Flynn told "any witnesses to speak to police after the meeting, that did not speak publicly."  I wonder if Chief Flynn  knows how silly that statement makes him look?

Apparently only 2 statements were taken at the time of the disturbance, from 2 people that required medical attention. Many people knew that something was wrong, had witnessed an altercation, yet not one name or address was taken by the cops at the scene.

Here's something that really cracks me up, according to Chief Flynn, "the police departments primary mission that night was to ensure the safe departure from the lakefront of a crowd of about 200,000 people who had gathered for the fireworks display." So if a guy with a machine gun starts shooting people, the cops...."duck like everybody else." I think if I was Milwaukee's "top cop," I wouldn't be making stupid statements like that."

Not being from Milwaukee, I know nothing about Chief Flynn, so, through the magic of the Internet, I took a look at "Eddy." Not bad Ed, not bad at all, the current police chief of Milwaukee has a pretty dam good resume, born 1948, been in police work his entire working life, first in New Jersey, chief of police Braintree, Massachusetts, chief of Arlington County, Virginia police, was responsible for leading the departments response during the September 11, 2001 attack at the Pentagon and the 2002 Beltway sniper shootings.

In 2003 Flynn returned to Massachusetts and was appointed by then Governor Mitt Romney, Secretary of the state Executive Office of Public Safety, the parent agency of the State Police, Department of Correction, the National Guard, Department of Fire Service, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Parole Board, and the Emergency Management Agency. To say the least, "Flynn ain't no hay seed."

So why the screw-up on the savage attacks at the fireworks, maybe "Eddy" has been drinking to much water from Lake Michigan, I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. When the primary objective of a police force, during any sort of celebration involving 200,000, alcohol, drugs and the posturing attitude of young people, isn't the safe departure of those people, then the mission would be wrong.

However, and I'm just "spit balling here," the safe departure would also be to break up any and all altercations that were observed or reported, or any unsafe situations that might be encountered. Call me crazy, but isn't that what cops do, diffuse situations, to make sure that people "move along" in an orderly fashion. Isn't that crowd control, wasn't that the Milwaukee PD's objective, wasn't that the mission as stated.

The Milwaukee Police department has a multitude of black eyes, don't they have a public relations department, or officer? 3 cops were accused of sexual "misbehaven" a couple months ago, there have been a bunch of brutality allegations against the cops, shootings, killings and racial profiling by the boot-load.  How much does it take before somebody somewhere gets the picture that Milwaukee has a problem with it's "cop-shop."

Some of the parents of the "perps" have turned in their own kids, "great," but that doesn't let the Police Department off the hook, and it definitely doesn't give Chief Flynn  a pass. Come on you people, do your jobs, it's not all that hard, it's a black and white thing. You have some bad decision makers on board, you have some "punk, ass breakers" for cops, get ride of them.

The people of Milwaukee deserve the best "bang" for their buck, when the Chief of Police says that "we were wrong," it's different then when I say I'm wrong, "like when I make a mistake it involves my pooch, not other people welfare." Chief Flynn, "Eddy" you don't get to make mistakes.....to much is at stake.

EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL.....RIGHT!

EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL.....RIGHT! (Frazer Chronicles)

The oil has spread 15 miles beyond the leak, "that's only 5 miles further then we figured," things are completely under control. Sounds kind of familiar doesn't it, kinda like the British Petroleum rhetoric from the Gulf of Mexico, or the Exxon Valdez spill at Price William Sound,  Alaska. A leaking pipeline at the bottom of the Yellowstone River below Yellowstone National Park, is either shut off, or will be within a day or two. 

The Yellowstone spill is just another chapter in the continuing saga of what has become almost a monthly story of how oil producing company's in their break-neck race to supply customers with all sorts of products from crude oil. As they say, "the push is on," and has been on for the past 30 or so years, with the oil industries understanding that an alternative source of  power is on the horizon.

This time the ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo) and it's affiliates, which are responsible  for transporting 3.5 million barrels per day of crude oil, refined petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gasses, natural gas liquids and chemical feedstock through more then 8000 miles of pipeline in 23 states, the  Gulf of Mexico and Canada, is on the hook.

The same pipeline was  temporarily shut down in May because of concerns about raising water and regulators twice in the last year warned Exxon Mobil of several safety violations along the line. Exxon Mobil has 6 other refineries in the United States besides the Billings facility.

There seems to be some confusion as to exactly when the pipeline in question, under the Yellowstone River sprung a leak. I have been told Friday night, or sometime Saturday or Sunday. At the present time, I can't nail down the exact date, and I'm guessing neither can anybody else. A continuing theme connected with the oil industry is the scenario concerning the amount of crude that has leaked, and it's no different with  the Yellowstone River accident. Estimates place as much as a 1000 barrels, about 42,000 gallons, before the pipeline was turned off.

ExxonMobil Pipeline Company President Gary Pruessing pledged to "do whatever is necessary" to find and "mop up" spilled crude from the 12" pipeline that broke at the bottom of the Yellowstone River  in Laurel, a suburb of Billings, Montana,  where the refinery is located.

Cause of the spill has not been determined, but officials have speculated that surging waters may have disrupted the river bottom, causing the pipeline to be exposed and damaged by the ravages of the water which is wildly flowing down the river.

According to Pruessing, "aircraft are being used to assess damage," but the flooding river prevents crews from venturing out in boats or walking on the banks of the river in some areas for a closer look. Pruessing further stated that "when the water recedes, a closer look will happen."

I'm not sure how aircraft can be used, "at the present time," to asses any sort of damage. There is a pipeline that is broken, underneath at least 40' of water, and even the shoreline can't be walked because of the turbulent water flow. The spill, according to Exxon Mobil early Monday was little more then 10 miles, but allegations from federal and state officials place a much grimmer picture. 

Political pressure brought to bear stopped the downplaying of the size of the disaster by Exxon Mobil officials who acknowledged that a much wider and longer area may be damaged. Pruessing said as many as 280 people were involved with cleanup.  

As with almost every accident of this type, information is confusing and is hard to weed out. It seems that every petroleum industry accident has conflicting, or misinformation, statements made, then corrected by those oil executives that should know what is going on, but don't seem to.....or maybe they do, and won't say.

One thing is plain to see, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company might think seriously about not putting anymore pipelines under rivers, especially when a mountain snow pack runoff is involved. ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, with it's thousands of miles of pipe and it's affiliates would be hard pressed to furnish safety records for all of it's pipelines.

The pipeline in question is just 20 years old and in an area of the Yellowstone River that can become violent during either heavy rain or mountain snow runoff. This spring the area received a double whammy with heavy rainfall and a heavy snow in the mountains. If ever there was a reason to find some other avenue for a pipeline system, this was probably it.