World

Pollution from Florida mining a concern with Hurricane Ian

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2022

Pollution from Florida mining a concern with Hurricane Ian

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining business, greater than 1 billion tons in “stacks” that resemble monumental ponds, are in danger for leaks or different contamination when Hurricane Ian comes ashore within the state, environmental teams say.

Florida has 24 such phosphogypsum stacks, most of them concentrated in mining areas within the central a part of the state. About 30 million tons of this barely radioactive waste is generated yearly, in response to the Florida Industrial and Phosphate Analysis Institute.

“A significant storm occasion just like the one we’re bracing for can inundate the services with extra water than the open-air ponds can deal with,” Ragan Whitlock, employees legal professional for the Heart for Organic Range environmental group, stated in an e-mail Tuesday.

“We’re extraordinarily involved in regards to the potential impacts Hurricane Ian might have on phosphate services across the state,” Whitlock added.

A leak in March 2021 at a stack referred to as Piney Level resulted within the launch of an estimated 215 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay, inflicting huge fish kills. State officers, overseen by a court-appointed receiver, are working with a $100 million appropriation to close down that long-troubled location.

“Through the previous six months, the receiver has made vital progress towards closing the ability,” attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis stated in a court docket submitting Monday.

However the Heart for Organic Range, which sued with different teams to shut down Piney Level, famous that 4.5 million extra gallons of wastewater have been launched into Tampa Bay in August.

“The upcoming and substantial endangerment to the atmosphere and human well being and security posed by Piney Level has not been abated” since a decide ordered a six-month keep within the case.

Hurricane Ian is anticipated to make landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday earlier than slicing by means of the state — very near lots of the gypsum stacks.

State Division of Environmental Safety data present that Piney Level has about 24 inches (60 centimeters) of rainfall capability. One other facility within the Tampa Bay space, operated by phosphate big Mosaic Co., has simply over 9 inches (22 centimeters) of rainfall capability.

A spill may significantly injury rivers and different wetlands close to the stacks, in response to Jim Tatum of the Our Santa Fe River nonprofit group.

“Invaluable aquatic and vegetative sources by no means totally recuperate from a spill,” Tatum wrote on the group’s web site. “Because the extremely acidic, radioactive slime makes its technique to the receiving waters, complete aquatic ecosystems are impacted.”

A Mosaic spokeswoman didn’t reply to an e-mail Tuesday looking for remark.

Phosphate has been mined in Florida since 1883. It’s used primarily for fertilizer to provide meals, animal dietary supplements and a wide range of industrial merchandise. Land utilized in mining is required to be “reclaimed,” or introduced as shut as attainable again to its authentic state.

The byproducts that wind up within the stacks, nonetheless, have few makes use of acceptable to federal regulators. They’ll include radioactive uranium, thorium and radium together with poisonous metals corresponding to barium, cadmium and lead, in response to the environmental group ManaSota 88.

Fertilizers are created from phosphate rock that incorporates naturally occurring uranium and thorium, which decay to radium, and radium decays to the radioactive gasoline radon, the Environmental Safety Company says. Class-action lawsuits have claimed well being results for folks dwelling close to the mining waste.

“Phosphate firms have had over 70 years to determine a technique to eliminate radioactive gypsum wastes in a suitable method, however they’ve but to take action,” stated Glenn Compton, chairman of ManaSota 88.

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World

Adani's Bribery Scandal Raises Concern on Market, Public Disclosure Lapses

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Adani's Bribery Scandal Raises Concern on Market, Public Disclosure Lapses

By Aditya Kalra and Aditi Shah NEW DELHI (Reuters) – In March, Adani Group’s head of corporate finance wrote an email to one of its lenders, calling as “baseless” a media report on the group’s alleged bribery investigation in the United States. That email was also marked to top finance executive …

World

A look inside the most expensive house in the world — the home of the UK’s monarch

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

A look inside the most expensive house in the world — the home of the UK’s monarch

The world’s most expensive house is located in London, England.

Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the king, is widely considered the most expensive house in the world, valued at around $4.9 billion.

Buckingham Palace is far from a traditional house with 775 rooms and 50,000 people visiting each year for receptions, dinners, state banquets and other events, according to the royal family website.

Buckingham Palace is considered the most expensive house in the world. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images I Fox Photos/Getty Images)

ROYAL FAMILY SPOUSES: KATE MIDDLETON, MEGHAN MARKLE, OTHER CURRENT SPOUSES OF ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS

This, of course, is outside the half million tourists who visit the destination each year. In 2023-2024, about 530,000 tourists visited Buckingham Palace, according to Statista.

In addition to viewing the breathtaking palace, visitors often watch the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony.

For those who want a look inside Buckingham Palace, guests can view the state rooms in the summer as well as on select dates in the winter and spring when small guided tours are available, according to the Royal Collection Trust website.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is one many tourists observe while visiting Buckingham Palace. (Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

OWNER OF WORLD’S LARGEST CAR COLLECTION HAS OVER 7,000 VEHICLES IN HIS POSSESSION

Since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of the United Kingdom’s sovereigns, according to the royal family website.

Among the 775 rooms located in Buckingham Palace are 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 bedrooms for staff, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, according to the royal family website.

The royal palace is full of breathtaking places, including the White Drawing Room, the Throne Room, the Ballroom and the 47-meter Picture Gallery filled with historical art.

The royal family waves to the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during events. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

SET SAIL ON WORLD’S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE OVER 7,000 GUESTS PER VOYAGE

The Grand Staircase and 39-acre Palace Garden are other highlights.

The balcony of the royal palace is where generations of royals have stepped out for public appearances.

Another home ranked as one of the most expensive is Antilia in Mumbai, India.

Antilia holds the Guinness World Record for the “most expensive private house in the world.”

The mansion is estimated to be worth between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Architectural Digest India.

It is owned by business magnate Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.

The most expensive private residence is Antilia in Mubai, India, which is owned by Mukesh Ambani. (Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The 400,000-square-foot residence is 570 feet tall.

The 27 stories of Antilia include numerous swimming pools, a spa and a theater, according to Guinness World Records.

The property also includes 168 parking spaces and three helipads.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

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WHO says mpox remains public health emergency of international concern

UN health agency says its decision is ‘based on the rising number and continuing geographic spread of cases’.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will keep its alert for mpox at the highest level amid a surge in cases.

A WHO committee made up of about a dozen independent experts made the decision at a meeting in Geneva on Friday, three months after the WHO first declared a public health emergency of global concern in August.

The WHO said its decision was “based on the rising number and continuing geographic spread of cases, operational challenges in the field, and the need to mount and sustain a cohesive response across countries and partners”.

There has been a surge in mpox cases this year, predominantly focused in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries.

A first batch of vaccines was rolled out last month and appears to have had an impact on containing cases of the highly contagious disease, but the United Nations agency has been waiting for substantial proof to discuss the impact of vaccinations.

The African Union’s health watchdog warned at the end of October that the mpox outbreak was still not under control and called for more resources to avoid a pandemic that it said could potentially be worse than COVID-19.

The virus is usually mild, but it can be fatal in rare cases.

Mpox is believed to have killed hundreds of people in the DRC and elsewhere last year as it also spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Uganda, causing a continent-wide emergency.

The disease can be spread through close contact with an infected person, sexual activity or breathing in infectious particles. The virus then replicates and spreads to the lymph nodes, leading them to swell before further spreading and causing rashes or lesions.