Freedom Industries Calling: New Tape Reveals False Statements During Chemical Spill

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This you have to hear. The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management released the audio tape of Freedom Industries reporting the Jan. 9 chemical spill that shut down access to public water for 300,000 people in the Charleston area.

The remarkably laconic late-morning phone conversation between a company representative and a hotline operator named Laverne reveals Freedom Industries minimizing the extent of the spill and making several flat-out misstatements about whats transpiring. Its safe to predict that this tape will become Exhibit A in pending civil litigation accusing Freedom of negligence and in any potential criminal charges related to the spill. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Charleston has said that it has launched a wide-ranging probe of the incident. Freedom Industries and its executives have denied any wrongdoing.

The caller from Freedom Industries, identifying himself as Bob Reynolds, says on the audio tape that the substance being released isnt toxic or hazardous and isnt escaping into the Elk River. A containment wall has blocked the spill from spreading, he adds. Both statements were incorrect.

Other company officials and state environmental regulators later confirmed that the coal-processing chemical MCHM does cause harm to humans. Later on Jan. 9, residents of the region were ordered not to drink, bathe, or cook with tap water because 10,000 gallons of MCHM swiftly entered the Elk River. From there it flowed into the public water-system intake a mile and a half downstream from the Freedom Industries tank farm on the banks of the Elk.

Moreover, state Department of Environmental Protection inspectors, who had already arrived at the Freedom site by the time Reynolds called the spill hotline, later said they quickly discovered a 4-foot-wide stream of MCHM seeping through a cracked containment wall and into the adjacent river. In a subsequent court hearing, evidence was introduced showing that before the spill, Freedoms management had set aside $1 million to repair the wall but the work hadnt been started.

One of the more disturbing moments on the audio tape occurs when Laverne asks Reynolds for the full name of the chemical thats escaping. He has to look it up. Its 4-methylcyclohexane methanol. Laverne and Bob share a casual chuckle over their mutual ignorance. Hahaha: That feeling is the hair on the back of your neck standing up.

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Freedom Industries Calling: New Tape Reveals False Statements During Chemical Spill

Lawsuits over leak continue despite Freedom bankruptcy

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Although Freedom Industries has sought protection in bankruptcy court, that hasn't stopped residents and business owners from filing lawsuits over the company's Jan. 9 chemical leak into the Elk River.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Although Freedom Industries has sought protection in bankruptcy court, that hasn't stopped residents and business owners from filing lawsuits over the company's Jan. 9 chemical leak into the Elk River.

None of the new lawsuits, however, names Freedom Industries as a defendant. The company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Jan. 18 means that all lawsuits against the company are put on hold.

About 30 lawsuits had been filed before the bankruptcy against Freedom since the company discovered "Crude MCHM" had leaked into the Elk River from one of its storage tanks and caused a water-use ban for 300,000 West Virginians. About a week later, Freedom employees disclosed that another chemical, "PPH," was also in the tank that leaked.

Eastman Chemical Company, which produces MCHM, and The Dow Chemical Company, maker of PPH, are both named as defendants in a lawsuit filed last week by more than a dozen Kanawha County residents.

That lawsuit, which asks to be granted class-action status, also names Gary Southern, Freedom's president; the company's affiliate, Etowah River Terminal; its parent company, Chemstream Holdings; and Chemstream's owner, J. Clifford Forrest.

West Virginia American Water Company and its parent company American Water Works are also named in that suit filed by attorneys Timothy Koontz and Mark Underwood.

In two other lawsuits, West Virginia American Water is named as the sole defendant. Both were filed by attorneys Marvin Masters and Robert Berthold Jr.

In documents filed in Freedom's bankruptcy case, West Virginia American Water says it has been sued more than 20 times over Freedom's chemical leak. Because of that, the water company says, it is Freedom's "largest single creditor" in the bankruptcy case.

None of the new lawsuits, however, names Freedom Industries as a defendant. The company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Jan. 18 means that all lawsuits against the company are put on hold.

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Lawsuits over leak continue despite Freedom bankruptcy

FREEDOM TOWNSHIP: Trivia Night set for Saturday

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All community members are invited to show off their knowledge of seemingly

useless facts on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Foundations Fall Trivia Night.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Freedom Township Hall, 11508 Pleasant Lake Road. Doors open 7 p.m.

Gather a group of 8-10 of your smartest, most fun, family and/or friends (Adults

only, please) and join us for a night of Trivia Fun at the Freedom Township Hall.

Knowledge of trivia is NOT required (and usually doesnt help anyway!).

Dont have a group of 8-10? Let us know how many you do have and well put you

with an ad hoc group. Its a great way to meet people and learn things likeHow

many minutes of actual plays are there in an average, 3-hour NFL broadcast?

(Hint Check out the Wall Street Journal online). Local trivia, sports, Continued...

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FREEDOM TOWNSHIP: Trivia Night set for Saturday

Freedom Summer of 1964 was mission in hostile territory

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For many young civil rights workers in 1964, there was no better place than Mississippi to challenge a system that kept blacks voiceless and disenfranchised.

The state had one of the largest black populations in the South, yet fewer than 5% of blacks there were registered to vote, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. In some counties, not a single black person was registered.

"Mississippi was the last bastion of apartheid," recalled Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington, who as a young man was the first chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). "Mississippi was famous for the exploitation and the destruction of black people."

"If you wanted to change the face of the nation, you started where the problems were the worst," said Barry, 77, now a city councilman in Washington. "You crack that, you can crack anything. That was our philosophy. We were fearless. We were the revolutionary storm troopers."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi, when Barry and other civil rights workers took shelter with sympathetic residents in small towns and rural counties while helping blacks register to vote.

It was a dangerous mission, in a state where whites vehemently and violently opposed change. Murders, lynchings and beatings were used to intimidate blacks and keep in place segregation in schools and other public places. Student activists, led by SNCC, the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality, were determined to challenge voter registration requirements - such as poll taxes and literacy tests - intended to prevent blacks from voting.

"It's a moment in history where all these people came from all across the country: lawyers, doctors, teachers, students, activists, historians," said Robert Moses, 79, who headed SNCC's Mississippi operation and now runs the Algebra Project, a non-profit education program in Massachusetts. "They just converge for a brief moment in time and make something happen that nobody thought could happen."

'A major national event'

Freedom Summer was a key turning point in the civil rights movement and helped lead to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

"It was a major national event, and it had an impact on shaping public opinion on civil rights nationally," said David Bositis, a senior analyst for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "Freedom Summer was important because it brought to the North what was going on in Mississippi."

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Freedom Summer of 1964 was mission in hostile territory

Technovation 2013 winners announced by India Electronics and Semiconductor Association

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India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier body representing the electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) eco-system in India, today announced the winners of theTechnovation2013 Awardsat the glittering awards function which was held along with the 9thVision Summit international conference in Bangalore. These awards honour stalwarts in the industry and academia who have furthered the growth and development of electronics and semiconductor industry in the country. Winners of theTechnovation2013 Awards: Industry Awards IESATechnovationSarabhai Award Mr. P.N. Dhoot, Director, Videocon Group of Companies Most Innovative Product (total 4) Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali National Aerospace Labs. (NAL), Bangalore Terminus Circuits Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore RedpineSignals Inc., Hyderabad Most PromisingStartupCompany (total 2) EvoluteSystems Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai SilabTechPvtLtd., Bangalore Best Electronics Manufacturing Company (total 2) Bosch Automotive Electronics India Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore SkanrayTechnologies Pvt. Ltd., Mysore Academic Awards TechnoVisionary ProfArunN Chandorkar, Chair Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering,IITBombay, Mumbai TechnoMentor Dr. G Venkatesh, Chair Professor, Dept of Electrical Engineering,IITMadras and Chief Technology and Strategy Officer,SaskenCommunications Technologies Techno Inventor Dr.MarshnilDave, PhD Thesis, IIT-Bombay; and SeniorAnalogDesign Engineer, Marvell Semiconductor, California, USA Dr.ChandanKarfa, PhD Thesis, IIT-Kharagpur; and Senior R&D Engineer, Synopsys India Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore Two independent juries, one each for the Industry and the Academic awards, arrived at the decisions. The Industry Awards team was headed by: Mr. Sanjay Nayak,CEO& MD,TejasNetworks, supported by Mr.AjaiChowdhry, Founder-HCLInfosystems, Mr. K Krishna Moorthy, Managing Director,RambusChip Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. and Mr.PrositMukherjee, VP & GM,TranswitchIndiaPvtLtd. TheAcademic Awardsjury was led by Prof. S Sadagopan, Director IIIT-Bangalore, with help from Prof. Raj Singh, Chief Scientist and Professor,CSIR-CEERI-Pilaniand Prof. V Kamakoti, Professor, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering,IITMadras. Congratulating the winners at the ceremony,SanjeevKeskar, Chairman,IESAsaid, India is poised on the cusp of anESDMrevolution, one that promises to catapult the country to an electronics and semiconductor powerhouse supported by the untiring efforts of our brethren in government, industry and academia. TheTechnovationAwards is but a small token of our appreciation recognizing the unparalleled achievements of the awardees in furthering innovation and development of the domesticESDMindustry. Congratulations to all the winners of the prestigiousTechnovationAwards and thank you toIESAfor giving me the privilege of being part of the jury. As every year, we got the opportunity to evaluate exceptional entries in R&D, product lines and leadership across theESDMeco-system. The entries submitted leave no doubt about the talent and capabilities of the awardees and nominees to propel India to one among the best in class destination for design and manufacturing of electronics in the world, said Mr. Sanjay Nayak, the jury lead of the Industry Awards team.

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Technovation 2013 winners announced by India Electronics and Semiconductor Association

IESA issues calls for Made in India electronics products at Vision Summit 2014

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TheIESAVision Summit 2014, the annual industry conclave of theIndia Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA),the premier trade body, representing the Indian electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) industry commenced today with a call to action for developing electronic productsfrom India, for global markets. The Summit theme From Consumption to Creation put a spotlight on the specific initiatives the Government of India and the industry should take to bolster and establish a strong design and manufacturing base in the country. The Vision Summit 2014 also saw the highest ever participation from State governments, with representation from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa. In its ninth year now,the annual two day session showcased keynote speeches and panel discussions on policy, the role of State Governments, entrepreneurship and innovation and the experience of various players in the global electronics eco-system. It also examined the critical and game-changing role the two proposed semiconductor wafer fabrication (fab) facilities will have on the IndianESDMecosystem. In his inaugural speech,SanjeevKeskar, Chairman,IESAsaid IESAhas been a catalyst to the countrysESDMecosystem and, along with the Government of India, is fully committed to establishing a best in class design and manufacturing base in the country.IESAsgrowing and diversified membership base is a proof of the strong focus around initiatives that are shaping the future of this industry which is founded on three imperatives domestic manufacturing, indigenous design and worldwide marketing of products and solutions. Innovation that results in creation of IP assets is the need of the hour, as it contributes the major part of the product value. In the long run, only high value added manufacturing can address the export-import imbalance, thereby helping to reduce the current account deficit. Applied Materials is proud to be a participant at theIESAVision Summit 2014. The event brings together government, industry bodies,ESDMplayers and academia at a historic point in Indias electronics industry. It took years of determination and collaboration to reach this inflection, an inflection that makes the creation of semiconductor manufacturing in India a reality, bridging the gap between consumption and creation. This is a truly transformative juncture for the Indian electronics industry, and we offer our full support to making it successful, saidDr. Om Nalamasu, CTO, Applied Materials. On this occasion,IESAsigned a memorandum of understanding (MoU) withMesseMnchenInternational (MMI) to launchDEFTRONICS, an industry symposium focused on aerospace and defence electronics to be held in Bangalore on September 23-24th2014.Commenting on this initiative,Mr.PVGMenon, National President,IESAsaidWhile Indias appetite for aerospace and defence products fuels the global industry, our domestic contribution to this industry leaves much to be desired. Indiaspent almost USD 32BNon national defence in the year 2010-2011 and this is expected to rise to USD 42BNby 2015. With a demand for at least 1,000 civil aircraft forecasted over the next decade, the civil aviation sector is also booming, and this translates to huge market opportunities for Indian companies and entrepreneurs.IESAis creating a platform wherein all the players in the aerospace and defence ecosystem can come together, learn and collaborate with each other, so that the future demand can be met - if not fully, then at least in a large measure - from domestic companies. At Vision Summit 2014,IESAalso released theIESA-UKTIreport on Strengthening the Indo-UKESDMSector. The report identifies areas of collaboration based on the technical prowess of each country: IP creation, end-to-end product development, joint academic research teams and building a shared venture fund to supporthigh potentialESDMprojects and start-ups. The Vision Summit 2014 was inaugurated bySri S.R. Patil, Minister for Planning and S&T, Govt. of Karnataka. The six keynote addresses on the inaugural day were around the theme of fostering the electronics manufacturing eco-system in India which were delivered by: Dr.Ron Black, President & CEO,RambusInc. Mr.JoepVan Beurden, CEO, CSR Inc. Dr. Wally Rhines,CEO& Chairman of the Board, Mentor Graphics Corp. Mr.Steve Anderson, Senior Vice President and Worldwide Manager, High-Performance Analog, Texas Instruments Incorporated Mr.ArvindJayabal, General Manager, Semiconductor Solutions at Wipro Technologies Mr.David Happyof Dutton Gregory LLP from UK. The Minister for Industries and IT, Govt of Kerala,Sri.P.K.Kunhalikuttywas the Chief Guest at theIESATechnovationAwards 2013 and spoke at theCEONetworking Dinner.

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IESA issues calls for Made in India electronics products at Vision Summit 2014

DC Universe Online How To Beat Cyborg: PS4 User BLACK AMERICAN: Ledge Cheat (Titans & Raven) Fight – Video

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DC Universe Online How To Beat Cyborg: PS4 User BLACK AMERICAN: Ledge Cheat (Titans Raven) Fight
Not sure if this works without flight controls.. use the ledge to weaken him and block incoming fire.. then drop down and drink a cola.. you should be able t...

By: j Br

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DC Universe Online How To Beat Cyborg: PS4 User BLACK AMERICAN: Ledge Cheat (Titans & Raven) Fight - Video