Comments on: Hungary’s Toxic Spill Reaches the Danube, but River May Escape Harm

By: Susanne Pearl

Susanne Pearl — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:51:17 +0000

Are there any residual effects of the aluminum spill in the Danube? We will are taking a river cruise in late May and wonder how the environment and river have been effected. I have not been successful finding any updated information. Thank you for your reply.

By: Young Tran

Young Tran — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:06:51 +0000

Today in the light of Hungary’s toxic red sludge spill, I humbly urge everyone to look into the potential of another Hungary environmental catastrophe in Central Highlands of Vietnam. Please refer to this newly posted petition, http://www.gopetition.com/petition/40122.html for more information.

The Central Highlands of Vietnam, as its name implies, is located at the altitude of hundreds of meters above sea level, where it embraces over the livelihood of 14 million ethnic minorities and basin residents, the indigenous cultures, and the pristine, breathtaking natural environment.

Our world should not lean toward the development model, which is driven by the short-term profit returns for a group of investors. But we rather support the ecologically sustainable development model, where economic growth, community harmony, and the environmental protection can be achieved and sustained in the long run.

It is our Earth. And it has become ever so clearly that any local environmental catastrophe could trigger a serious regional, if not global crisis.

Please support the petition and kindly help circulate it among friends and/or via any social networking means (e.g., facebook, twitter, myspace) that you possibly can.

Together, we can help protect our Earth and promote a sustainable, greener world – not only for ourselves, but for many generations yet to come. Thank you.

Young Tran
Oregon, USA

By: cjikwanka

cjikwanka — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:19:55 +0000

i dont like this very much. mean.
cause its rapin my waters..

By: Gaythia

Gaythia — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:54:51 +0000

I think that a pertinent quote from the AP article linked to above about US alumina plants is:

“The waste has “almost every element on the periodic table,” including iron, which is what makes it red, Bailey said. “You will have lead, mercury, zinc, iron — just every metal you can think about,” she said.” As in the post above, the person quoted here is Sandra Bailey, environmental manager at the Sherwin Alumina Co.

Also, I just looked at Gregory, Texas and Gramercy LA via Google satellite. Ponds and apparent red waste areas can be seen. The Gregory facility is near Corpus Cristi Bay, the Gramercy one is on the Mississippi. The plants need to have shipping access.

Obviously, we have much better procedures than those that seem to have been employed in Hungary. According to the AP article, the waste storage beds are ultimately treated as landfills and covered and planted. But the locations would appear to complicate long term waste storage for these facilities, with dust, run-off, groundwater, flooding and hurricanes all as possible issues.

By: ChH

ChH — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:13:45 +0000

silicon dioxide helps make the spill basic??
That’s just sand, not some horrible industrial waste.

By: Georg

Georg — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:34:24 +0000

First day
press was full about “highly toxic” waste, due to “heavy metals”.
This is typical wording from Greenpeace. Press repeated that
eagerly. At that day nobody (exept the company) knew what the
red mass contained aside of the general constituents in red slurry.
The facts coming up today are not a theme in papers
or TV news.
This spill is really a mess, the peoples killed (by drowning
presumably) are a real desaster. Why then this free running
“highly poisonous” babble?
Same thing about caustic properties, first named “extremely” .
The fact, that any lime slurry or portland cement is as caustic
does not appear in news.
Georg