Stopping Limestone Mining within Communities of South Dakota’s Black Hills

Stopping Limestone Mining within Communities of South Dakota’s Black Hills by Nola Lee Kelsey

Most of us are familiar with the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. What warm and fuzzy village pundits fail to mention is that it takes a 135 year old law for our Government to do nothing while a gravel pit is mined in the middle of that child’s village.



Don’t feel naive. I was unfamiliar with this less touted proverb until a family member forwarded me a copy of a letter which he had submitted to our local media outlets in Western South Dakota.



“I treasure the Black Hills. I cringe when I see the unsightly devastation to the Hills that is occurring due to limestone surface mining. As you approach the Hills from the east you no longer see forest merging gently onto prairie, but instead a long brown scar of destruction crawling north from Rapid City toward Black Hawk.



Pete Lien and Sons plan to extend their gravel pit from west of St. Martins, north to Peaceful Pines Rd., and then further north to Anderson Road (a mile north of Black Hawk). This area encompasses beautiful hills, cliffs, and valleys, and is adjoined by many private homes. Most of the area is, in fact, Forest Service land. The Liens have obtained mining claims based on the outdated Mining Act of 1872.



There is no shortage of limestone in the world. Surface mining in the middle of a community is unacceptable. The Liens have worked to be good members of the community, and to try to mitigate the damage from their business operations. I call on them to relocate their mining operations to more remote sites. If not, I call on the government and citizens to put a halt to this outrage.

Mark Anderson”



Mark was asked to remove the mining company’s name form his letter before it was published as a Letter to the Editor in our regional paper. While there has been some local reporting on the surface mining scourge in our community, it is not done with enough aggression because of that whole big name/small town thing. Very smart. I understand the need to cover ones backside. Wait a second. Oh cr*p! Did I leave the name Pete Lien and Sons in the letter above?



Oh well. I guess I’ll just maintain my unholy self-preservation by not pointing out to readers that it is no coincident South Dakota politician Chris Lien has the same name. It’s just a thought, but I’m personally not sure this family should be handed more power, given their ardent history of meshing gravel quarries with communities.



Okay, so I am obviously not well versed in the art of subtlety and unbiased reporting. Of course, I am not a reporter. But when a satire writer finds out her sleepy family home is about to border a lime-dust-enveloped, noise-filled, tree-less, health-hazard, she gets a touch disgruntled. Deal with it!

rnrnOn the plus side, unlike Letters to the Editor, I am never limited to 250 words! Better still I can, and will, say a companies name when I discuss their publicly noted activities on ‘public’ lands.



Lien! Lien! Lien! Lien! Lien!



Of course why should newspapers have all the fun? After all, there is a lighter side to letting a surface mine scar up the neighborhood. In fact, it’s so light it’s airborne. Some call it dust. Lime dust’s affects on the health of the village children (and elders) can be read in such light-hearted and whimsically titled articles as, Disabling Pneumoconiosis from Limestone Dust. (LOL?)



This disturbing, yet, light and dusty article was written by those good people who brought us health. Mines operators, kickback purveyors and political lobbyists made no notable contributions. It took all of five minutes to me to find more environmental problems associated with limestone dust. Take for example damaging photosynthesis and respiration in evergreen trees.



You know evergreens right? They are those pesky trees that cover the Black Hills and form the backbone of the web of all life in our region. Weak, lime dust saturated trees are more susceptible to insect damage. Can you say Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic? You can if you live in the South Dakota. The beetles have been decimating the Black Hills for years now. Sprinkling on lime dust make me think of rolling out a red carpet for further infestations.



By the way, evergreens exposed to mineral dust from limestone mining are also dryer and less fire resistant. Fire! Sounds like a bonus for those with homes in the hills. First pneumoconiosis, then lower property values and now an inferno! Yippee! This will make for beautiful sunsets as the last of the tourists flee the unsightly hills taking their tourism dollars with them forever.



Just to be safe residents around the proposed Pete Lien and Sons mine site should consider memorizing OSHA’s (osha.gov) list on the “exposure Limits” for Lime Dust. To understand them you’ll need high speed internet, a medical dictionary, three slide rules and a secret decoder ring. Fortunately their list of outright health risks is clearer.



Potential symptoms: Irritation of eyes, skin, mucous membranes; cough, sneezing, rhinorrhea (discharge of thin mucous); lacrimation (discharge of tears).

Health Effects: Nuisance Particulates (HE19)

Affected organs: Eyes, skin, respiratory system



And what fun loving, forest dwelling family wouldn’t want to share years of repertory problems and “rhinorrhea”? Who needs Yatzee®?



It is true other companies are also taking our backyard paradise and putting up less than a parking lot. The time has come for these visual blights and the entire intrusive presence of surface mining to be vanquished from the Black Hills region, no matter which company is conducting these operations.



Our elected officials are here to serve all voters, not just Lien towards big names in small ponds. They must stand vigilant against antiquated legislation - lest we oust antiquated politicians. This is the year 2008. Why are our forest lands, home values and the villages of our children not being protected from a Mining Act that was written 16 year before South Dakota even became a state?



I repeat this act was written ‘before’ South Dakota existed. Is government on a longer than usual lunch or what? Our population has actually increased since statehood. Neighborhoods should trump Mining Claims enacted in a time when dentures were carved from trees – even if they were those pesky evergreens! The destructive capabilities mankind’s machines are now capable of were unfathomable a mere 13 decades ago.



Mark Anderson is correct. We need a rallying cry. South Dakotan’s need to stand strong together, demanding a real change. The Black Hills are sacred to all. There is another saying you may be familiar with. “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to take root in the world is for enough good men to do nothing - about a gravel quarry.”



What’s next? If government doesn’t draw the line here, will we soon use school playgrounds as a handy place to burn our old tires? Doesn’t Mount Rushmore supposedly belong to the public? I hope no one holds an old claim or Squatter’s Rights on an ear lobe or Teddy Roosevelt’s left eye. Can I claim Lincoln’s chin for my driveway landscaping?



Sorry. Where was I? Oh yea, if this eco-vulgar mining practice does go forth destroying the forest in our community, will our elected politicians at least sew up this loophole, so future neighborhoods will not endure such an offence to our, so called, National Forests?



Meantime, until the forest re-grows to its natural state (e.t.a. 150 thousand years), I ask our elected representatives to lower our real estate values/assessments and collect fewer property taxes from constituents around the mine. You can take the difference out of your own salaries. Meanwhile I am sure Pete Lien and Sons, will be happy to pay all medical costs involved for the residents of the village, their children, their pets and their evergreens.



Disclaimer: The proceeding was an opinion piece. My opinion. Contrary to popular belief, you are permitted to have your own opinion as long as no one holds a 135 year old mining claim on it.



Lien! Lien! Lien! Lien! Lien!rn



Zoologist Nola Lee Kelsey (http://www.NolaKelsey.com) has penned a myriad of books from the wild and wicked new release, Dogs: Funny Side Up! to the charming, children\'s read-aloud Let’s Go Visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. As she’s meandered the globe, her humor articles have appeared in publications from Reptiles Magazine to The Bangkok Post. Kelsey is also the owner of Dog’s Eye View Media (http://www.DogsEyeViewMedia.com).



Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

Dormant or extinct? How to tell if a volcano is safe

Dormant or extinct? How to tell if a volcano is safe. by

The Auvergne is the stunning and seemingly tranquil region found in the heart of France. It is a lush, fertile landscape characterised by crater lakes and big skies. Its spectacular scenery was formed thousands of years ago by a powerful combination of volcanic eruptions and glacial activity. It has been compared to the English Lake District but with one very important difference - the mountains of the Auvergne are dormant volcanoes.



The 'Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne', contains France's largest concentration of recently active volcanoes. The volcanoes of the Auvergne are still classed as recently active rather than extinct even though there have been no eruptions since just after the last ice age. Indeed, volcanic activity was still occurring as recently as 3 500 years ago in the Chaine des Puys.



The main volcanic areas are known as the 'Massifs' and there are four of them - Chaîne des Puys (highest peak - Puy de Dôme, 1465m/4792ft high), - Monts Dore (highest peak - Puy de Sancy, 1886m/6188ft high), - Monts du Cézallier (highest peak - Signal du Luguet, 1551m/5089ft high) - Monts du Cantal (highest peak - Plomb du Cantal, 1855m/6086 ft high)



They are considered to be the most spectacular and popular of the volcanoes situated in the Auvergne. It is worth asking ourselves if the thousands of tourists who visit these magnificent, sleeping giants each year actually realise that we still have 5 000 years to wait before they will be officially classified as extinct.



These, as well as several other volcanoes, were created from one monumental volcano which is thought to have measured up to 3000 metres in height. The region is of eminent interest to geologists who make up a sizeable percentage of the Auvergne's tourists per year. The volcanic activity has created an array of elaborate formations which consists of solidified lava flows filling valleys to result in dammed streams and rivers which form lakes and waterfalls of rock. The lava flows in the Auvergne are thought to only be rivalled by similar formations situated in Alaska and New Zealand. Glaciers and peat land can also be found in the region as well as a wide variety of plants and animals.



The Chaîne des Puys extends for 40 km north to south. Just west of the city of Clermont Ferrand, it lies on a granite plateau at an altitude of 900metres. It is characterised by the linear positioning of 80 volcanoes, all taking different forms.



How can you actually tell if a volcano is dormant or extinct? Volcanologists study and classify volcanoes according to their activity. With special instruments they can determine if pressure in the volcano is building up. They check to see if the top of the volcano is plugged with cooled lava. There are three different classifications of volcanic activity: active, dormant or extinct. An active volcano is one that has erupted recently or might erupt soon. Active volcanoes are watched very closely so people and animals in the area can be moved to a save place.



The official classification of a dormant volcano is as follows - it has been quiet for some considerable time ( even thousands of years) but still exhibits some signs of activity. When the magma seeps back under the earth's crust or the vent is blocked by hardened lava ( the plug) then the volcano is referred to as dormant. Volcanoes can be dormant for hundreds, even thousands) of years. Then suddenly a volcano will erupt again. The eruption is usually very violent. The plug of a dormant volcano stops the magma from rising. Then pressure under the plug builds up, so the plug gives away and a large eruption is caused. The volcano is then classified again as an active volcano.



An extinct volcano is one that has not erupted for thousands of years. Sometimes it is hard to tell if a volcano is dormant or extinct. They will be listed as dormant until volcanologists are sure there will be no more eruptions. Even then, it has been known for 'extinct' volcanoes to erupt unexpectedly.



For the moment, the volcanoes of the Auvergne provide a spectacular summer and winter holiday destination; whether skiing, hiking, biking, rock-climbing or hang-gliding the volcanic landscape provides physical challenges and breathtaking vistas. The volcanic nature of the area causes numerous forms of springs, including hot, whose water is particularly rich in minerals. People often come for a 'cure' (to 'take the waters') as it is thought to have healing properties.



Even when equipped with the most sophisticated of scientific devices, you can never really tell if a volcano is extinct. The geographical history of the Auvergne has been nothing if not dramatic; spectacular volcanic eruptions and an Ice Age have combined to create the stunning landscape of this beautiful region. Let's enjoy it while we can!



MAry Smith has lived and worked in the Auvergne since 2004. She runs a holiday lettings agency, Auvergne France Homes, which provides comfortable and affordable accommodation. Come and see what all the fuss is about! http://www.afhomes.biz




Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

Causes and remedies of Earthquakes

Causes and remedies of Earthquakes by

An Earthquake is a sudden movement of the ground that releases the elastic energy stored within the rocks, creating destructive seismic waves. The word “seismic” comes from the Greek word “seismos” meaning an earthquake. These quakes are not isolated events. They come with smaller shocks, called aftershocks, with smaller effects.



An earthquake is caused when two sides of a large fracture in the rocks within the earth slide past each other. This fracture is called a fault, which may be microscopic or thousands of kilometers in length, while their width is usually a few millimeters or a few meters in size.The size of an earthquake depends on the area of the fault that ruptured, and the distance through which the rocks on the two sides of the fault slide past one another.Small earth quakes are caused by small faults or small parts of big faults. These last only for a fraction of a second and usually unnoticed, as the rocks on either side of the faults are not displaced much. The larger ones are caused due to faults which are tens to thousands of kilometers long, taking minutes and the displacement of the rocks is around tens of meters.



Earthquakes are caused because the earth is regularly cooling since it was born, the seismic wave being one of its ways to release the elastic energy.

Earthquakes are generally categorized into three types: Tectonic, Volcanic and Artificial.



Tectonic earth quakes are the most devastating, and unfortunately the most unpredictable. The volcanic quakes are seldom important or devastative, but they help predict the eruption of volcanoes. The artificial ones are caused due to human activities, like pumping fuels deep into the earth or due to explosives, and several other reasons.



MEASUREMENT OF EARTHQUAKES:



The most popular scale used to measure earthquakes is the Richter scale, named after Charles Francis Richter (US).This scale measures the energy released at the focus of the quake, read through a seismograph which gives the direction and force of the quakes. An earthquake of size 8 is 10 times more devastative than size 7, 100 times more destructive than 6, and so on. the frequency of earthquakes decreases as the magnitude increases, as the earth experiences about 800 earth quakes of size 5-6 , but only one or two quakes of size 8-9.



EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS:



Earthquakes cause great loss of life by causing damage to buildings, bridges, dams, etc. they can trigger devastating landslides. Fires can begin due to leaks in Gas plants and electrical lines. Earth quakes can also generate tidal waves, or the tsunamis, capable of destroying entire townships. These quakes also cause liquefaction of soils, which makes soil lose almost all its strength, which makes it function like quicksand. This material is capable of swallowing an entire building within itself.



Earthquakes around the world cost around 15,000 lives per year. Several countries like the United States of America, China, Japan and Russia are most actively participating in seismological research, trying to predict future earthquakes.



Author: Pacific Disaster Center


The Pacific Disaster Center's mission is to provide applied information research and support for the development of more effective policies and, programs, for the disaster management. PDC give information and help during times of natural disaster. PDC Helps people during Natural calamities




Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

The Life Of Soil

The Life Of Soil by sulamita berrezi

Soil primarily had its beginning from rock together with animal and vegetable decay, if you can imagine long stretches or periods of time when great rock masses were crumbling and breaking up. Heat, water action, and friction were largely responsible for this. By friction here is meant the rubbing and grinding of rock mass against rock mass. Think of the huge rocks, a perfect chaos of them, bumping, scraping, settling against one another. What would be the result? Well, I am sure you all could work that out. This is what happened: bits of rock were worn off, a great deal of heat was produced, pieces of rock were pressed together to form new rock masses, some portions becoming dissolved in water. Why, I myself, almost feel the stress and strain of it all. Can you?



Then, too, there were great changes in temperature. First everything was heated to a high temperature, then gradually became cool. Just think of the cracking, the crumbling, the upheavals, that such changes must have caused! You know some of the effects in winter of sudden freezes and thaws. But the little examples of bursting water pipes and broken pitchers are as nothing to what was happening in the world during those days. The water and the gases in the atmosphere helped along this crumbling work.



From all this action of rubbing, which action we call mechanical, it is easy enough to understand how sand was formed. This represents one of the great divisions of soil sandy soil. The sea shores are great masses of pure sand. If soil were nothing but broken rock masses then indeed it would be very poor and unproductive. But the early forms of animal and vegetable life decaying became a part of the rock mass and a better soil resulted. So the soils we speak of as sandy soils have mixed with the sand other matter, sometimes clay, sometimes vegetable matter or humus, and often animal waste.



Clay brings us right to another class of soils clayey soils. It happens that certain portions of rock masses became dissolved when water trickled over them and heat was plenty and abundant. This dissolution took place largely because there is in the air a certain gas called carbon dioxide or carbonic acid gas. This gas attacks and changes certain substances in rocks. Sometimes you see great rocks with portions sticking up looking as if they had been eaten away. Carbonic acid did this. It changed this eaten part into something else which we call clay. A change like this is not mechanical but chemical. The difference in the two kinds of change is just this: in the one case of sand, where a mechanical change went on, you still have just what you started with, save that the size of the mass is smaller. You started with a big rock, and ended with little particles of sand. But you had no different kind of rock in the end. Mechanical action might be illustrated with a piece of lump sugar. Let the sugar represent a big mass of rock. Break up the sugar, and even the smallest bit is sugar. It is just so with the rock mass; but in the case of a chemical change you start with one thing and end with another. You started with a big mass of rock which had in it a portion that became changed by the acid acting on it. It ended in being an entirely different thing which we call clay. So in the case of chemical change a certain something is started with and in the end we have an entirely different thing. The clay soils are often called mud soils because of the amount of water used in their formation.



The third sort of soil which we farm people have to deal with is lime soil. Remember we are thinking of soils from the farm point of view. This soil of course ordinarily was formed from limestone. Just as soon as one thing is mentioned about which we know nothing, another comes up of which we are just as ignorant. And so a whole chain of questions follows. Now you are probably saying within yourselves, how was limestone first formed?

At one time ages ago the lower animal and plant forms picked from the water particles of lime. With the lime they formed skeletons or houses about themselves as protection from larger animals. Coral is representative of this class of skeleton-forming animal.



As the animal died the skeleton remained. Great masses of this living matter pressed all together, after ages, formed limestone. Some limestones are still in such shape that the shelly formation is still visible. Marble, another limestone, is somewhat crystalline in character. Another well-known limestone is chalk. Perhaps you'd like to know a way of always being able to tell limestone. Drop a little of this acid on some lime. See how it bubbles and fizzles. Then drop some on this chalk and on the marble, too. The same bubbling takes place. So lime must be in these three structures. One does not have to buy a special acid for this work, for even the household acids like vinegar will cause the same result.



Then these are the three types of soil with which the farmer has to deal, and which we wish to understand. For one may learn to know his garden soil by studying it, just as one learns a lesson by study.



Sulamita is the developer of Sfondi Immagini, Sulamita also has a video nuoto federica pellegrini.



Article Source: Sustainable Living Articles

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