Opinion | Write Team: Are we condemned to repeat the same mistake?

Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley

By Paul Wheeler, Shaw Local News

March 27, 2023

“Potassium permanganate. It is an oxidizer used throughout the country in the water purification process. The highlights of its classification include its ability to intensify fires and its known potential for explosion when in contact with combustible substances….

Following the Jan. 11 Carus explosion in La Salle, plans were made to move all stored materials from the La Salle location to an alternative site. Though investigation of the fire and explosion has not been completed, it might be fair to assume potassium permanganate was involved, with Carus being the largest producer of the substance in the country and the fact it was a substance released in the fire’s aftermath.

Oddly, that “alternative storage site” has turned out to be in the very midst of three of Ottawa’s primary elementary schools. Two of those schools, Central and Shepherd, are 300 yards from the main storage building. McKinley Elementary School is located approximately two blocks away….

There are about 1,000 students occupying all three schools on any given day. Young minds utterly unaware of the decisions being made on their behalf, or not being made on their behalf, by the adults in charge. Yet, given all the warehousing alternatives present in spacious La Salle County, why would one prefer a site so closely situated to so many vulnerable children? It boggles the mind.

Read the full article: 👇

https://www.shawlocal.com/mywebtimes/opinion/columns/2023/03/27/write-team-are-we-condemned-to-repeat-the-same-mistake/

Don’t Be Fooled by Local Food and Craft Beer at Tangled Roots.

Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley

Tangled Roots is one of many companies owned by Inga Carus, CEO of Carus Chemical.

Don’t be fooled by local food and craft beer at Tangled Roots in Ottawa. https://tangledrootsbrewingco.com/about-us/

CL Enterprises. the parent company of Tangled Roots and the Lone Buffalo, is owned by Inga Carus, the CEO of Carus Chemical, LLC, in LaSalle, Illinois. https://cl-enterprises.com/who-we-are/

According to CL’s website, they’re committed to investing in small towns. https://cl-enterprises.com/

However, LaSalle residents say CL does not maintain their properties, and they have several unfinished projects downtown, including the historic Kaskaskia Hotel building, which they purchased from the city for $1 in 2003, and have not done anything with. The once stately hotel is deteriorating in downtown LaSalle.

In addition, Carus has not taken responsibility for damage or cleanup of residents homes and property after the Carus Chemical plant blew up on January 11 and rained chemicals onto the community.

Tangled Roots, the Lone Buffalo and CL Enterprises are just a few of many companies that are owned by Inga Carus. https://cl-red.com/projects/

Carus Chemical Safety Data Sheets

Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley

Below are Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemicals manufactured and stored at Carus Chemical’s plant in LaSalle, Illinois, and stored at the former South Towne Mall, now known as Lotz Storage, in Ottawa, Illinois.

potassium-permanganate-sdsDownload
sds-sodium-permanganateDownload
sodium.fluorosilicate.solvay-sdsDownload
manganese-sds-1Download
manganese-sulfate-sdsDownload
sodium-acid-pyrophoshate-sapp-sdsDownload
zinc-oxide-sdsDownload
copper-sulfate-sdsDownload
soda_ash_sdsDownload
sds-phosphate-buffer-salts-2-12-18Download
caruse284a2-8500Download
sodium-hexametaphosphate-shmp-sdsDownload
carus-4200Download
sodium-trimetaphosphate-sdsDownload

From Clothing to Chemicals: Ottawa South Towne Mall is now a tier 2 chemical storage facility.

Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley
Chemical storage ordinance for Carus Chemical at Ottawa South Towne Mall

    Ottawa’s city council met in July 2022 and approved Carus Chemical to use the Ottawa South Towne Mall to store hazardous chemicals.

    Only one person went to the Ottawa City Council meeting when this proposal was being discussed.

    According to Shaw Local News, the only reason he came was because he was concerned about the lawn getting mowed at the mall near his home.

    Nobody came to ask questions about safety precautions, hazmat plans, or anything else about the proposal to store Carus’ chemicals at the Ottawa South Towne Mall.

    Fast forward to January 11, 2023 when an explosion occurred at Carus Chemical’s manufacturing plant in LaSalle, Illinois, that caused chemicals to rain down on the neighborhood and a massive fire to break out and release plumes of toxic smoke into the air.

    The chemical, potassium permanganate, that blew up all over the LaSalle neighborhood is the same chemical that was approved for storage at the mall by Ottawa City Council, and is now being stored there.

    Potassium permanganate is almost always presented by Shaw News, local politicians and Carus chemical as being for water treatment.

    This makes it sound benign, like Carus is making these chemicals so we can have safe drinking water, as if they’re some kind of hero. 🐂💩

    According to Carus’ website, potassium permanganate is used for treating fracking wastewater, separating metals in mining and in refining crude oil.

    This is a hazardous, dangerous chemical that was approved for storage near a residential neighborhood and senior apartment complex in Ottawa, Illinois.

    Last week, a neighbor next to Carus photographed and filmed semis hauling 7 loads of chemicals out of their warehouse in LaSalle, and followed them to the South Towne Mall, where they unloaded barrels and pallets for storage.

    How will the City of Ottawa handle a situation like what happened in LaSalle when this same chemical started on fire and exploded?

    As Jamie Hick’s said, “You’ve got our bomb now, Ottawa.” 💣

    Ordinance for Ottawa Chemical Storage at South Towne Mall:

    ordinance-carus-chemical-storage-at-south-town-mall-lotzDownload
    exhibit-b-list-of-chemicals-approved-for-storage-at-south-towne-mallDownload

    Shaw Local News: Request to use South Towne Mall in Ottawa as storage heads to City Council

    By Michael Urbanec, Shaw Local News. July 25,2022

    https://www.shawlocal.com/mywebtimes/2022/07/26/request-to-use-south-towne-mall-in-ottawa-as-storage-heads-to-city-council/?fbclid=IwAR0Yenr8Mz8o2rZggBs-iE6A95jSzmjltfHc0j8GrZnZbR_0E4E5iAKnNZo

    Chemical Safety Data Sheets for Chemicals being stored at the former Ottawa South Towne Mall, Lotz Storage.

    Chemicals being stored at this location include, but are not limited to the following:

    potassium-permanganate-sds-1Download
    sds-sodium-permanganate-1Download
    sodium-acid-pyrophoshate-sapp-sds-1Download
    sodium.fluorosilicate.solvay-sds-1Download
    manganese-sds-2Download
    manganese-sds-3Download
    zinc-oxide-sds-1Download
    copper-sulfate-sds-1Download
    soda_ash_sds-1Download
    sds-phosphate-buffer-salts-2-12-18-1Download
    mono-sodium-phosphate-sdsDownload
    caruse284a2-8500-1Download
    sodium-hexametaphosphate-shmp-sds-1Download
    sodium-trimetaphosphate-sds-1Download

    Carus Chemical Lied to the EPA about the Apollo Warehouse

    Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley

    Carus Chemical told the EPA they didn’t know what was inside the Apollo Warehouse, a building that is on their property, located next to a residential neighborhood, separated by a chain-link fence.

    Meanwhile, 4 days after this email exchange between Carus Chemical and the EPA, Carus was photographed and filmed hauling 7 truckloads of unlabeled barrels and pallets out of the Apollo warehouse building, and transporting them to a tier 2 chemical storage facility, formerly known as the the Ottawa South Towne Mall, as can be seen in this video. https://www.facebook.com/jamie.hicks.547/videos/1802914950093166

    Carus did not expect for neighbors to be so upset after their chemical plant blew up, and rained chemicals on the neighborhood, that the neighbors would learn how to use FOIA to gather evidence, then follow and photograph Carus’ every move.

    Watching Carus scramble in attempt to hide these chemicals and move them out of the building where they are being illegally stored has been somewhat amusing.

    Unfortunately, the City of LaSalle is helping Carus in their cover-up, as they provided a police escort for Carus’ semis to haul the illegally stored chemicals to a proper facility before the EPA came to inspect.

    In addition, the semis did not have hazmat placards on them.

    Emails obtained through FOIA have revealed that Carus contacted the chief of police and asked for off-the-clock officers to provide private security 24/7 for the next few weeks.

    The chief responded by saying he will check with the officers and put together a schedule.

    Who will these officers be loyal to in light of illegal activity – citizens or the polluter that is paying them?

      From Farmland to Fracksand

      Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley
      Frac sand mine in Utica, Illinois, located on Route 6 near Starved Rock State Park. Photo by: Lisa Held

      In the Midwest, fertile soil is being excavated in pursuit of fossil fuels, while communities suffer.

      By: Lisa Held, Civil Eats

      One Monday in June, excavators were tearing into a field in Wedron, Illinois where the nubs of last season’s dried corn stalks were still sticking out of the ground. Behind where the crew worked, strips of earth had been carved out like steps on a wide staircase descending to the bottom of a deep pit. On the far side, fine sand the color of snow was piled in front of soaring, solid walls of sandstone. Picture standing on a ledge looking down into the biggest rock quarry you’ve ever seen. Then, enlarge that image 100 times, whitewash it, and add turquoise blue pools of wastewater. This is silica mining.

      Fracking, a process used to extract natural gas and petroleum, depends on silica sand, or “frac sand” to produce the fossil fuels. A single fracking site can use millions of pounds of sand. The sand is blasted into wells to keep fissures in the rock open so that oil and gas can be released.

      In the Midwest, farmland is being irreversibly lost in pursuit of silica sand.

      Wedron Silica, which is now owned by Ohio-based Covia, has been expanding this particular mine for years and now owns at least 2,500 acres in and around the tiny village. It’s just one of several that Covia owns across LaSalle County, Illinois, 90 miles southwest of Chicago. Here, U.S. Silica, Smart Sand, and other companies are also actively mining.

      Together, the companies have purchased hundreds of parcels of land and now own more than 9,000 acres in LaSalle, a Civil Eats investigation has found. The majority of those acres are former or current farmland. Silica mining is also prevalent in other parts of Illinois and regions of Wisconsin and Missouri.

      Read full article: https://civileats.com/2022/07/19/from-farmland-to-frac-sand/

        Frac Sand Mining near Starved Rock State Park, La Salle County, Illinois, YouTube videos

        Posted on by Protect Starved Rock and the Illinois Valley