Toxic Red Sludge?

usaloyal2theend said:
Cripes! The Brits couldn't criticise us enough for the oil spill in Louisiana and how rotten we were to BP and this is going on with nary a peep.

This stuff sounds AWFUL. It's already killed one Hungarian tributary and if you look at this stuff it looks downright scary!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101007/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_hungary_sludge_flood
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So how are the Brits or BP involved in this? I believe the Hungarians are going to rename the blue Danube to the red Danube!!
 
tom prendergast said:
So how are the Brits or BP involved in this? I believe the Hungarians are going to rename the blue Danube to the red Danube!!
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I didn't say they were, just perplexed over the deafening silence. This is a pretty big deal and not a peep from you or anyone else from that corner of the world.

You guys are all up in our grill over practically everythng that happens (typically negative) over here and something like this goes without notice!
 
usaloyal2theend said:
I didn't say they were, just perplexed over the deafening silence. This is a pretty big deal and not a peep from you or anyone else from that corner of the world.

You guys are all up in our grill over practically everythng that happens (typically negative) over here and something like this goes without notice!
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I don't understand why you'd think anyone from Britain should post about this particular subject as opposed to Americans on the board? Maybe all the Brits are on Hungarian message boards giving the Magyars some stick?

Anyway, it's posted now and, apparently, people aren't really that interested.
 
I'm interested. It's interesting to see the different regulatory standards in managing hazardous waste in other nations. If you want some details here's what's going on. This type of waste is called "Red Mud" in the US. The process of making primary aluminum metal is a lengthy process. The first step in the process is bauxite ore is mixed with a hot 50% caustic soda solution under pressure. The aluminum form aluminum hydroxide and goes into a liquid solution called "green liquor". The green liquor is filtered off and is ultimately processed into aluminum metal. The left over solids are high in iron impurities and have a typical red color. It is also highly corrosive due to the high concentration of caustic soda mixed with it. This waste is called "red mud". In the US it is classified by EPA as a corrosive hazardous waste and aluminum manufacturers have two options in managing it. They can store it in tanks on impounds for up to 90 days but then they must ship it to a permitted hazardous waste treatment facility for treatment (neutralization) and disposal. Their second option, which most US aluminum facilities use, is elementary neutralization. That is, when they filter the red mud from the green liquor them pump it, in-line, to a neutralization tank, neutralize it and then store in tanks or impounds. The Red mud, having had it's hazardous corrosive characteristic neutralized can now be managed as a non hazardous industrial waste in a subtitle D landfill as long as it does not exhibit any other characteristic of a hazardous waste.

It appears that they neither have the regulatory time limits for storing hazardous waste in Hungary (and this would be an example of why such storage time limits are in place in the US in that it prevents such irresponsible accumulations) nor do they implement such good management practices as elementary neutralization.

Here folks, when compared to hazardous waste management regulations in the USA, is an example of regulations working to our benefit.
 
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charver said:
I don't understand why you'd think anyone from Britain should post about this particular subject as opposed to Americans on the board? Maybe all the Brits are on Hungarian message boards giving the Magyars some stick?

Anyway, it's posted now and, apparently, people aren't really that interested.
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Well of course you're not interested.

It would be the same reason why we in California are posting about the oil spill in Louisiana. Course the stuff spilling into the Danube is toxic and once it becomes dust, it's going to be screwing up alot of lungs, but hey, keep on kicking the US over the oil spill that BP is responsible for.

The reality is some of you Brits only care when it's an opportunity to jump on your soap box and criticise us over here.

We got it.
 
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Mott the Hoople said:
I'm interested. It's interesting to see the different regulatory standards in managing hazardous waste in other nations. If you want some details here's what's going on. This type of waste is called "Red Mud" in the US. The process of making primary aluminum metal is a lengthy process. The first step in the process is bauxite ore is mixed with a hot 50% caustic soda solution under pressure. The aluminum form aluminum hydroxide and goes into a liquid solution called "green liquor". The green liquor is filtered off and is ultimately processed into aluminum metal. The left over solids are high in iron impurities and have a typical red color. It is also highly corrosive due to the high concentration of caustic soda mixed with it. This waste is called "red mud". In the US it is classified by EPA as a corrosive hazardous waste and aluminum manufacturers have two options in managing it. They can store it in takes on impounds for up to 90 days but them must ship it to a permitted hazardous waste treatment facility for treatment (neutralization) and disposal. Their second option, which most US aluminum facilities use, is elementary neutralization. That is, when the filter the red mud from the green liquor them pump it, in-line, to a neutralization tank, neutralize it and then store in tanks or impounds. The Red mud, having had it's hazardous corrosive characteristic neutralized can now be managed as a non hazardous industrial waste in a subtitle D landfill as long as it does not exhibit any other characteristic of a hazardous waste.

It appears that they neither have the regulatory time limits for storing hazardous waste in Hungary (and this would be an example of why such storage time limits are in place in that it prevents such irresponsible accumulations) nor do they implement such good management practices as elementary neutralization.

Here folks, when compared to hazardous waste management regulations in the USA is an example of regulations working to our benefit.
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There you go pointing out a good thing about the US, you braggart you!
 
charver said:
I have been following it in the news but i wouldn't immediately think - "i know, i'm British so i'll post this story about Hungary on this American message board i know."
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We get that if it's negative news or news that paints the US in a bad light, it's paydirt. This "little ol thing" is quite an event over there, or it should at least warrant a mention of some sorts.

You guys were all over the BP event and now this little spill over there is well, almost, if not, as big. Nada, zip, zilch, nuttin from you birds!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7237793.html
 
usaloyal2theend said:
Well of course you're not interested.

It would be the same reason why we in California are posting about the oil spill in Louisiana. Course the stuff spilling into the Danube is toxic and once it becomes dust, it's going to be screwing up alot of lungs, but hey, keep on kicking the US over the oil spill that BP is responsible for.

The reality is most of you Brits only care when it's an opportunity to jump on your soap box and criticise us over here.

We got it.
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The thing is though most Brits, you know, people like me, weren't on here kicking the US over the oil spill or staunchly defending BP.
 
charver said:
The thing is though most Brits, you know, people like me, weren't on here kicking the US over the oil spill or staunchly defending BP.
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I don't remember anyone staunchly defending BP except to say that they were not the only ones to blame. Certainly they were the name on the well, there was never an argument about that.

There is also the little matter of the Hungarian PM who, thus far, has not pointed his finger at the UK and whipped up an anti British fury completely ignoring the actions of his Hungarian companies. Indeed he appears to be acting in a responsible manner and doing everything he can to lessen the enormous risk to the Danube and all who live by its banks.

Secondly, last time I looked this was not a pro Hungarian forum.
 
Lowaicue said:
I don't remember anyone staunchly defending BP except to say that they were not the only ones to blame. Certainly they were the name on the well, there was never an argument about that.

There is also the little matter of the Hungarian PM who, thus far, has not pointed his finger at the UK and whipped up an anti British fury completely ignoring the actions of his Hungarian companies. Indeed he appears to be acting in a responsible manner and doing everything he can to lessen the enormous risk to the Danube and all who live by its banks.

Secondly, last time I looked this was not a pro Hungarian forum.
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Despite all that i'm now feeling quite regretful for my obvious failures in the realms of Magyar news delivery.

I resolve that, from this day forward, i am going to post all the latest stories from Budapest's equivalent of Fleet Street in order that my friends on Damo's marvellous message board are never again left feeling hungry when thinking of Hungary.
 
usaloyal2theend said:
There you go pointing out a good thing about the US, you braggart you!
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I'm shameless that way you know. ;-)

Having said that these kind of storage limits and best management practices for handling hazardous waste are pretty much standard in the EU as well as the USA. I'm rather shocked that Hungary does not apparently have such regulatory standards for managing hazardous waste.
 
usaloyal2theend said:
We get that if it's negative news or news that paints the US in a bad light, it's paydirt. This "little ol thing" is quite an event over there, or it should at least warrant a mention of some sorts.

You guys were all over the BP event and now this little spill over there is well, almost, if not, as big. Nada, zip, zilch, nuttin from you birds!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7237793.html
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I think you're being very unfair to Charver. I've not known him to be like that other then to lampoon our sillyness....but he's just as quick to lampoon the UK's own brand of sillyness.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I think you're being very unfair to Charver. I've not known him to be like that other then to lampoon our sillyness....but he's just as quick to lampoon the UK's own brand of sillyness.
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He jumped in the middle of it. I didn't name him specifically. If he wants to take the call of the Brits then so be it. I think he's funny for the most part, but you will have to admit that the Brits do like to take potshots at us whenever the mood strikes them. Lowaicue and Tom being prime examples of that.
 
Lowaicue said:
I don't remember anyone staunchly defending BP except to say that they were not the only ones to blame. Certainly they were the name on the well, there was never an argument about that.

There is also the little matter of the Hungarian PM who, thus far, has not pointed his finger at the UK and whipped up an anti British fury completely ignoring the actions of his Hungarian companies. Indeed he appears to be acting in a responsible manner and doing everything he can to lessen the enormous risk to the Danube and all who live by its banks.

Secondly, last time I looked this was not a pro Hungarian forum.
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Actually I think you can make a good case that he has not. Why didn't the Hungarian government have the appropriate kinds of regulatory controls for storing and managing these types of hazardous waste that are pretty well standard to the rest of the EU and the US? Since the PM is head of state, I'd say he deserves a healthy share of the blame here.
 
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