News
OHIO: 500,000 Gallons Of Toxic Wastewater From Train Derailment Moved To Texas
(Deer Park, Texas) — Toxic wastewater in Ohio used to extinguish a fire after a train derailment in Ohio was transported to a Houston suburb for disposal, according to a county official in Texas, who said there are still unanswered questions about the material’s transportation and disposal.
At a press conference on Thursday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo stated that 500,000 gallons (1.8 million liters) of wastewater had been delivered to Deer Park, Texas.
“I know our community was as surprised as I was by the news,” Hidalgo said. “I also want people to understand that there are many things we don’t know that we should. That doesn’t necessarily imply that something is wrong. And I want to emphasize that.”
Hidalgo said the county learned of the wastewater transfer on Wednesday from the site of a fiery Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which prompted evacuations after toxic chemicals were released from five derailed tanker rail cars carrying vinyl chloride that was in danger of exploding.
The wastewater was delivered to Texas Molecular, which injects hazardous waste into the ground. The company told KHOU-TV that it has experience with this type of disposal.
Tainted Water All over Ohio
“Our technology safely removes hazardous constituents from the biosphere. “We are part of the solution to reduce risk and protect the environment, whether in our local area or other places that require the environmental capabilities we provide,” the company in Ohio stated.
Hidalgo stated that Texas Molecular informed county officials that it had taken delivery of 500,000 gallons of firefighting water, with an additional 1.5 million gallons expected to be hauled to the site by approximately 30 trucks per day.
“It’s a very real problem; we were told yesterday that the materials would arrive, only to find out today that they’ve been here for a week,” said Hidalgo, who wants more information on the injection well’s precautions.
The delivery also raises concerns about the modes of transportation, which she said could include trains, as well as the potential health effects on workers involved in the transfers and the communities between the Ohio crash site and the disposal area in Deer Park, one of 34 communities in Harris County.
Even after discussions with officials from the federal Departments of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other industry and environmental experts, Hidalgo said that uncertainties remain.
Ohio and Romulus, which are closer to the crash site, could also handle the wastewater
“The government officials have readily provided the information they have, but what we’re learning is that they don’t appear to have the complete picture,” she said. “I’m not sure who has a complete picture of what’s going on here, and that’s a problem,”
She stated that Harris County has approximately ten injection wells capable of receiving hazardous commercial waste, making the area one of the few locations where the materials could be disposed of. However, she stated that similar facilities in Vickery, Ohio, and Romulus, Michigan, which are closer to the crash site, could also handle the wastewater.
“All of this could be for logistical reasons. There could be financial reasons. “Perhaps Texas Molecular outbid Michigan,” Hidalgo speculated. “It doesn’t mean anything sinister is going on, but we need to know the answer to this question.”
Hidalgo said that she found out about the disposal site from a journalist, not a regulatory agency or the company, which she called “unacceptable.”
Texas Molecular, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, “is authorized to accept and manage a variety of waste streams, including vinyl chloride, as part of their… hazardous waste permit and underground injection control permit.”
The chemical is “very, very toxic,” according to Dr. George Guillen, executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston, but the risk to the public is minimal.
Improving rail safety while regulators work to tighten safety regulations.
“In some cases, this injection is usually 4,000 or 5,000 feet below any drinking water aquifer,” said Guillen, a biology and environmental science professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Guillen and Deer Park resident Tammy Baxter expressed concern about transporting the chemicals from East Palestine to Deer Park, which is more than 1,300 miles (2,090 kilometers).
“A closer deep well injection is required,” Baxter told KTRK. “It’s stupid to put it on the road. We have accidents all the time… It’s ridiculous to move it that far.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the derailment site on Thursday, warned Norfolk Southern to keep its promises to clean up the mess outside East Palestine and help the town recover.
Buttigieg has also announced a package of reforms aimed at improving rail safety while regulators work to tighten safety regulations.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Wikipedia, Wrapped. Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
NEW YORK – Remember what you were looking for in 2023? Wikipedia, on the other hand, has the receipts.
According to data provided Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, openly edited online encyclopedia, English Wikipedia received more than 84 billion views this year. The most popular piece was on ChatGPT (the AI chatbot that appears to be everywhere these days).
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has flown into the public eye since its inception just over a year ago, as the technology makes its way into schools, health care, legislation, and even religious preaching. The chatbot has also contributed to developing arguments regarding the possible benefits and risks of generative AI, most of which are detailed on its Wikipedia page.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
The annual list of fatalities was the second most-read article on Wikipedia in 2023, after taking the #4 and #1 rankings in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Individual entries for important figures who died this year drew much attention, notably those for Matthew Perry and Lisa Marie Presley.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated 2023 Cricket World Cup came in third place — along with three other cricket-related entries in Wikipedia’s top 25 this year, including the Indian Premier League at #4, marking the first time cricket content has made the list since the Wikimedia Foundation began tracking in 2015.
“Barbenheimer,” Taylor Swift and others also appeared to influence our internet-reading habits in 2023. Here are this year’s top 25 English Wikipedia articles.
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
1. ChatGPT: 49,490,406 pageviews
2. Deaths in 2023: 42,666,860 pageviews
3. 2023 Cricket World Cup: 38,171,653 pageviews
4. Indian Premier League: 32,012,810 pageviews
5. Oppenheimer (film): 28,348,248 pageviews
6. Cricket World Cup: 25,961,417 pageviews
7. J. Robert Oppenheimer: 25,672,469 pageviews
8. Jawan (film): 21,791,126 pageviews
9. 2023 Indian Premier League: 20,694,974 pageviews
10. Pathaan (film): 19,932,509 pageviews
11. The Last of Us (TV series): 19,791,789 pageviews
12. Taylor Swift, 19,418,385: pageviews
13. Barbie (film): 18,051,077 pageviews
14. Cristiano Ronaldo: 17,492,537 pageviews
15. Lionel Messi: 16,623,630 pageviews
16. Premier League: 16,604,669 pageviews
17. Matthew Perry: 16,454,666 pageviews
18. United States: 16,240,461 pageviews
19. Elon Musk: 14,370,395 pageviews
20. Avatar: The Way of Water: 14,303,116 pageviews
21. India: 13,850,178 pageviews
22. Lisa Marie Presley: 13,764,007 pageviews
23. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 13,392,917 pageviews
24. Russian invasion of Ukraine: 12,798,866 pageviews
25. Andrew Tate: 12,728,616 pageviews
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
SOURCE – (AP)
Are you adept at flirting or chatting up possible partners? If this is the case, you may already have rizz and be unaware of it.
Young folks utilize the Oxford word of the year, internet slang for romantic appeal or charm.
It was one of eight words chosen from a shortlist to define the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of 2023.
A public poll was used to narrow down the list before Oxford lexicographers made the ultimate selection.
Swiftie, Beige Flag, and Situationship were among the other contenders.
If you are not a member of Generation Z, the term may be meaningless to you.
However, it is widely utilized online, with billions of views of the hashtag “rizz” on TikTok.
Rizz Named Word Of The Year 2023 By Oxford University Press
It is described as style, charm, or attractiveness, as well as the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner, by Oxford University Press [OUP], which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary [OED].
The word “charisma” is assumed to be a shorter variant of “charisma.”
It can also be used as a verb, as in “to frizz up,” which means “to attract, seduce, or chat up someone.”
It’s essentially a modern version of the “game,” described as skill, proficiency, and the capacity to sexually entice people through one’s charm.
What do the shorlisted words mean?
Beige flag (n.): a character feature that indicates that a partner or possible partner is boring or lacks creativity; (also) a quality or habit, especially of a partner or potential mate, that is very distinctive but not good or bad. [proposed definition]
A situationship (n.) is a romantic or sexual relationship that is not formal or established.
Swiftie (n.): a devoted follower of Taylor Swift. [proposed definition]
Prompt (n.): a command issued to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, or the like that affects or influences the content it generates [draft definition]
De-influencing (n.): the activity of deterring individuals from purchasing specific things or pushing people to consume less material goods, particularly through social media [draft definition]
The Oxford University Press emphasized that lexicographers are writing a draft definition “for the Word of the Year campaign” and that terms without draft definitions are already in the OED.
Rizz Named Word Of The Year 2023 By Oxford University Press
The rest of the words will be included in dictionaries “after assessment of their longevity, frequency, and breadth of usage,” according to the statement.
Kai Cenat, a Twitch streamer and YouTuber is widely credited with popularizing the term rizz, which he used with his buddies.
The word’s popularity has grown this year, and in June, actor Tom Holland was asked by Buzzfeed about the secret to his frizz.
Holland responded, “I have no rizz at all.” “I have limited rizz,” he says before detailing how he won his fiancée Zendaya over by playing the “long game.”
Another slang term characterizing “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” behavior that was last year’s Oxford word of the year was “goblin mode.”
Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, stated that while “goblin mode” was popular following the epidemic, “it’s interesting to see a contrasting word like rizz come to the forefront.”
He speculated that the word referred to “a prevailing mood of 2023, where more of us are opening up after a challenging few years and finding confidence in who we are.”
Mr. Grathwohl said that the increased use of the word frizz demonstrated that words and phrases derived from online culture “are increasingly becoming part of the day-to-day vernacular.”
The language specialists at Oxford University Press chose the selection of eight words.
This list was then subjected to a public vote in late November, narrowing the field to four finalists before the experts decided.
Collins Dictionary revealed “artificial intelligence” as the word of 2023 in November.
SOURCE – BBC
Tech
BMW Recalls 2014 Model SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
DETROIT, MI — BMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the United States because the driver’s air bag inflators can rupture in a crash, throwing metal shards and potentially harming or killing passengers.
According to documents issued Saturday by US auto safety regulators, the recall involves 486 X3, X4, and X5 SUVs from the 2014 model year that are fitted with Takata Corp. of Japan airbags.
The recall calls into doubt the safety of around 30 million Takata inflators, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating. The vast majority have yet to be recalled.
Takata created a minor explosion using explosive ammonium nitrate to inflate airbags in a crash. However, the chemical might deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can potentially detonate violently, destroying a metal canister and spilling shrapnel.
Takata inflators have killed at least 26 individuals in the United States since May 2009, and at least 30 people have perished globally, including those in Malaysia and Australia. A further 400 persons have been injured.
The risk of a dangerous malfunction prompted the greatest auto recalls in US history, involving at least 67 million Takata inflators. According to the US government, many still need to be restored. Globally, over 100 million inflators have been recalled. Takata declared bankruptcy as a result of the bursting airbags.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
According to documents, the inflators in the BMWs contain a moisture-absorbing substance known as a desiccant that was not included in earlier recalls.
According to papers, BMW was informed in November of an NHTSA complaint that the driver’s airbag in a 2014 X3 had ruptured. The automaker launched an investigation, but no specific cause has been identified. However, according to the records, preliminary information indicates a production fault from February 22, 2014, to March 7, 2014.
According to records, the German automaker is still investigating but has not yet been able to inspect the X3 with the malfunctioning airbag.
According to NHTSA data, on October 23, the inflator on a 2014 X3 exploded in Chicago, blasting a big piece of metal into the driver’s lung.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
According to the complaint, the driver also suffered chest and shoulder injuries that seemed to be caused by shrapnel. According to the lawsuit, which did not identify the driver, a surgeon extracted a gold-colored disc from the driver’s lung.
According to the NHTSA, Takata airbags with desiccant are being investigated because they have the potential to detonate and release shrapnel. The investigation, which began in 2021, involves more than 30 million inflators from 20 car and truck manufacturers, including Honda, Stellantis, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler Vans, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Mazda, Karma, Fisker, and Spartan Fire vehicles.
In May 2020, the agency decided not to recall the desiccant-containing inflators but to monitor them.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
“While no current safety risk has been identified, additional work is required to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled dessicated inflators,” the government stated in a paper that launched the investigation.
A NHTSA representative stated Saturday that she would look into the status of the inquiry. BMW was contacted and asked for comment.
Dealers will replace the airbags at no cost to owners, who will be notified via letter beginning January 16.
The BMW recall comes after General Motors recalled approximately 900 vehicles in July due to desiccant-containing Takata inflators. GM also blamed the incident on a Takata manufacturing flaw.
In a statement about the GM recall last summer, the NHTSA stated that it had no data indicating that other desiccated Takata inflators would burst.
source – AP
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