AboutDavid L. Russell, PE Expertise I`m a Chemical,Civil and Environmental Engineer and have a number of projects in all phases of the environment.
I have worked in the chemical industry and am active in professional societies, and am currently on an industrial wastes committee for the Water Environment Federation, and have taught courses in remediation in the US and abroad.
I have written one book on Remediation of petroleum Contaminated Sites, and have a second book on PRACTICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT to be published by John Wiley in September, 2006. I've also written over 30 articles on various elements of environmental problems and cleanup. Most Recently, I have addressed a NATO Scientific and Techical Conference on Ecoterrorism, and have worked with the same group on remediation of sites contaminated with Chemical Warfare Agent materials and othe materials as well. . I can answer q`s about Chemical and Environmental Engineering, land development, air pollution, water pollution, soil and water cleanup, combustion, international environmental problems, industrial processes chemical processes. Civil and Environmental and Chemical Engineering. Overall, I have over 35 years of experience in this area. Note: I do not answer homework questions
Experience I love work in the third world and developing areas
because it is challenging and one can get a sense of accomplishment.
Question Hello. A few years ago I was in the Dominican Republic staying in my vacation home when all our neighborhood pools got filled with a coal ash. We came to found out this ash was coming from a nearby power plant and became startled since it was hazardous to health/lungs.
I wrote to a couple of people and even to someon here on allexperts. Generally I got the idea that there was nothing that can be done since the local EPA was broken. I come to find out that crimes such as these are committed all the time by foreign governments due to conflicting interests and corruption.
To make a long story short people began to complain and it hit the media. Later on the local EPA didn't resolve the problem but did however publicize that they did.
I have moved since and on occasion they still run that powerplant as described from time to time filling the air with a black ash.
I heard that a group called the "Blacksmiths" work on resolving problems as these worldwide.
1.
Do you know of or can verify any similar groups or societies that work towards correction of industrial crime/environmental pollution?
2.
I imagine that these societies are politically influentual and achieve their goal via a real threat to adversely affect the foreign government economically, I ASSUME.
Either way how can a foreign body make a foreign government bend backwards considering the EPA can't do the same?
Thanks
Answer No, unfortunately, I don't track international environmental groups, especially those in the Dominican Republic. The challenge is that of transparency and the existence or enforcement of environmental laws in a sovereign country. The options which will create pressure to change or modify behavior are 1) public opinion, and 2) political pressure, and 3)regulation.
1 and 2 are really two sides of the same coin. You need public pressure to influence politicians to act. Otherwise, industry and jobs and lack of transparencey, including bribes and economic incentives for one's relatives, will enable the industry to do what it wants irrespective of public opinion.
Your best response is to organize and get the press behind you. Pictures of children being harmed, families displaced, people being injured and adverse health claims are most effective weapons. For example, see Amazon Watch and follow what they are doing. The Aguinda versus Texaco is a public interest suit against Texaco (now Chevron) for lots of money because the claim is that people were given cancer by their exposure to petroleum from Texaco's refining practices.
Those are your best options.
Good luck
