Settlements

In 2013, several environmental groups sued BNSF Railway for polluting waterways in Washington State.  I was watching this case closely and wondered if the elections would have an impact.  I am quite certain it did.

The groups and the railroad company agreed to measures that hopefully will bring some resolution to the coal dust that is entering our environment .  Make no mistake, the coal flowing over the train cars is unbelievable and can be seen easily.  I was actually stopped at a place long enough to see numerous overpacked coal in the train.

I have lived long enough to go back and forward with my “train” of thought on pollutants in general.  My single most important philosophical  ideals continually go back to my now three decades of raising a son with autism.  I have no idea how he got autism, but I do know more can be done to make our world cleaner.  I will give many a pass from decades of us not understanding such important issues, but there is absolutely no reason to not cover these railcars.  Guess what! It is part of the settlement.  The covers will be studied!

This last photo was taken from my recent trip to eastern Washington.  Our railways are all up and down our waterways.  While the railways deny any wrong doings, they are still paying out.  This is like any other situation.  Pay and deny.  What a crock of you know what.  Yet , I smile that I live in a state that is willing to fight for the good of all.

While I do not expect everyone to agree with me, I suspect the damages that have been done  to humans by pollutants such as coal can not be denied.  The scientific research speaks for itself.  Think-Black Lung Disease folks.