Category: Science

Dear (Kokomo Tribune) Editor:

We the people of Kokomo, Indiana (www.wethepeoplekokomo.com) are concerned that some groups are using propaganda to try to make us think that we have “ample” water in our county. There have been two newspaper articles (Kokomo Tribune) in the past few months citing the same Indiana Finance Authority studies. The March 15th article states, “A state water plan would be used in similar fashion to a municipal comprehensive plan, with collected data being used to make decisions about how Indiana’s water resources are tapped.”

The reason we are concerned about any of our officials saying we have plenty of water is because we do NOT. Period. Howard County is not drinking water rich — even from the IFA studies which, according to several analysts, is a flawed study. Currently, 60% of Kokomo City water comes from the Wildcat Creek. Indiana American Water would not be using that source IF there was abundant ground water available. This is very important because the water needed for the Electric battery projects here in Kokomo are huge (3 million gallons per day) and has to be extremely pure — even exceeding drinking water needs.

The flaws in the IFA requested studies are major because they don’t separate out drinking water from what is called “brown” water. Sure you can clean up any water, but it becomes EXPENSIVE. The better the source water, the less expensive the clean up. Our suggestions to the city are to require major water hogs to recycle and pay more per unit will help with how much the rest of us have to pay for our water usage.

Never take water for granted. It is invaluable. Never take clean water for granted. It is a HUGE blessing. Indiana is blessed to have this natural resource in abundance, but that does not mean there is “ample’ water for pet projects that could destroy this natural resource forever.

Mr. Mike Day has done an extraordinary job of evaluating the IFA studies and here are his three key statements:

1. A reduction of non-consumptive water withdrawals provides ZERO justification for water grabs (redistributions) or regional planning.
2. A reduction of water at the tail of a river provides ZERO justification for water grabs (redistributions) up stream.
3. A reduction of brown surface water provides ZERO justification for taking pure ground drinking water.
   Lots more to discuss about all this. Please ask our officials about what companies they are giving tax abatements to and why and if these companies are protecting our (water) resources rather than sucking them dry.
   
   Very Sincerely,
   We the People Kokomo

The February 24th editorial in the Tribune from the Anderson Herald Bulletin that knocks small scale nuclear power is both short sighted and in instances inaccurate. The writer suggests why would Hoosiers want the “bane of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in our backyard, when technologies for wind and solar power are much cheaper, more stable and less dangerous?”

Of course, no one wants a Three Mile Island or Chernobyl anywhere. Both were large scale nuclear power plants. The Three Mile Island incident in 1979 was pretty minor in scope. The American Nuclear Society concluded that average local radiation exposure was equivalent to a chest X-ray and maximum local exposure equivalent to less than a year’s background radiation. In short, the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere was too small to result in discernible direct health effects to the population in the vicinity of the plant.

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 is another matter. From the very beginning, experts knew of design flaws and risks of this Russian designed plant. The results were catastrophic with consequences still ongoing. This one is way off base for any comparison.

However, neither of these incidents has anything to do with small scale nuclear power plants. It behooves us to explore what possibilities there may be with such plants. Think about it. The United States Navy has submarines and air craft carriers powered for years by small scale nuclear power plants. I cannot think of a single adverse incident reported from any. So, engineers do have significant experience with small scale design.

Yes, nuclear technology does need to be advanced, but turning ones back on possibilities is not wise. Already we have been told that electric power generation in the United States is lacking and will become even more so with large data centers coming, electric vehicles, and manufacturing moving back to the United States…. and the decommissioning of coal plants.

One of the major advantages of nuclear power generation over both wind and solar generation is that it is full time. Wind depends upon unpredictable wind. Solar depends upon unpredictable sun and even then only half the time. Users of electricity cannot bank on erratic energy sources. Full time availability is essential. Oh… and wind and solar are not cheaper and surely not more stable.

For historical accuracy, Indiana’s Marble Hill nuclear plant (a large scale plant) construction began in 1977 and was terminated in 1984. It never got close to operation and that was about 45 years or so ago. Nuclear technology has advanced since then.

So, small scale nuclear generation of electricity may be the way of the future. It must be explored.

The headline in the article in the Kokomo Tribune on December 14th said, “Facing looming energy shortage, Indiana utilities slowly adopt battery storage”. In October 2024, the Kokomo Planning Board turned down a application from Spearmint Energy to build a battery storage system station on approximately 25 acres of now farm land near the intersection of Lincoln and Goyer Roads. Spearmint Energy said they would reapply in six months.

Citizens objected. The “No” vote was 9-0. The Tribune article said citizen concerns centered around the possibility of one or more of the batteries catching fire posing a safety risk to buildings and residents nearby. This has happened elsewhere. The article pointed out lithium ion battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish as the salts in the batteries are self-oxidizing, which means they cannot be “starved out” by traditional fire fighting methods. That and lithium battery fires release toxic gases including hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases can cause severe respiratory distress, skin burns, eye irritation, and even death.

But what is all the push for electric battery storage for in the first place? The reason shouts! The demand for more and more electricity supply is on the increase. And electricity is not something one can store up at home or in an office space or a data center or factory. The demand is instantaneous and the supply must be there then, not later.

On the other hand, electric utilities have been closing down traditional power generating plants, many of which were coal fired. They have been depending more and more upon unpredictable generating like wind mills and solar panels; neither of which can be depended upon continuously. Locally, look at the wind mills in Tipton County and the to-be solar fields in Howard County and Cass County. The answer to lack of instant electricity seems to be build large battery electric storage facilities that can feed electricity back to the power grid when demand is high and instant generating capacity cannot meet the demand. This looks a lot like a huge band aid solution.

We need an updated electric power grid to deliver electricity. We need full time dependable, instantaneous electricity generating capacity to meet demand; not battery storage band aids. We need utility companies to build new or refurbish old generation plants powered by dependable full time energy sources. Does this mean coal and natural gas….or, perhaps, nuclear plants? YES. Those until a better solution emerges. Wind and solar sources will not do.

We need to get off of the fascination with wind and solar farms. Neither are efficient or cost effective. Neither are dependable full time. Both start deterioration from the day they become operational. Time to rethink.

The Yurok Tribe
190 Klamath Blvd
Klamath CA 95548

Dear Ones:

Miracles do happen, but in the case of the Klamath River and dam removal, it depended upon the years of dedication to river restoration by the Yurok Tribe. I have to tell you that when I read all about what has been accomplished to give life back to all of the fish species, particularly the salmon, whose existence depends upon a free flowing Klamath River, it brought tears to my eyes.

Fish are special to me. My doctorate at Purdue had sturgeon as my focus for research. Before that were catfish and medaka. Fish, indeed, are incredible creatures from our Creator to be treasured and husbanded.

My wife, Marcia, is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan. They have a history of deep relationship with the fish of the Great Lakes, as you may well know. Their work and dedication to preserving the lakes and streams and the fisheries associated with them has been rewarding to see as well.

When I read the mission statement of the Yurok Tribe on line, one can hope that someday all will adopt the philosophy of your Tribe. Earth and all therein are, indeed, sacred.

So, I deeply thank you for what you have accomplished. I wish you all the best for the future.

Blessings,

Kent H Blacklidge Ph.D.

“We Indians know about silence. We are not afraid of it. In fact, for us, silence is more powerful than words. Our elders were trained in the ways of silence, and they handed over this knowledge to us. Observe, listen, and then act, they would tell us. That was the manner of living.

With you, it is just the opposite. You learn by talking. You reward the children that talk the most at school. In your parties, you all try to talk at the same time. In your work, you are always having meetings in which everybody interrupts everybody and all talk five, ten or a hundred times. And you call that ‘solving a problem’.

When you are in a room and there is silence, you get nervous. You must fill the space with sounds. So you talk compulsorily, even before you know what you are going to say.

White people love to discuss. They don’t even allow the other person to finish a sentence. They always interrupt. For us Indians, this looks like bad manners or even stupidity. If you start talking, I’m not going to interrupt you. I will listen. Maybe I’ll stop listening if I don’t like what you are saying, but I won’t interrupt you.

When you finish speaking, I’ll make up my mind about what you said, but I will not tell you I don’t agree unless it is important. Otherwise, I’ll just keep quiet and I’ll go away. You have told me all I need to know. There is no more to be said. But this is not enough for the majority of white people.

People should regard their words as seeds. They should sow them, and then allow them to grow in silence. Our elders taught us that the earth is always talking to us, but we should keep silent in order to hear her.

There are many voices besides ours. Many voices…”

-Ella Deloria

[Wisdom from the Original People]