^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
17 AUG 04: SOOT SUIT
A second week of testimony began Monday in a pollution lawsuit against Continental Carbon. If this case is successful, all of South Columbus will be able to sing: "Soot, soot sooty, goodbye...."
A federal lawsuit accuses Continental Carbon of spreading "carbon black" all over South Columbus, from its Phenix City plant. If that's not what the black stuff is on my car, someone needs to investigate how Columbus road crews seal asphalt.
Mayor Bob Poydasheff testified at the Continental Carbon trial late last week. He's convinced that plant is to blame for changing the color of the Columbus Civic Center's roof. In bigger cities, something else does that to an arena - expensive corporate sponsorships.
The city of Columbus is joined in the lawsuit against Continental Carbon by Action Marine on Victory Drive. The business claims soot from the Phenix City plant gets all over its boats. Of course, after people buy the boats, some spilled beer might get that soot right out....
Monday's testimony in the Continental Carbon trial was a bit scientific. Defense lawyers argued an expert who took soot samples from the Civic Center roof didn't check the weather conditions at the time. Uh-oh - Trent Aric might have to be
called back from Miami.
The prosecution witness said samples from the Civic Center roof looked odd, but from the naked eye were NOT obviously carbon black. Of course, for most of us "carbon black" looks like a letter-sized sheet of paper.
Continental Carbon apparently is going to argue the soot scattered across South Columbus is NOT carbon black, but something else. So what else could it be? Are birds around the Chattahoochee River not getting proper nourishment, for their droppings?
I'm just guessing here, but is Continental Carbon going to claim the soot in South Columbus is coming from the truck stop on U.S. 431? Then again, maybe Phenix City simply has too many barbecue restaurants....
(By the way, did you notice this lawsuit against Continental Carbon was moved to Opelika? The wind would have to change direction a bit, for any of the evidence to land there.)
Now some scattered tidbits from Monday:
+ I walked into the Phillips station on Wynnton Road, and found a woman behind the counter wearing a Puerto Rico T-shirt. "You had to wear that shirt today," I told her - and she just laughed. You see, women ARE Olympic basketball fans.
+ Auburn University swimmer Kirsty Coventry won an Olympic silver medal for - whoa, wait a minute here. She swam for Zimbabwe?! And President Robert Mugabe allowed this?! Did Coventry flee from some guerilla-occupied farm?
+ Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell announced he's passed a polygraph test, as a grand jury indictment seems near. Campbell is a main attorney for Kenneth Walker's family - so it appears Muscogee County Sheriff's Deputies have one more item for their "to-do" list.
(Bill Campbell's hired his own attorney to defend him against possible corruption charges. So it's no wonder he wants Kenneth Walker's family to receive $100 million - his legal fees will go directly to somebody else.)
+ Instant Message to whoever is passing around a story of "serious ethics violations" by a Phenix City Council member: Didn't you learn anything from the Superior Court Judge race? We use blogs to spread rumors around here these days --
and I haven't seen this on any of them.
COMING WEDNESDAY: I've been challenged to visit a diner.... and you'll probably never guess why....
To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.
If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.
© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.