Archer Daniels Midland has branded itself as the "supermarket to the world", but in the course of acheiving that goal they are also one of the biggest polluters as well. Seems its just part of the cost of doing business...and business is very good for ADM. A few tidbits of an article over on CorpWatch about ADM's history of polluting the world:
"A single ADM corn processing plant in Clinton, Iowa generated nearly 20,000 tons of pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds in 2004, according to federal records. The EPA considers an ethanol plant as a "major source" of pollution if it produces more than 100 tons of any one pollutant per year, although it has recently proposed increasing that cap to 250 tons."-If your unfamiliar with what each of the toxins listed does I would like to suggest you read the article. The word carcinogen however pops up ALOT.
"The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency has charged the company with violations of the Clean Air Act in hundreds of processing units, covering 52 plants in 16 states. In 2003 the two agencies reached a $351 million settlement with the company. Three years earlier, ADM was fined $1.5 million by the Department of Justice and $1.1 million by the State of Illinois for pollution related to ethanol production and distribution. Currently, the corporation is involved in approximately 25 administrative and judicial proceedings connected to federal and state Superfund laws regarding the environmental clean-up of sites contaminated by ADM operations."--All this pollution gets ADM a place on the Top 100 polluters according to University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute. Guess where they are..come on..ok, I will tell you:
They are 10th. Holy shit, there are 9 other companies that polllute more than ADM. But lets stay on topic here.
So, ADM has been fined millions. But they make Billions, so its a drop in the bucket. Its part of the cost of doing business. Last year alone, ADM had net sales of $35.9 billion, with $1 billion in profits. 1 BILLION in pure profit. See where I am going with this? The sumbitches don't care how much they pollute or subsequently get fined, they are raking it in sportsfans.
Wait till you see the subsidies they have gotten over the years..your gonna love this part, I know I did.
"The Government Accounting Office estimates the subsidies to the ethanol industry from 1980-2000 at $11 billion. As the biggest ethanol producer in the US, ADM has received the largest portion of the government's generosity."--The EPA slaps their wrist with a ruler, but the federal government makes it "all better" by rewarding them with subsidies. Go figure.
I have just touched on the basic pollution aspect of the "supermarket to the world" folks. The CorpWatch article is primarily about ADM and their quest to become the worlds enthanol producer, and the pollution that entails. See, ADM wants to use coal to run its ethanol production plants. Coal is the dirtiest, most polluting form of energy there is..
See the irony there? Ethanol good...Coal bad.
Oh, I almost forgot..ADM has a new slogan out. Ready for it? Here it comes:
"Resourceful by Nature"--This eco-friendly slogan, according to the folks over at ADM, "reinforces our role as an essential link between farmers and consumers."
Give me a fucking break.
Go read the article over at CorpWatch, or download it for later. It has a plethora of info on the midwest pollution,Corn-based ethanol, ADM and how they buy their influence in DC. I believe it will jack your jaw or you missed my point.
Tags: Ethanol,Pollution,ADM,Corporate Polluters,FOIA
