Regarding this piece about the potential health risks of fires involving stored lithium ion batteries..... my son is an example of that "potential". He is now a prematurely, medically retired, EX-Fire Captain of a large Southern California Fire Department. My son, barely half way into his firefighting career, was involved in fighting a fire in a warehouse that was storing EV batteries. He was on the crew that made entry to the interior of the structure to fight the fire and he was wearing all of the appropriate firefighting PPE. In the emergency response world this would be classified as an "Exposure".
A very short while after the incident he began to experience lower back pain that was originally "diagnosed" at an emergency room as, maybe a kidney stone. In a very short while the pain became unbearable and his wife took him to a different E.R. where he was discovered to be in Acute Renal Failure! His Kidneys were shutting down! He was immediately admitted to the hospital with an unknown cause and unknown prognosis. It's a much longer, (and more complicated), story than I can get into here, but his Fire Department seemed to not want any part of "owning" his condition even after advanced testing revealed lithium in his system.
Long story short...... He was in full firefighting protective gear and still suffered the exposure and consequences..... the public doesn't have the luxury of that "protection".
To my knowledge, there has never been a Fire Department Green Sheet on this incident or the potential risks of lithium ion exposure or poisoning. The Green Sheet is an informational summary report utilized for reviewing a serious injury, near miss and/or fatality. It is a safety/training tool used to aid in preventing future occurrences, informing interested parties and identifying lessons learned.
Andy, my heart sinks at reading about what your son has been through. I’m so very sorry to read what I realize is the tip of the iceberg of his personal hell.
I pray his kidneys can somehow get cleared of the toxins (I’d be extremely interested in how). I find that the fact that the Fire Department wanted to wash their hands of any responsibility of this is utterly disgusting.
Everyone wants to get on the Green Bandwagon because it just sounds so damned politically correct ~ but they don’t take a deeper dive into ALL of the ramifications
Thanks Evelyne.... He's doing well now and his kidney values seem to be managed. You'd never know he'd been through this, by looking at him. It took him a couple of years to get any type of resolution. This incident proved to me that Worker's Comp. is a racket and disability insurance is a joke. What really bothers me now... is the lack of any published information, either to the professionals who still respond to incidents like this or to the public who might be affected by exposure to any bi-products of a lithium ion battery fire.
(Don’t EVEN get me started on Work Comp! I was injured over 30 years ago, originally settled for “all future medical”, which is a joke, they deny most everything…& I’ve been financially desperate to settle, but they won’t even come to the table! (& I’ve got a bright attorney). Grrrrr!)
I would think (if only my idea of common sense prevailed…) that the Fire Departments, along with law enforcement could be the ones to really open the eyes of the public and advocate for exploring the possibilities to take a slower, deeper dive into this Green Agenda. There’s MANY alternatives to treading more lightly on this planet! I would imagine that people (& yes, some of the politicians pushing this agenda, too!) would listen to them. There’s a movie someone shared with me on this that was an eye opener… I’ll try to look it up
How awful to have to deal with. And you're right. My big gripe about the green agenda is there are too many people profiting from it and not having to deal with any of the problems.
Thanks Polly.... we all sign up knowing full well we'd be putting ourselves in harm's way.... but we also assume that, if things go sideways..... the agencies that send us there will have our backs. Lessons learned..........
I read this "WARNING" article titled "What Blows Up in Goleta Doesn’t Stay in Goleta"
by Andy Caldwell" who issued a WARNING to SB folks and I quote as follows>
"We need to pressure our politicians to let them know that they need to act now to ensure public safety is paramount ..." and "Unfortunately, both our local and state governments are completely glossing over the fact that these facilities could create, in terms of environmental regulations, a significant hazard to the public .." and "Finally, we have serious concerns that the first responders have not been properly trained and equipped for a fire at any of these facilities." and the last
Mr. Caldwell states "You have been warned."
Anyone reading my posts in SB Current, over the last year, can understand that I have been
WARNING that the THREAT and HAZARD is the Entire Local SB Government.
There has been Whistle-Blowers in Santa Barbara that have provided actionable information
on these THREATS and HAZARDS in Santa Barbara however some of the Whistle-Blowers
have been retaliated against by the SB local Government Individuals & CALI.
Whistle-Blowers are supposedly Protected under 15 U.S. Code § 2087 - Whistleblower protection
regardless that protection seldom occurs. There are many Whistle-Blowers, some who expose
HUGE Malfeasance of Entire Countries as shown below for COVID-19>
If you BLOW-THE-WHISTLE fully understand the ramifications and possible retaliation against you and your family. Any doubt just look at what happened to President Trump and his family.
This year I was dropped by my homeowners insurer and the only plan available was the state sponsored California fair plan. My premium went from $1,800 up to $9,000 for less coverage. Does the state regulate private insurers out of business leaving only a government option? This is analogous to what has happened to health insurance. More government in our lives. I truly deplore Democrat run government.
I wish you'd told us. Because we learned how to make the companies behave. We were cancelled by our insurance company. We were told by every other insurance company we were uninsurable. We hired a professional inspector who charged us about $600, sent his report to our company and told them if they didn't insure us he'd file a complaint against them. This guy has won every time.
Same thing happened to me, Farmers cancelled me in November so I had to go to FairPlan. To clarify: It is NOT a Government plan, it is paid into by the various insurance companies to cover "last resort" situations and is essentially bankrupt. Plus it covers less for far more cost, AND you have to also get a DIC policy and the CEA. What California did was limit the fees insurance could charge, which caused many of them to leave the state entirely and many others to stop writing any new policies.
Funny thing how many policies in the Palisades were canceled at the same time, dooming those home owners there. It is a big scam.
I live next to many acres of oak trees owned by other people, so any insurance company looks at the Google Earth overview and deems it an unacceptable risk.
I also have large trees on my property, one is a Christmas tree that was a 3' tall Charley Brown leftover 30 years ago when the former owner got it out of the trash bin at the K-Mart and stuck it in the front yard.... it is now 40' high and horrified the Farmers inspector.
The risk would certainly be mitigated if the gigantic water reservoir adjacent to Escondido Park on the Mesa had not been LEFT EMPTY for the last 25+ years. I recently wrote to all the City Council members and Board of Supervisors pointing out that leaving it empty will set up a situation identical to the Palisades. It is supposed to be the gravity feed fire-fighting source for water for the entire Westside.
Tell ya what burns my butt: I accidentally left the bedroom window wide open last night and when I got up this morning the room was _freezing_. But no problem, my GAS heater blasted hot air into the room and warmed it up in no time. How long would it have taken and how much would it have cost to do it with electric heat?
So here’s the deal: - ask the green freaks: “You don’t like gas, right? Will it be ok if I ask the gas company to cut off all the gas to your house? No furnace, stove, dryer, water heater etc.” Now they’ll have to practice what they preach, and pay for it when the bill comes in.
Speaking of Blowing Up Things ... How about the findings of Soros using Fed money to the tune of $270M to pay for his pro-Dem escapades. How many "fronts" do the Feds have when spending taxpayers' money? Looks like Soros has enough money for a few years. Any chance of getting this money back. Are all the departments in the city/county governments also "fronts?" You know, like Feds like City/County.
Interesting that these BESS’s (battery energy storage system) are replacing the previous gas powered fast spin local plants that have been there the whole time. Just like the in efficient gas fast spin plants, These highly toxic highly flammable battery packs are necessary to maintain a constant voltage of 120/240 because reliance on rooftop solar and wind energy CAN NOT MAINTAIN VOLTAGE CONSISTENTLY
That is natures rules, not mine.
I wonder why these BESS’s were chosen instead of just building less expensive easier to maintain gas fired peak plants?
Andy, you are the perfect guy to lead the charge to stop this madness before the accident happens. Let me know if I can help...we need to organize and stop this!
Thank you, Andy, for the info. on the battery facilities. That brings to mind that horrible diving boat fire a few years ago. We all certainly need to be aware of these dangers.
Putting out Lithium Battery Power Supplies: Pouring water on a lithium battery fire can actually make matters worse. Water conducts electricity and when it comes into contact with the energized components of a burning lithium battery, it can cause short circuits or even generate explosive reactions1. No, water cannot effectively extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire. Lithium-ion batteries can undergo a chemical reaction that generates heat, causing them to ignite during a failure. When water is used, it does not cool the reaction effectively. Lithium-ion battery fires are very dangerous, and water may not prevent a battery from burning and spreading. Battery cells are known to explode and quickly spread to other batteries or devices. When dealing with Lithium-ion battery fires, water-based extinguishers will provide an essential cooling effect, but they are not able to form a thermal barrier around the fire. When you run out of water/foam, you’ve run out of fire-suppressing power. To put out a lithium battery fire, follow these steps5:
Do Not Use Water: Contrary to instinct, using water on a lithium battery fire can be dangerous.
Cut Off Oxygen Supply: If possible, smother the fire with a non-flammable object to cut off its oxygen supply. Remove the Power Source: If safe to do so, disconnect the device from any power source to prevent further charging or electrical sparks.
What a surprise that “ Green Projects” were seemingly fast tracked without adequate public input. Was EIR’s properly conducted? CEQA? Wonder why no BESS facilities in Hope Ranch or Montecito? Strange how that works out! I do live not far from the Goleta, Tesla BESS facility and SCE did mothball the existing fired peak plant which had been operating incident free for years. So, the fired peak plant is more toxic and dangerous than the BESS plant? Don’t think so and as stated, the Goleta site is directly next door to a huge apartment complex. What are the emergency evacuation plans? Do they even have one?
We see this up and down the coast, oil facilities and refineries are permanently closed in favor of untested, unproven green facilities without adequate public discussion or approval. Next are the wind farms. Ask the folks in Lompoc how that’s working out. Wind farms are slated for Morro Bay and locals are up in arms. The site for proposed wind farm was conveniently carved out from the newly adopted “Chumash Marine Sanctuary.”
There appears to be a giant green cabal involving elected (you guessed it) liberal, Democratic officials, to get these facilities approved and implemented without much public discussion or approval. Again, what a surprise!
An EIR (Environmental Impact Review/Report) is an action within CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act of 1970), so it sounds like you’re just tossing around abbreviations you don’t understand. You write about “oil facilities and refineries are permanently closed” and “untested, unproven green facilities.” The reason for oil closings is probably because fossil fuel extraction and transportation techniques HAVE been tested and HAVE been proven - unfortunately over decades of production - to be dangerous to humans, wildlife, and the environment. I’m not saying the battery storage systems are without risks, but the oil industry is KNOWN to be dangerous on a wide scale. It’s beyond time to examine other options. I will admit I don’t know all the hoops the battery systems had to jump through to be built, but I’d bet CEQA compliance was one of them. Sometimes for people dead-set against an action or outcome, there will NEVER be “adequate public input” till they get their way. Just sayin’.
Rick, your response led me to do so digging. I can’t find anywhere where a EIR was conducted regarding the Genstar BESS plant in Goleta. BTW, the location is in total violation of newly signed AB 303 as the plant is a hazard by virtue of proximity to the 101, train tracks, schools and densely populated housing. Interesting how the Goleta Rail station required a EIR and the BESS apparently did not! You must be aware of the recent, massive fire at the Moss facility in Monterey…right? And they mothballed a perfectly good, natural gas peaker plant instead?
Clearly you’re drinking the green kool aid Rick. Keep banging the drum: oil bad, green good. Fact: green energy is unreliable, costly and must have subsidies from taxpayers.
As pointed out, Storke is a main thoroughfare to Isla Vista , which has already been reduced in lanes (egress reduction)! And 101 is another egress from Goleta and SB. The battery storage is in the EXACT wrong place that if blown up constricts egress everywhere. What fools allowed this situation to be built? Right in the middle a commercial and residential area this was permitted!!
Check out Mike Benz interview on Tucker Carlson. Mike goes into great detail to all the USAID web of spending to countries and organizations. It’s mind blowing and very disheartening!
Regarding this piece about the potential health risks of fires involving stored lithium ion batteries..... my son is an example of that "potential". He is now a prematurely, medically retired, EX-Fire Captain of a large Southern California Fire Department. My son, barely half way into his firefighting career, was involved in fighting a fire in a warehouse that was storing EV batteries. He was on the crew that made entry to the interior of the structure to fight the fire and he was wearing all of the appropriate firefighting PPE. In the emergency response world this would be classified as an "Exposure".
A very short while after the incident he began to experience lower back pain that was originally "diagnosed" at an emergency room as, maybe a kidney stone. In a very short while the pain became unbearable and his wife took him to a different E.R. where he was discovered to be in Acute Renal Failure! His Kidneys were shutting down! He was immediately admitted to the hospital with an unknown cause and unknown prognosis. It's a much longer, (and more complicated), story than I can get into here, but his Fire Department seemed to not want any part of "owning" his condition even after advanced testing revealed lithium in his system.
Long story short...... He was in full firefighting protective gear and still suffered the exposure and consequences..... the public doesn't have the luxury of that "protection".
To my knowledge, there has never been a Fire Department Green Sheet on this incident or the potential risks of lithium ion exposure or poisoning. The Green Sheet is an informational summary report utilized for reviewing a serious injury, near miss and/or fatality. It is a safety/training tool used to aid in preventing future occurrences, informing interested parties and identifying lessons learned.
Andy, my heart sinks at reading about what your son has been through. I’m so very sorry to read what I realize is the tip of the iceberg of his personal hell.
I pray his kidneys can somehow get cleared of the toxins (I’d be extremely interested in how). I find that the fact that the Fire Department wanted to wash their hands of any responsibility of this is utterly disgusting.
Everyone wants to get on the Green Bandwagon because it just sounds so damned politically correct ~ but they don’t take a deeper dive into ALL of the ramifications
Thanks Evelyne.... He's doing well now and his kidney values seem to be managed. You'd never know he'd been through this, by looking at him. It took him a couple of years to get any type of resolution. This incident proved to me that Worker's Comp. is a racket and disability insurance is a joke. What really bothers me now... is the lack of any published information, either to the professionals who still respond to incidents like this or to the public who might be affected by exposure to any bi-products of a lithium ion battery fire.
Oh thank heavens! (That he’s doing well now!)
(Don’t EVEN get me started on Work Comp! I was injured over 30 years ago, originally settled for “all future medical”, which is a joke, they deny most everything…& I’ve been financially desperate to settle, but they won’t even come to the table! (& I’ve got a bright attorney). Grrrrr!)
I would think (if only my idea of common sense prevailed…) that the Fire Departments, along with law enforcement could be the ones to really open the eyes of the public and advocate for exploring the possibilities to take a slower, deeper dive into this Green Agenda. There’s MANY alternatives to treading more lightly on this planet! I would imagine that people (& yes, some of the politicians pushing this agenda, too!) would listen to them. There’s a movie someone shared with me on this that was an eye opener… I’ll try to look it up
How awful to have to deal with. And you're right. My big gripe about the green agenda is there are too many people profiting from it and not having to deal with any of the problems.
I found it! I don’t know how to copy/paste, so I hope I put it down correctly:
https://YouTube.be/Zk11vl-7czE?feature=shared
I am so sorry your son has gone through this.
Thanks Polly.... we all sign up knowing full well we'd be putting ourselves in harm's way.... but we also assume that, if things go sideways..... the agencies that send us there will have our backs. Lessons learned..........
I read this "WARNING" article titled "What Blows Up in Goleta Doesn’t Stay in Goleta"
by Andy Caldwell" who issued a WARNING to SB folks and I quote as follows>
"We need to pressure our politicians to let them know that they need to act now to ensure public safety is paramount ..." and "Unfortunately, both our local and state governments are completely glossing over the fact that these facilities could create, in terms of environmental regulations, a significant hazard to the public .." and "Finally, we have serious concerns that the first responders have not been properly trained and equipped for a fire at any of these facilities." and the last
Mr. Caldwell states "You have been warned."
Anyone reading my posts in SB Current, over the last year, can understand that I have been
WARNING that the THREAT and HAZARD is the Entire Local SB Government.
There has been Whistle-Blowers in Santa Barbara that have provided actionable information
on these THREATS and HAZARDS in Santa Barbara however some of the Whistle-Blowers
have been retaliated against by the SB local Government Individuals & CALI.
Whistle-Blowers are supposedly Protected under 15 U.S. Code § 2087 - Whistleblower protection
regardless that protection seldom occurs. There are many Whistle-Blowers, some who expose
HUGE Malfeasance of Entire Countries as shown below for COVID-19>
https://x.com/JimFergusonUK/status/1888518311089946703
If you BLOW-THE-WHISTLE fully understand the ramifications and possible retaliation against you and your family. Any doubt just look at what happened to President Trump and his family.
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
How much will these asinine battery facilities increase insurance rates?
There will be no insurance.
This year I was dropped by my homeowners insurer and the only plan available was the state sponsored California fair plan. My premium went from $1,800 up to $9,000 for less coverage. Does the state regulate private insurers out of business leaving only a government option? This is analogous to what has happened to health insurance. More government in our lives. I truly deplore Democrat run government.
I wish you'd told us. Because we learned how to make the companies behave. We were cancelled by our insurance company. We were told by every other insurance company we were uninsurable. We hired a professional inspector who charged us about $600, sent his report to our company and told them if they didn't insure us he'd file a complaint against them. This guy has won every time.
I'm not completely unsympathetic towards the insurance companies. CA has done a lousy job of making it attractive for them to stay.
Same thing happened to me, Farmers cancelled me in November so I had to go to FairPlan. To clarify: It is NOT a Government plan, it is paid into by the various insurance companies to cover "last resort" situations and is essentially bankrupt. Plus it covers less for far more cost, AND you have to also get a DIC policy and the CEA. What California did was limit the fees insurance could charge, which caused many of them to leave the state entirely and many others to stop writing any new policies.
Funny thing how many policies in the Palisades were canceled at the same time, dooming those home owners there. It is a big scam.
Don't know if you saw my reply to Jeff (just above) but that's how we dealt with it. We were not cancelled and did not have to pay more.
I live next to many acres of oak trees owned by other people, so any insurance company looks at the Google Earth overview and deems it an unacceptable risk.
I also have large trees on my property, one is a Christmas tree that was a 3' tall Charley Brown leftover 30 years ago when the former owner got it out of the trash bin at the K-Mart and stuck it in the front yard.... it is now 40' high and horrified the Farmers inspector.
The risk would certainly be mitigated if the gigantic water reservoir adjacent to Escondido Park on the Mesa had not been LEFT EMPTY for the last 25+ years. I recently wrote to all the City Council members and Board of Supervisors pointing out that leaving it empty will set up a situation identical to the Palisades. It is supposed to be the gravity feed fire-fighting source for water for the entire Westside.
NOT ONE replied to my messages.
Tell ya what burns my butt: I accidentally left the bedroom window wide open last night and when I got up this morning the room was _freezing_. But no problem, my GAS heater blasted hot air into the room and warmed it up in no time. How long would it have taken and how much would it have cost to do it with electric heat?
So here’s the deal: - ask the green freaks: “You don’t like gas, right? Will it be ok if I ask the gas company to cut off all the gas to your house? No furnace, stove, dryer, water heater etc.” Now they’ll have to practice what they preach, and pay for it when the bill comes in.
Brilliant.
Speaking of Blowing Up Things ... How about the findings of Soros using Fed money to the tune of $270M to pay for his pro-Dem escapades. How many "fronts" do the Feds have when spending taxpayers' money? Looks like Soros has enough money for a few years. Any chance of getting this money back. Are all the departments in the city/county governments also "fronts?" You know, like Feds like City/County.
Interesting that these BESS’s (battery energy storage system) are replacing the previous gas powered fast spin local plants that have been there the whole time. Just like the in efficient gas fast spin plants, These highly toxic highly flammable battery packs are necessary to maintain a constant voltage of 120/240 because reliance on rooftop solar and wind energy CAN NOT MAINTAIN VOLTAGE CONSISTENTLY
That is natures rules, not mine.
I wonder why these BESS’s were chosen instead of just building less expensive easier to maintain gas fired peak plants?
Andy, you are the perfect guy to lead the charge to stop this madness before the accident happens. Let me know if I can help...we need to organize and stop this!
Thank you, Andy, for the info. on the battery facilities. That brings to mind that horrible diving boat fire a few years ago. We all certainly need to be aware of these dangers.
Putting out Lithium Battery Power Supplies: Pouring water on a lithium battery fire can actually make matters worse. Water conducts electricity and when it comes into contact with the energized components of a burning lithium battery, it can cause short circuits or even generate explosive reactions1. No, water cannot effectively extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire. Lithium-ion batteries can undergo a chemical reaction that generates heat, causing them to ignite during a failure. When water is used, it does not cool the reaction effectively. Lithium-ion battery fires are very dangerous, and water may not prevent a battery from burning and spreading. Battery cells are known to explode and quickly spread to other batteries or devices. When dealing with Lithium-ion battery fires, water-based extinguishers will provide an essential cooling effect, but they are not able to form a thermal barrier around the fire. When you run out of water/foam, you’ve run out of fire-suppressing power. To put out a lithium battery fire, follow these steps5:
Do Not Use Water: Contrary to instinct, using water on a lithium battery fire can be dangerous.
Cut Off Oxygen Supply: If possible, smother the fire with a non-flammable object to cut off its oxygen supply. Remove the Power Source: If safe to do so, disconnect the device from any power source to prevent further charging or electrical sparks.
What a surprise that “ Green Projects” were seemingly fast tracked without adequate public input. Was EIR’s properly conducted? CEQA? Wonder why no BESS facilities in Hope Ranch or Montecito? Strange how that works out! I do live not far from the Goleta, Tesla BESS facility and SCE did mothball the existing fired peak plant which had been operating incident free for years. So, the fired peak plant is more toxic and dangerous than the BESS plant? Don’t think so and as stated, the Goleta site is directly next door to a huge apartment complex. What are the emergency evacuation plans? Do they even have one?
We see this up and down the coast, oil facilities and refineries are permanently closed in favor of untested, unproven green facilities without adequate public discussion or approval. Next are the wind farms. Ask the folks in Lompoc how that’s working out. Wind farms are slated for Morro Bay and locals are up in arms. The site for proposed wind farm was conveniently carved out from the newly adopted “Chumash Marine Sanctuary.”
There appears to be a giant green cabal involving elected (you guessed it) liberal, Democratic officials, to get these facilities approved and implemented without much public discussion or approval. Again, what a surprise!
An EIR (Environmental Impact Review/Report) is an action within CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act of 1970), so it sounds like you’re just tossing around abbreviations you don’t understand. You write about “oil facilities and refineries are permanently closed” and “untested, unproven green facilities.” The reason for oil closings is probably because fossil fuel extraction and transportation techniques HAVE been tested and HAVE been proven - unfortunately over decades of production - to be dangerous to humans, wildlife, and the environment. I’m not saying the battery storage systems are without risks, but the oil industry is KNOWN to be dangerous on a wide scale. It’s beyond time to examine other options. I will admit I don’t know all the hoops the battery systems had to jump through to be built, but I’d bet CEQA compliance was one of them. Sometimes for people dead-set against an action or outcome, there will NEVER be “adequate public input” till they get their way. Just sayin’.
Rick, your response led me to do so digging. I can’t find anywhere where a EIR was conducted regarding the Genstar BESS plant in Goleta. BTW, the location is in total violation of newly signed AB 303 as the plant is a hazard by virtue of proximity to the 101, train tracks, schools and densely populated housing. Interesting how the Goleta Rail station required a EIR and the BESS apparently did not! You must be aware of the recent, massive fire at the Moss facility in Monterey…right? And they mothballed a perfectly good, natural gas peaker plant instead?
Clearly you’re drinking the green kool aid Rick. Keep banging the drum: oil bad, green good. Fact: green energy is unreliable, costly and must have subsidies from taxpayers.
Besides the homes, Storke is near the University, the airport .. talk about Armageddon.
Thank you for writing.
As pointed out, Storke is a main thoroughfare to Isla Vista , which has already been reduced in lanes (egress reduction)! And 101 is another egress from Goleta and SB. The battery storage is in the EXACT wrong place that if blown up constricts egress everywhere. What fools allowed this situation to be built? Right in the middle a commercial and residential area this was permitted!!
It's an Elon product. What's the worry?
See ELON who really is a HUGE Whistle-Blower weblink below>
"Ready to Have Your Mind Blown"
"Senator John Kennedy on Elon Musk and DOGE exposing USAID,
“I'll tell you what Mr. Musk discovered. I find it fascinating. He discovered:" >>>
https://x.com/Pwrfulwoman2/status/1888039316846191098
Check out Mike Benz interview on Tucker Carlson. Mike goes into great detail to all the USAID web of spending to countries and organizations. It’s mind blowing and very disheartening!
Hello Dolores, yes I have been following Mike Benz for some time.
Why does he know so much because he worked for the State Dept
aka STATE during a Key time when they with the CIA controlled
the USAID slush fund as well additional DARK MONEY funds of the
US Government. I could tell you some unbelievable stories about
STATE that just confirms that a large amount of funds over $200 Billion
is being used for very questionably purposes. I will leave it at that.