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First Of All, California, It’s Your State Rock And It’s Called Serpentinite

I can already see how important this issue is to you.

California Drops State Rock Over Asbestos Content

Californian state senator Gloria Romero’s (D-East Los Angeles) bill (SB 624) looks to give the state mineral Serpentine the boot because some deposits contain a small amount of asbestos. Romero states, “[Serpentine] contains the deadly mineral chrysotile asbestos, a known carcinogen, exposure to which increases the risk of the cancer mesothelioma.”

Dear Senator Romero, East Los Angeles has far worse problems like its citizens being mistaken for illegals over in Arizona, not to mention crushing poverty and the fact that your state budget is now weeks overdue.

What we need is a bill to teach science given that the state legislature doesn’t even know what asbestos, serpentine and serpentinite are to begin with.

From Looking For Detachment

Asbestos is not a single mineral, and in fact isn’t the name of any defined mineral at all. Asbestiform is a particular mineralogical habit that some minerals take: long fibers often in veins or masses. Asbestiform and fibrous, as crystal forms, are similar, with asbestiform being a more extreme version of fibrous.

and the Lab Lemming

There are 20 forms of serpentine, only one of which is an asbestos mineral. The very dangerous amphibole asbestos minerals specifically mentioned in the bill are completely unrelated to serpentine.

Forget all of the above and ask yourself this: How does “outlawing” serpentin(ite) prevent or cure mesothelioma?

This is what happens when science, thorough research of the issues and common sense are run over by spineless legislators as state employees head for minimum wage. They find a scaperock.

What next? Wisconsin drops galena because it contains lead and the same with limestone in Tennessee for trace amounts of arsenic. Nope, didn’t say it. Don’t give them any ideas.

Update: Sacramento Bee | California state-rock bill has serpentine agenda. It turns out that it’s not a simple case of “nanny state” but something more sinister: a jobs stimulus plan for personal injury lawyers.

Were SB 624 to become law, declaring serpentine as carcinogenic, it could widen the opportunities for lawsuits against owners of property with naturally occurring outcroppings of serpentine. And it’s become a new skirmish in the perennial war between personal injury lawyers and the business-backed Civil Justice Association of California.

8 comments… add one
  • Blair July 7, 2010, 1:35 PM

    ….and why isn’t Baraboo quartzite Bucky red? Pass a law, says I!

  • Maitri July 7, 2010, 3:21 PM

    The state rock, Wisconsin Ruby Red granite, approaches Bucky redness. Problem solved!

  • ryan July 8, 2010, 10:30 PM

    Nanny state…

    On another topic be careful over there people gonna be crazy the next few weeks with LeBron leaving…thats gonna be a massive economic hit to downtown Cleveland too I heard $50 mil a year…

    • Maitri July 8, 2010, 10:48 PM

      Yeah, LeBron was the only thing going for Cleveland, so it’s going to be a big hit to the already faltering ego of the city. He’s actually from Akron but I don’t think his leaving is going to affect anyone there other than his immediate neighborhood and high school.

      Speaking of nanny state, things are getting crazy on both ends; in San Francisco and Texas. Apparently you can no longer buy pets other than goldfish in SF and the Texas SBOE is all anti-evolution.

      I’m going to start the Step Off Bitch party. Then, this area won’t need LeBron.

  • ryan July 8, 2010, 11:02 PM

    Ya I just saw that about San Fran. If they did that in New Orleans there’d be a riot. But they know whats best for us little people, especially us rubes who live in flyover country.

    btw i got a source who says the well killed by july 21st keep your fingers crossed.

    Have you seen Komi’s blog for Shailaja? I think she is finally realizing that her mom isn’t the only Indian person in the world. http://curryandgumbo.com/OurWorld/blog/blog.html

    • Maitri July 8, 2010, 11:46 PM

      Both sides, Republican and Democrat, think they know what’s best for you. And when there’s money to be made from some lobbying group, you know the bill will pass, however stupid it is.

      Hope to all that is sweet and merciful that you’re right about the well.

      Yes, I have seen the blog. I see Shaila got a kitchen set and is quite the little swimmer. It’s so funny-cool that she looks like both of you at the same time!

  • Dennis July 13, 2010, 5:55 PM

    We all need to work to get serpentine removed as our state rock. A good replacement for our state rock would be petrified “donkey” dung. In addition I have written all of my elected representatives including Pres Obama and Senator Boxer to demand that all serpentine be removed from our state and dumped in Arizona!! We do not have to stand for this threat to our health.

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