Posts by Sophia Kern69

analoglynx5 said:A few days ago, I posted a question over on the "World Around Us" subforum about gravel mining out of the river... specifically near where the Glina meets the main river. I didn't really get a straight answer from anyone. Basically, what I saw was this: there were two barges actively dredging gravel, and on the right bank, there’s this massive access road built out just for heavy trucks. I didn't see any signs or anything indicating who's running the show... nothing at all...
That's right where the line sits between that small town in the US and the neighboring small town in the US, over in Sisak-Moslavina County...

I just went and looked up the Water Act, specifically Article 7... and man...
It’s basically illegal to go in and dig up gravel or sand in any area that's vital for keeping the water levels steady... whether we're talking about non-renewable deposits or the ones that actually replenish themselves over time. It just isn't allowed under the Water Act... especially when you consider how much those ecosystems rely on stability...
The specific areas that matter most when we're talking about keeping the water levels steady and managing the flow under Article 7... they're basically defined by these key zones...

Waterways and other surface water bodies and...

So, I guess it’s actually illegal... even if you’re just wandering around near the flood defenses by the Mississippi River. It doesn't make any sense. On that specific stretch of the river where they're digging, there isn't even a risk of flooding... it's just... I don't know...
So... what can even be done here? Honestly, I'm just looking at this whole situation and wondering where to even start... there has to be some kind of way to fix this, right?
Is there even any point in calling up an inspector... I mean, which one would I even call? I just don't know...
It feels like everyone just wants to grab whatever they can get... whether it's by the book or through some shady workaround... it doesn't seem to matter anymore...

It's likely the same old story we see on the Mississippi. Either it's flat-out illegal—like that situation near the small creek in Iowa—or they're masking it as "riverbed maintenance" to keep the flow steady. Regardless, you should report it to an inspector from the Department of the Interior (you'll have to dig online to find out who specifically handles that river) and the Department of the Interior/Mining division (though they'll probably just point you back to the first group). Reporting it makes sense because it's the necessary first step. If they ignore you, then you have a legitimate reason to take it to the FBI for corruption or for protecting illegal activities.

Just a tiny glimpse into the pathology of American water management:
http://www.uscemure.org/novosti.htm

How did the water management authorities decide they should hold a total monopoly—completely out of control—and start weaponizing people's fear of flooding and "water damage" just to kick off incredibly profitable schemes involving river regulation and gravel mining...

In short—what started as a legitimate need for flood protection turned into massive, indiscriminate, and totally unnecessary river regulation wherever they felt like doing it. To make matters worse, science actually shows that regulating rivers outside of residential areas is what *creates* the damage, including those catastrophic floods. The public has no clue; they think the only way to defend against floods is through brutal engineering, and whenever anyone dares to question the payouts for runoff management, they just go right back to scaring people about the very floods they caused themselves. It’s a vicious cycle. Meanwhile, modern water management in advanced parts of Europe stays hidden under the rug—focusing on cheap, low-impact methods.

Why? Because a mere 100 meters of regulation can cost a fortune!!! So, just imagine how lucrative it is to regulate a tiny stream for a few miles, while simultaneously digging up gravel to sell on the market without paying taxes... all funded by taxpayer money!

That’s why you see rivers and streams being regulated all over the US (because it’s profitable), instead of cleaning out canals (because it isn't)—like near Washington, D.C., where you end up with floods. Even better, if a flood does hit, they just scare people even more to secure funding for more digging in the forests!

The recipe is simple: funnel "runoff water" funds into unnecessary contracts for private firms that then go out and regulate rivers and streams in forested areas. How? Because the directors at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are often the owners of these exact same companies—either hidden or, in many cases, quite directly.

Billions of dollars are being poured into useless regulations and gravel mining that, ironically, create millions in damages...

Just imagine what all those billions could have done for the economy, instead of ending up in the pockets of private firm owners and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers directors for digging up creeks and rivers in the woods?!?

http://www.slideshare.net/uscemure/sljuncana-mafija

Take a look at this massive, illegal gravel mining operation happening right along the Mississippi River near Pitomača. And before anyone starts with the usual nonsense—this isn't some "green" agenda being used to discredit whistleblowers—this is straight-up criminal reality. Under federal water laws, digging gravel out of riverbeds is strictly prohibited because the economic and environmental damage is just staggering.

Look, nobody is actually against gravel mining—it’s a vital material for construction, right? We all want better roads, new buildings, and national development. Nobody is standing in the way of legitimate, licensed gravel pits that follow the rules, pay their taxes, and answer to mining inspectors.

But we are absolutely against ripping gravel out of riverbeds that causes catastrophic damage! They are essentially gutting the river, which causes groundwater levels to plummet. It dries out farmland, forests, and local wells. Even the famous Cross area, a major tourist spot, is drying up—and trying to fix that would cost nearly $10 million!

We are fighting back against this unchecked commercial looting that hides under the guise of "riverbed maintenance." It’s all happening under the protection of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—which, frankly, looks like a breeding ground for corruption. This level of extraction is totally out of control; nobody knows how much they’re actually pulling out, no taxes are being paid, and the shadow economy is running wild!

It’s not just the Department of the Interior and the agency letting this slide—it’s a systemic failure involving corrupt courts, the police, and local officials in Pitomača and the surrounding county! Everyone is turning a blind eye, greased by the massive profits these individuals are raking in from the gravel. The government loses millions in tax revenue, while the rest of us end up footing the bill for the ecological destruction. To make matters worse, anyone who speaks up against this criminality faces threats and intimidation. Reports of violence and harassment are suppressed. You file a report with the police, and suddenly you're getting threatening calls the next day—even though those reports are supposed to be anonymous! People are flooding the Department of Justice and U.S. investigators with complaints, but everything gets buried. Even inspectors from other federal agencies have flagged these Outlaws, yet nothing happens...

The Outlaws always use the same tired excuses: "We provide jobs," "We’ve invested so much capital," or claiming the riverbed only dropped a few millimeters—when in reality, it’s been gouged by several feet. They act like the supply of gravel is infinite, ignoring the fact that dams prevent new sediment from flowing in.

We are all for investment and job creation—God knows we need them—but it has to be done legally. These guys play dumb while legitimate businesses jump through endless hoops of paperwork and pay their fair share. But these geniuses found a loophole to bypass inspections and permits entirely. Just claim you’re doing "river regulation" and suddenly you’ve bypassed the whole system! How clever, right? Then they cook up some excuse, like repairing a shoreline, and include a massive gravel extraction project in the plans—say, 100,000 cubic yards. Once the digging starts, the mining inspectors lose jurisdiction, leaving the oversight to a corrupted water inspection unit and the Army Corps of Engineers.

This is one of the many reasons why America struggles to break out of its crises—because a handful of individuals are getting filthy rich at everyone else's expense. They take the profit, and we pay for the damage!

Because we aren't paying enough in water utility fees.

Or at least, that's what the American water authorities want us to believe. Across the EU, the entire conversation regarding flooding has shifted—but the bureaucrats running our local water management agencies here in the States are still keeping us in the dark, all while they scramble to demand billions more in taxpayer money.

The real truth about these floods:
http://www.slideshare.net/uscemure/k...lavama-6799140