OK, I assumed that, but first I'm trying to figure what the ore is that is being smelted at that plant, 'cause it darn sure doesn't look like a coal burning power plant. Second, it obviously isn't producing any noxious gasses 'cause I don't see any stacks spewing crap into the atmosphere. Third, it doesn't produce any noxious odors 'cause there are too many houses too close to the plant, unless these are aliens living nearby whose olifactory senses have atrophied over many generations. What ore is black, and where is it mined...hmmmm? - Ilmenite (Titanium Dioxide), but that process occasionally releases TiCl (Titanium Chloride) which does nasty things to folks, so DuPont and Dow discourage folks to build houses nearby. Also, DuPont's supply comes from Argentia, dunno where Dow gets theirs? - Low grade Ferrous Oxide (Iron), but I don't see any blast furnaces. I looked all over Utah and Wyoming and didn't see anything obvious. Sadly, I don't remember what other ores are black.....?
After looking down south Mexico way (they're not as keen on environmental issues, apparently), I found it: the Met Mex Penoles plant, Torreon, Couahila de Zaragoza, Mexico 25 deg. 31 min 30.29 sec. N 103 deg. 26 min. 32.83 sec. W And it's along a Ferromex rail line, and just northwest of the Ferromex yard.
Hank, Had my curiousity as well. Check this out, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeC3%B1oles
Keith, thanks, that's interesting. Their annual production, especially of silver explains why the pile of ore is so large. However, one thing bothers me, IIRC any smelting process that involves lead is extremely noxious. So I would think that over more than a century of operation, the nearby residences would have been vacated and rebuilt further away from the plant as the residents presumably died at relatively early ages. Though as someone noted, environmental and health-related regulations in Mexico are quite lax, so any consequences of the processing may have been accepted as normal.
That fact was why I went to Mexico, especially when the hint of the Northern Hemisphere was given. I wasn't sure what kind of plant this was, but I figured it had to do something with metal of some sort. Were this in the States, and especially in certain states, the environmentalist-types would have a field day. And thanks for the GeoSleuth avatar!
Hmmm, gee, those folks are still alive, as am I who played with asbestos for years. Perhaps our environmentalists are actually alarmists? :tb-shocked:
Jim, I'm sure that you like me played with raw mercury as a kid, rubbing it on pennies and other horrific excapades. Maybe we're both descended from cats and are working on our fourth or fifth lives....ya think? :tb-biggrin:
