Water Gremlin forced to close

After blood levels of employees children test high for lead.

http://www.minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/28/mdh-calls-on-water-gremlin-to-cease-operations-relating-to-lead-products

The link doesn’t work for me?

This one does.

That sucks to hear, I know a guy that works there (doesn’t have kids at home).

Hopefully the affected kids are okay.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/28/mdh-calls-on-water-gremlin-to-cease-operations-relating-to-lead-products/amp/

Well, I mean, that’s like kinda crappy for those kids and everything, but what about ME? What if I have to switch to a different type of sinker, have you thought about the heartache and pain and suffering that would cause me?

/s

On a serious note, that sucks big time. This made me curious so I dug around and found another article:

How 17 years of pollution in White Bear Township was finally stopped

Here’s a great quote:

To monitor the 3,500 companies producing some kind of pollution, there are about nine inspectors. It would be impossible for them to monitor every site.

So the agency relies on the companies to tell it what they are doing. Every registered company must report, twice a year, what it emitted.

Inspectors visit every site once every five years. For larger polluters — or depending on the type of pollution — inspections happen more often. Inspectors will swoop in to any business in response to a complaint.

“Whether we like it or not, self-reporting is the cornerstone of this nation’s environmental laws,” said Jeff Smith, director of the Industrial Division of the PCA.

Gee, I can’t see that backfiring in any way whatsoever. Large business owners creating massive amounts of pollution would never ever try to fudge the numbers at all, especially if there was a financial incentive to do so, no sir.

I also didn’t know that the majority of their business is battery terminals.

Ouch. Interesting timing after the recent thread re: proposal to ban lead tackle and shot. The lawsuits from these families are going to dwarf the previous $7M fine from the MPCA.

Hope the kids are all OK.

I grew up in WBL Township. Now live in Hudson…guess where they moved some of their operations to?? Here in Hudson.

Don’t know all the details but it hit the news (again) a month or so back and the City of Hudson claimed they knew nothing about this.

I only hope WG isn’t just relocating and continuing on. And I really hope the City if Hudson isn’t turning a blind eye to this. I have no problem with WG doing business here as long as it’s on the up and up, comply with regulations, and they have some oversight. But, I don’t trust them as far as I can spit into a 40mph headwind.

Terrible that folks are ill and wildlife suffer. Lead is wonderful for us hunters and fishers.

The only thing I can say about this is that a team of lawyers wrote the WG response. The only things lower than a lawyer are a judge & a politician. I’m afraid the judges & politicians have long been in the pocket of WG if this has been going on for decades.

They’ll all get even fatter pockets to make this go away. The common folks will get the finger as usual. That’s how it works.

Deleted wrote:

The only thing I can say about this is that a team of lawyers wrote the WG response. The only things lower than a lawyer are a judge & a politician. I’m afraid the judges & politicians have long been in the pocket of WG if this has been going on for decades.

They’ll all get even fatter pockets to make this go away. The common folks will get the finger as usual. That’s how it works.

I don’t know, people seem to be getting large amounts of money on supposed weed killer related problems.

SuperDave1959 wrote:

I don’t know, people seem to be getting large amounts of money on supposed weed killer related problems.

I suspect that most of the “people” getting large amounts of money would be the lawyers, ad agencies and TV networks running the ads. Yes, I’m a cynic.

I suspect that most of the “people” getting large amounts of money would be the lawyers, ad agencies and TV networks running the ads. Yes, I’m a cynic.
[/quote]

The lawyers, judges & politicians will always be the big money grabbers in any tragedy. The regular folks are not the concern of the upper echelon.

SuperDave1959 wrote:
I don’t know, people seem to be getting large amounts of money on supposed weed killer related problems.

I know family that’ve have had the weed killer cancer and were told that the only cases they were even pursuing were of farm or maintenance employees who were exposed and could prove it with years of purchase orders. Just interested in the slam dunks for a settlement from Monsanto. The lawyers will pocket 50 cents for every dollar they recover. Regular folks using it on their lawns, who get the same cancer don’t qualify.

Money over health…..

What a great company

I wont be buying anymore of their products.

The VAST majority of WG business is car battery posts and terminals, not sinkers. WG supplies over 70% of the nations battery post and also a large percentage of them in Europe. This impacts more than us poor hunters and fishers…hope they pull their head out of their rear and finally fix what’s wrong with the process…

Deuces wrote:

I wont be buying anymore of their products.

I’m skeptical that other lead manufacturers are doing any better. This self-reporting nonsense is insane.

This is going to push me toward other products altogether when a feasible alternative exists — like tungsten weights over lead weights for fishing. Lead can’t be totally avoided, but when we’re talking about a recreational use I can’t justify putting my hobby ahead of somebody’s children or water supply.

I dont think they are the devil people are making them out to be. Who doesn’t know how dangerous lead is, but we still need it. Hopefully they improve the situation and open again soon so those families can get back to work.

Deuces wrote:

I wont be buying anymore of their products.

Make sure your car and boat doesn’t have a battery in it then. SMH

If the kids are the ones with the higher levels. Isn’t it the parent’s/ worker’s fault for bringing it home to them on their clothes and any other way? I have gone through lead abatement training and I don’t know this situation completely. But if there bringing home work clothes, have it in vehicles the kids ride in, meet at McDonald’s after work and feed them French fries, that’s how it is absorbed by the children. The classes are very clear about keeping work clothes and equipment separate from personal. Not sure if this is the case or if there is some other transfer happening. Hopefully they figure it out.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

If the kids are the ones with the higher levels. Isn’t it the parent’s/ worker’s fault for bringing it home to them on their clothes and any other way?

Please don’t side with the corporation providing poor/unsafe working conditions vs the employees that are just working a decent job and trying to make a living.

It’s a bad story all around, I just hope it gets better going forward.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

If the kids are the ones with the higher levels. Isn’t it the parent’s/ worker’s fault for bringing it home to them on their clothes and any other way? I have gone through lead abatement training and I don’t know this situation completely. But if there bringing home work clothes, have it in vehicles the kids ride in, meet at McDonald’s after work and feed them French fries, that’s how it is absorbed by the children. The classes are very clear about keeping work clothes and equipment separate from personal. Not sure if this is the case or if there is some other transfer happening. Hopefully they figure it out.

this is the same story with mesthotheloma, the RR asbestos cancer that killed my dad. who was to know??? especially back in the day. they said the same thing he unkownly brought it home and his family was exposed to it.

the one thing i seem to be missing here? i have followed this pretty close and i see very little in what this company has done since this was first brought up to remedy the issue………….if any.

onestout wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mr.Beads wrote:</div>
I wont be buying anymore of their products.

Make sure your car and boat doesn’t have a battery in it then. SMH

Shake your head at yourself, or even throw in the coffee emoji, does a much better job at showing your mental superiority.

I don’t expect to change the world, their business practices or anything else. Personally I do what I can where I can. Alot better than shaking your head at people who want to make a difference no matter how small.

If anyone has a lead, *cough*, on what other manufacturers to stay away from with WG products I’m all ears.

“Water Gremlin Aquila Company S.p.A. and Water Gremlin Company (USA) are 100% owned by Okabe LTD., Tokyo, Japan (www.okabe.co.jp) a company traded on the Tokyo Stocks Exchange (TSE-5959) with more than 3000 employees worldwide”

Okabe according to their website is forecasted this year to have an operating profit of 6100 million yen, which translated thru Google is $54 million, pls correct me if I’m wrong. This is more than a local company breaking the rules.

Show of hands for anyone that has clamped lead sinkers on the line with their teeth their whole life………. I have and still do.
I wonder if that has caused any unknown problems?

suzuki wrote:

Show of hands for anyone that has clamped lead sinkers on the line with their teeth their whole life………. I have and still do.
I wonder if that has caused any unknown problems?

I don’t think a small amount of exposure like that has much of an effect on adults (unless you’re chomping on them everyday).

You don’t want developing kids to be exposed though, even a small amount.

I remember when I was a kid walking around with my pellet gun…..no better place to keep a few pellets handy than in my mouth…..lol

Even though I knew it was bad for me, I was an invincible 10 year old.

I turned out normal (sort of)

I have clamped splitshot with my teeth my whole life and i am perfectly normal………

I have clamped splitshot with my teeth my whole life and i am perfectly normal………

suzuki wrote:

Show of hands for anyone that has clamped lead sinkers on the line with their teeth their whole life………. I have and still do.
I wonder if that has caused any unknown problems?

Im guilty. So far so good. Well, as far as I can tell…….

zooks wrote:

Please don’t side with the corporation providing poor/unsafe working conditions vs the employees that are just working a decent job and trying to make a living.

I’m not necessarily defending the company in this case, but most companies have safety rules established.

It’s almost always the employees though, that are guilty of not following the proper protocols and this could include supervisors as well. But they are employees too.

You can tell some people over and over again, and sometimes they still get lazy or look for shortcuts.

suzuki wrote:

Show of hands for anyone that has clamped lead sinkers on the line with their teeth their whole life………. I have and still do.
I wonder if that has caused any unknown problems?

X2

Timmy wrote:

I have clamped splitshot with my teeth my whole life and i am perfectly normal………

Timmy wrote:

I have clamped splitshot with my teeth my whole life and i am perfectly normal………

Except for the fact you repeat yourself…