Bacci,I accept the challenge!There seem to be very few...

Bacci,

I accept the challenge!

There seem to be very few environmental problems with the Solvay process that I can find. However Trona, the so called natural product, is a different matter altogether. At Searles Valley in Trona, California where the Trona is mined, 3159 birds are estimated to have died between 2002 and 2007 from industrial waste water discharged into ponds. Here is the link:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/ospr/NRDA/Searles.aspx

Nice picture of a bird covered in salt toxicosis!

Perhaps this is why 75 percent of soda ash still comes from the Solvay process.

The Yanks seem to have an interesting approach to the matter. The Californian Department of Fish and Game said words to the effect "give us a few bob and we will turn a blind eye to it". Over here in WA in 2006/2007 around 180 birds were found dead in Esperance and it was found to have been caused by an accidental lead carbonate discharge by a mining company. The company was immediately banned from exporting lead from the port and that ban has remained in place ever since.

Who knows maybe Obama will prove to be a bird lover!

GPASAS