October 30, 2007
Unprecedented copper thefts have spurred a crackdown to stop the damage, as at least 16 states have passed or proposed new laws, and businesses have boosted security and offered bounties for information on the thieves.The crackdown comes as losses to businesses hover around $1 billion, the U.S. Department of Energy reports, and as escalating thefts have disrupted the flow of electricity, slowed construction projects and knocked out irrigation networks crucial to commercial farms.
Seizing on rising worldwide demand and surging value for the popular metal — up from 80 cents per pound in 2003 to about $3.50 this year — thieves sell stolen copper for millions of dollars in cash, state and federal authorities say.
"We're trying to do everything possible to fight this epidemic," says Adam Grant, spokesman at Nevada Power, where copper thefts have more than doubled since last year. "It's crazy."
My favorite law? One in Washington State that immunizes those from whom copper is being stolen from liability for injuries to the thieves. This puts me in mind of something that happened about 20 years ago. I recall there being a big market in vintage bricks, often taken from old, abandoned buildings. One guy in St. Louis was killed when a building collapsed while he was removing bricks from a wall. Seems he decided to start on the first floor and work his way upÂ…
Posted by: Greg at
10:53 AM
| Comments (32)
| Add Comment
Post contains 247 words, total size 2 kb.
Posted by: Wernu at Sat Aug 9 15:34:58 2008 (4FXoC)
Posted by: Wernu at Sat Aug 9 15:35:09 2008 (4FXoC)
Posted by: clavamox at Thu Jan 29 23:51:35 2009 (CuFE+)
Posted by: imodium at Fri Jan 30 13:24:27 2009 (1TDBh)
Posted by: differin at Fri Jan 30 15:00:09 2009 (8vsDi)
Posted by: cytoxan at Fri Jan 30 20:00:55 2009 (4LmKN)
Posted by: vytorin at Mon Feb 9 15:26:24 2009 (bk/sB)
Posted by: nolvadex at Mon Feb 9 23:12:53 2009 (QW6RZ)
Posted by: ketoconazole at Tue Feb 10 06:02:47 2009 (rgjQt)
Posted by: accutane at Tue Feb 10 23:35:12 2009 (dtqmZ)
Posted by: plavix at Wed Feb 11 11:44:30 2009 (ppfMp)
Posted by: penis growth patch at Wed Feb 11 23:58:00 2009 (oHeaM)
Posted by: clavamox at Fri Feb 13 05:44:37 2009 (n9gaq)
Posted by: herbal testosterone at Sat Feb 14 03:25:11 2009 (9BaFn)
Posted by: fluvoxamine at Sat Feb 14 18:08:29 2009 (BWWlJ)
Posted by: viagra super active at Sun Feb 15 19:47:54 2009 (iYOWp)
Posted by: innopran xl at Mon Feb 16 00:37:38 2009 (Tby4V)
Posted by: zerit at Mon Feb 16 11:22:55 2009 (ARLRU)
Posted by: simvastatin at Tue Feb 17 12:59:50 2009 (xCpyg)
Posted by: colchicine at Tue Feb 17 17:21:44 2009 (7amrL)
Posted by: lotrisone at Wed Feb 18 13:25:06 2009 (C9cG6)
Posted by: viagra at Fri Feb 20 10:29:48 2009 (SHx0t)
Posted by: clomicalm at Sun Feb 22 08:24:59 2009 (muSaq)
Posted by: aripiprazole at Mon Feb 23 01:42:28 2009 (n057b)
Posted by: viagra professional at Mon Feb 23 08:36:16 2009 (WRNQ8)
Posted by: anabol-amp at Wed Feb 25 22:38:58 2009 (6aGCQ)
Posted by: amiloride at Wed Feb 25 23:50:22 2009 (QP4dh)
Posted by: penis growth patch at Mon Mar 2 01:44:45 2009 (QN3wT)
Posted by: cabergoline at Mon Mar 2 06:53:03 2009 (aXH31)
Posted by: extreme thyrocin at Mon Mar 2 13:51:56 2009 (LMBhu)
Posted by: fatblast extreme at Tue Mar 3 18:11:25 2009 (QBH7b)
Posted by: tamsulosin at Wed Mar 4 13:08:03 2009 (FGmQp)
21 queries taking 0.0227 seconds, 61 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.