For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course

**Ming** · 07-02-2009, 10:48 AM

GM Plans ‘Garage Sale’ for Toxic Plants, New Jersey Golf Course
www.bloomberg.com

July 2 (Bloomberg) -- As General Motors Corp. prepares to sell its best assets to a streamlined new entity, the worst of what it owns will be auctioned off in bankruptcy court, including contaminated factory sites, parking lots in Flint, Michigan, and a nine-hole golf course in New Jersey.

One property the carmaker is ditching is a foundry in Massena, New York, bordered on the east by the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation and on the north by the St. Lawrence River. Built to make aluminum cylinder heads for the Chevrolet Corvair in the 1950s, it generated PCB sludge and waste from hydraulic fluids.

“It was created by GM dumping hazardous waste on the banks of the river, such that the waste oozed into the water and the land,” said John Privitera, a lawyer for the tribe at McNamee Lochner Titus & Williams PC in Albany, New York. “It was picked up by animals and moved up the food chain through fish and into Mohawk women -- into their breast milk, into their babies.”

The largest U.S. automaker, following its smaller rival Chrysler LLC, is using the bankruptcy process to spin off a new entity with reduced costs and debt while leaving the old GM with unwanted property and obligations to creditors, dealers, retirees, accident victims and environmental agencies.

The discarded assets will be all that creditors have to satisfy their claims as GM starts to unwind liabilities of $172.8 billion -- more than twice its reported assets.

DETAILS: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aVllNt3iGquQ

Buick61 · 07-02-2009, 10:51 AM

Ah, the good old days of the 1950s, when they had environment enough to spare.

It's like how the Ford River Rouge Plant would dump all the left over parts at the end of the model year into the Detroit River.

1G6 · 07-02-2009, 11:01 AM

I suppose the Cadillac property is the old Clark St. parcel.

That's sacred ground to me.

377Z · 07-02-2009, 11:51 AM

I thought that typically the owner of contaminated land needs to clean it up before it can be sold. I wonder how bankruptcy liquidation would affect that if true.

usa1 · 07-02-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 377Z

I thought that typically the owner of contaminated land needs to clean it up before it can be sold. I wonder how bankruptcy liquidation would affect that if true.

The "old-GM" will be responsible to clean it up. Since there will not be a viable "old-GM" and it will be liquidated and eventually disappear, I would guess this site will get put in a superfund clean up site. If it truly is as bad as they make it sound.

Mark

dindak · 07-02-2009, 12:35 PM

With all this crap the old GM has on the book, it's a wonder it didn't go into bankruptcy many years ago.

Kennyboy · 07-02-2009, 12:55 PM

Does this include the NUMMI plant also, being an old GM plant.

**Ming** · 07-02-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kennyboy

Does this include the NUMMI plant also, being an old GM plant.

NUMMI produces Toyotas and reskinned Toyota-based vehicles for GM, so all the factory emits is butterflies and flower pollen.

Rocket 88 · 07-02-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usa1

The "old-GM" will be responsible to clean it up. Since there will not be a viable "old-GM" and it will be liquidated and eventually disappear, I would guess this site will get put in a superfund clean up site. If it truly is as bad as they make it sound.

Its the circle of life.

GM lobbies the government against every regulation imaginable. GM dumps toxins in the environment. GM goes bankrupt but the government bails them out. GM's environmental mess becomes and expensive DEP government responsibility. Brilliant!

Luckily the only folks being screwed are the environment, the indians, and the tax payers.

pontiacfan · 07-02-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ming

NUMMI produces Toyotas and reskinned Toyota-based vehicles for GM, so all the factory emits is butterflies and flower pollen.

I just about spit my drink all over my screen when I read this.

flobeelicious · 07-02-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ming

NUMMI produces Toyotas and reskinned Toyota-based vehicles for GM, so all the factory emits is butterflies and flower pollen.

you forgot - its HYPOALLERGENIC flower pollen. it is a toyota plant.

skylark68 · 07-02-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pontiacfan

I just about spit my drink all over my screen when I read this.

+1

That's brightened my day!

chevydlrmn · 07-02-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ming

NUMMI produces Toyotas and reskinned Toyota-based vehicles for GM, so all the factory emits is butterflies and flower pollen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flobeelicious

you forgot - its HYPOALLERGENIC flower pollen. it is a toyota plant.

hahahahahaha. Good stuff, I needed that laugh!

gagt02 · 07-02-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ming

NUMMI produces Toyotas and reskinned Toyota-based vehicles for GM, so all the factory emits is butterflies and flower pollen.

bahahahahahahaha... omg... thanx for the ab workout.

jry · 07-02-2009, 05:53 PM

Gee, i don't remember a Corvair in the 50's.....

07-02-2009, 10:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ming GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: An Alternate Timeline Posts: 14,684	For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course GM Plans ‘Garage Sale’ for Toxic Plants, New Jersey Golf Course www.bloomberg.com July 2 (Bloomberg) -- As General Motors Corp. prepares to sell its best assets to a streamlined new entity, the worst of what it owns will be auctioned off in bankruptcy court, including contaminated factory sites, parking lots in Flint, Michigan, and a nine-hole golf course in New Jersey. One property the carmaker is ditching is a foundry in Massena, New York, bordered on the east by the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation and on the north by the St. Lawrence River. Built to make aluminum cylinder heads for the Chevrolet Corvair in the 1950s, it generated PCB sludge and waste from hydraulic fluids. “It was created by GM dumping hazardous waste on the banks of the river, such that the waste oozed into the water and the land,” said John Privitera, a lawyer for the tribe at McNamee Lochner Titus & Williams PC in Albany, New York. “It was picked up by animals and moved up the food chain through fish and into Mohawk women -- into their breast milk, into their babies.” The largest U.S. automaker, following its smaller rival Chrysler LLC, is using the bankruptcy process to spin off a new entity with reduced costs and debt while leaving the old GM with unwanted property and obligations to creditors, dealers, retirees, accident victims and environmental agencies. The discarded assets will be all that creditors have to satisfy their claims as GM starts to unwind liabilities of $172.8 billion -- more than twice its reported assets. DETAILS: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aVllNt3iGquQ __________________ Follow WoH on Facebook Follow C64 Walkabout on Facebook Thanks!

07-02-2009, 10:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
Buick61 Chevrolet VOLT Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 10,782	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course Ah, the good old days of the 1950s, when they had environment enough to spare. It's like how the Ford River Rouge Plant would dump all the left over parts at the end of the model year into the Detroit River.

07-02-2009, 11:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
1G6 4.6 Liter Northstar V8 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a marshmallow slop barge. Posts: 1,748	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course I suppose the Cadillac property is the old Clark St. parcel. That's sacred ground to me. __________________ walmartwatch.com 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 1976 Cadillac Coupe deVille 1979 Cadillac Sedan deVille 1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon 1992 Buick Roadmaster 2008 Buick Lucerne CXL Gone, but not forgotten 1972 Pontiac Bonneville 455 1976 Chevrolet C-10 1994 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight LSS 1997 Oldsmobile Regency 1998 Chevrolet Malibu 2000 Cadillac Deville DTS 2001 Chrysler 300M 2001 Chrysler Sebring Coupe 2005 Cadillac CTS

07-02-2009, 11:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
377Z 6.0 Liter L76 V8 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Prairie district, Chicago, IL Drives: 2004 A4 3.0 Quattro Cabriolet, 1998 Ford Explorer Posts: 2,002	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course I thought that typically the owner of contaminated land needs to clean it up before it can be sold. I wonder how bankruptcy liquidation would affect that if true.

07-02-2009, 12:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
dindak 6.2 Liter LS3 V8 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Toronto area Drives: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT2 V6 / 2008 Montana SV6 Posts: 3,221	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course With all this crap the old GM has on the book, it's a wonder it didn't go into bankruptcy many years ago.

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07-02-2009, 12:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
Kennyboy 4.6 Liter Northstar V8 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Drives: Caddy CTS Posts: 1,836	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course Does this include the NUMMI plant also, being an old GM plant. __________________

07-02-2009, 05:53 PM	#15 (permalink)
jry 6.0 Liter L76 V8 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: michigan, the incredible shrinking state Drives: '08 Vette LT2, '09 Escape Hybrid, '07 Expy EL, Posts: 2,141	Re: For Sale by GM: Contaminated Factory Sites, Parking Lots, Golf Course Gee, i don't remember a Corvair in the 50's..... __________________ '09 Escape Hybrid, '08 LT2 Vette, '07 Expy EL, Eddie Bauer, '96 Fleetwood 31' motorhome, '02 saturn L100 tow car. Good night and good luck.

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