Today's Feature

Blunt Urges DNR to Find the Source of Carthage Odors.

News release

Southwest Missouri Congressman and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt and Missouri Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent are asking the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to find the source of an indescribable odor that too frequently envelopes parts of the community near the Renewable Environmental Solutions (RES)-Butterball Turkey processing plants. The RES plant began operations last year, converting 200 tons per day of poultry waste into crude oil.

Residents in the Jasper County seat have filed numerous complaints with city officials and DNR about the foul smell. DNR has determined there is no regulatory action needed, but the Missouri lawmakers want DNR "to determine, if possible, exactly where the odors are coming from and who may be responsible for emitting them."

In a letter to DNR Director Doyle Childers, Blunt and the two senators wrote, "We are asking that you come out once again, and examine the entire area, in the hopes that you can locate where the problem is, so (Carthage) Mayor Johnson and the facility emitting the odor can begin to work together to solve the problem once and for all."

Carthage Mayor Kenneth Johnson asked for Blunt’s help in "bringing the goals of the RES operation to fruition in a way that will not adversely impact the City of Carthage." Blunt, who has worked to help fund the promising technology that converts organic waste into oil, said, "the odors in Carthage are unacceptable. We need to bring sound science into this problem and find the source of the smell and work with the responsible parties to remedy it as quickly as possible."

I suppose that havin’ a couple of Senators and a Representative on their tail may put some fire under the DNR. It can’t hurt. ‘Course RES will feel the pinch comin’ from all directions I’m guessin’. Got to get a little warm with all that Federal government breathin’ down your back.

But then the real stroke is fundin’. Fundin’ for the DNR in general will get the attention of those sittin’ beyond the Springfield office. More pressure from above. Havin’ Senate and House members upset can’t help when budget time rolls around.

Then RES was backed for most of its investment with Federal money. Any future plans will no doubt depend on more support and funding from taxpayers.

Like they say, money talks and what ever it is I’m smellin’, walks.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Our 1990 Plymouth Laser starts automatically. It has happened twice: once in the rain in the middle of the night, and once in the sunshine in the middle of the day. When this happens, we cannot shut it off with the ignition key, and we have to pull the ignition fuse. Why does this happen? - Randy

TOM: It might be trying to run away from home, Randy. Do you wash it enough?

RAY: This car has something called an auto-shutdown relay, and I think that’s your problem. Rather than route a huge amount of electricity through the ignition switch on your steering wheel, the electricity to run the car goes through a relay instead, which is safely on the engine side of the firewall. So, when you turn the key to the "start" position, you’re actually energizing that relay. For some reason, the relay in your Laser is energizing itself.

TOM: On a 15-year-old car, it could be malfunctioning for any number of reasons. It could be rusty, it could have water in it, or it could just be worn out.

RAY: On most cars, the starter relay would simply cause the car to crank until the battery was dead - which wouldn’t take long. But because you have this auto-shutdown relay, the relay can actually allow the car to run, as it energizes the coil, too. That’s what I think is happening.

TOM: Ask your mechanic to replace the relay, and I think you’ll be able to sleep soundly at night again, Randy - and, like I do, during the day, too.

RACING
By Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Racing Oils Make the Grade

Q: I just watched Jeff Gordon win the Daytona 500 in his Dupont Chevy, and I’d like to know what grade of oil he uses? I know it’s Quaker State, his sponsor, but what’s the weight? Also, what do the drag racers use, weight and viscosity-wise? Can we buy the same oil? — Brandon K., Michigan.

A: The top pro racers generally use specialty race oils not readily available to the general public. However, Quaker State now produces race-specific oils that are commercially available, so we went right to the people who sponsor Jeff Gordon and spoke to Mark Ferner at Quaker State’s Research Center in Houston.

Ferner does research and development for Quaker State and also works closely with Rick Hendrick’s motor program in developing the correct oil for his fleet of NASCAR race cars. Ferner also works with drag racers.

Ferner told us that Quaker State’s "Q" racing oils were recently launched commercially for racers based on Quaker State’s history of R&D with pro race teams like Jeff Gordon and drag racer Tony Pedregon. Currently, Q’s racing-line synthetics include 0W-5, 15W-50 and a unique oil product listed as 17.5W-35. "We now commercially produce three oils for use in legally sanctioned races," Ferner said. "As for the drag racers, Q offers an 0W-5 viscosity oil that NHRA Pro Stock racers are very interested in."