Having said that, again you try to make this about me. This is not about me. This is not about Severstal, althought the article provided an excellent platform. It is about journalistic integrity, fact checking, and source checking. You wrote the article and I challenged a number of your statements and asked for proof of veracity. Throughout our lengthy discourse none was ever proffered.

Sadly, that is one of the many problems with the media today. Back in the day, as the young folks like to say, when I learned the craft you had ethics or you did not work for a paper of repute. If you stated facts in your article or attributed quotes they were checked and woe to you if you fabricated anything. An editor’s wrath can be fatal to a career.

You flatter me when you think I am knowledgeable about the blast furnace or Severstal. Sir, it is called research; something that is done haphazardly if at all today.

Let me give you one of my sources. GOOGLE. Just google blast furnace bleeder and you will find a wealth of information. Another good source is the county plumbing code. You could also research the theory behind pressure relief valves. It is fascinating.

Regarding the thoughts of Steve Lang. Here is another source; Ms. Shen. It was she who brought up the COMAR citation. I simply perused it and found that it delineated a number of options available other than the one you specified. I looked at the options and thought “what would a rational person have done?” I did, however, give Mr. Lang credit for being rational. Perhaps that was a leap of faith. If so, then please forgive me.

Ms. Kolberg, dear heart, I have no clue what you saw nor do I doubt that you saw what you claimed. I can offer you no help with your conundrum.

“Let’s have some reciprocity and full disclosure, Ann: please identify yourself and tell us your or your family’s relationship with Severstal, MDE and Sparrows Point management.”

Since you seem to know so much about what goes on inside the Sparrows Point steel plant,can you please advise readers about why orange-red flames were shooting from a stack at the Severstal plant for at least 20 minutes (10- 10:20 a.m.) on Saturday, Oct. 24?

My source for this informationn is my own two eyes. The flames were clearly visible where I live several miles away on the west shore of the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel County. I have lived here for 14 years and through four steel mill owners, and have never witnessed anything like this.

If ordinary citizens are prohibited from open burning because of air quality and safety concerns, certainly industry should live by the same rules. Severstal is not above the law!

When you inferred that Lang was ready to take action immediately upon learning of the event because of the powers given him by COMAR 26.11.01.07 you took a great leap of logic. That same citation gives him the right to request a complete report from the company regading the incident including causes, emissions given off, steps taken to prevent a recurrence and the like. That is what I believe Lang wanted to stress. What competent regulator would come out with guns blazing before he knew the facts? That exercise is reserved for reporters with an agenda.

Regarding Kovach’s comments about not expecting to be fined for the incident – surprisingly we agree on this. I too believe it was presumptive on her part.

My comments regarding the bleeders were not irrelevant but were spot on. It is an old debating trick to deflect comments when you are placed behind the eight ball. You could do better.

When you speak of the fact that you do not understand why untreated pollutants were released during such a small incident you are still beating your dead horse. I am fixated on that because you just can’t get it in your head what these things are and how they work. The company explained why the coke, not soot, was expelled. You just choose to believe they are lying. Again, if it happened every day you would be on to something. But it doesn’t. People run the blast furnace and peopel make mistakes. It seems a mistake was made here. That is why emergency equipment is placed on equipment such as this.

You also seem to blame Severstal for the sins of Bethlehem, ISG, and Mittal. Don’t visit the sins of the father on the son. Demonizing your opponent is an old political trick. Contrary to what you and others believe that plant is cleaner now than at any time in its history and that too is a fact.

Your are correct about not citing a source when you talked about the bleeders not being attached to pollution abatement equipment. However, that is not the statement to which I referred. It was a nice try to deflect on your part but that will not fly. You cited sources as saying some wild things and you were challeneged on it. If you do not identify your sources you invite this. I learned this in high school journalism. It is part of the fact checking process.

Mr. Reutter I really expected better.

“MDE threatened to fine Severstal under COMAR 26.11.01.07, which governs the temporary discharge of pollutants due to equipment malfunctions. Severstal’s prediction in my article that it will not be fined perhaps reflects its confidence that, despite a court order that demands cleaner air and water around Sparrows Point, MDE is unwilling to put words into action.”

I also expected you to state that you stuck by your sources when I challenged them. It was curious that you did not unless they were fictitous or unreliable.

Further, I consulted my sources at the Maryland Department of the Environment regarding the actions which you attributed to Steve Lang. When asked if Lang has contemplated doing what you said at that time the answer was a resounding NO!

Now, I am a reasonable person and I am willing to allow you the opportunity to prove yourself by producing the alleged document you have that proves Lang’s actions. I thought it odd that you did not at the time link to it since you linked to other doucments to prove your case.

Again I ask why all of the concern over a three minute incident in which no one was harmed and there was no environmental damage. Perhaps too much time on your hands or is it the old traning from the Sun and Post to revert to muckraking when there are no facts to suuport your bias?

I eagerly await the production of the documents.”

Just because MDE issues a citation does not automatically mean that the situation is a dire as you make it out to be.

I will speak to my sources at the plant and at MDE and will ahve more to say when I get both sides of the story.

I smell more hyperbole by the Brew. At least we now know that Mr. Reutter is not the only one.

Definitely more later. I smell a rat.