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California To Drop State Rock Over Asbestos Concerns

Posted by Soulskill on from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept.

Diamonddavej writes "The LA Times reports that Californian legislators are close to dropping the translucent green rock Serpentine as the state rock of California because of its tenuous association with chrysotile asbestos. Sen. Gloria Romero declares in her bill (SB 624) that Serpentine should be dropped as California's state rock because it 'contains the deadly mineral chrysotile asbestos, a known carcinogen, exposure to which increases the risk of the cancer mesothelioma.' The bill has backing from mesothelioma support groups. Critics point out that Serpentine is a group of 20 different minerals, and Californian Serpentine rarely contains much chrysotile, never mind its dangerous fibrous asbestos form. Its is suspected that lawyers involved in asbestos compensation claims and cleanup companies will profit from the bill. Vast tracts of California where bedrock is made of Serpentine could be declared hazardous to health... even if it contains no crysotile at all! It looks like SB 624 will be passed; it won unanimous bi-partisan support from an Assembly committee last week."

17 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Well then... by DWMorse · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rock on.

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
  2. Re:fp by DWMorse · · Score: 3, Funny

    Beaten by my iPhone 3G. Can you feel the burn? Oh yes.

    And I even snuck in a PUN! FP with humor!

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
  3. The new state rock - crack. by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... like the new state plant - hemp. They can TAX IT to fix their budget crisis (or at least people won't give a %^!@* any more).

  4. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    California has a State rock.

  5. That's California for you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Even their state rock is known by the state of California to cause cancer.

    1. Re:That's California for you. by Volante3192 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Fits right in with the air, at least.

  6. Pet rock by nOw2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had a pet rock. It wasn't as maintenance-free as you'd expect.

    Also, is this part of the Daily Mail's efforts to categorise all known substances/things/ideas into those that cause and those that cure cancer?

    1. Re:Pet rock by decipher_saint · · Score: 3, Funny

      is this part of the Daily Mail's efforts to categorise all known substances/things/ideas into those that cause and those that cure cancer?

      How would they categorize radiation! The opposite of a shovel... is a shovel!

      All joking aside the California state rock should be foam spray painted to look like rock until it bounces off of Captain Kirk's head. MOVIE MAGIC!

      Either that or whatever rock is most commonly found in Bronson Canyon.

      --
      crazy dynamite monkey
  7. Hmmm... by decipher_saint · · Score: 4, Funny

    Isn't ALL rock hazardous to your health if you breathe it?

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    crazy dynamite monkey
  8. Known to the state of California... by siwelwerd · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe they should just put warning labels on all the rocks. "Serpentine, the state rock of California, contains substances known to the state of California to cause cancer".

    1. Re:Known to the state of California... by Scrameustache · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe they should just put warning labels on all the rocks. "Serpentine, the state rock of California, contains substances known to the state of California to cause cancer".

      "Serpentine, the state rock of California, may contain substances known to the state of California to cause cancer".

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

  9. Re:In case there was any doubt by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...at least they don't spend their time passing stupid crap like this into law.

    Oh yeah?

    Highlights:
    Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
    Incestuous marriages are legal.
    Boogers may not be flicked into the wind.

    Well, OK, I sort of agree with that last one.

  10. Now wait a minute by ubungy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought everything caused cancer in California.

  11. Re:Funny thing is this is the non-cancerious asbes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    One: it's spelled cancerous, not cancerious.

    While your second point is spot-on, this is incorrect: cancerious denotes something that is seriously cancerous.

  12. Suggestion for an Alternative by CrazyDuke · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have a suggestion for an alternative all natural, eco-friendly solution: Coprolite

    It even fits well given the politics of California.

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced influence is indistinguishable from control.
  13. Californicators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe californians should stop being such a bunch of candy assed weenie whackers and find something productive to do with their time. Like incite flamewars on slashdot to give the pussy moderators something worth modding down instead of spending mod points promoting their personal agenda.

  14. Re:Funny thing is this is the non-cancerious asbes by Ginger+Unicorn · · Score: 2, Funny

    why so cancerious..?

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    (1.21 gigawatts) / (88 miles per hour) = 30 757 874 newtons