Evolution Of The Controversy

by Jay Reynolds

Preface

The following is a draft version of a work in progress which will attempt to describe the results of my investigation into the origin and development of the contrail/chemtrail controversy. Over the past three years I have followed these events and will relate in as much detail as possible what I have discovered.

Inevitably, some information being unavailable to me, parts of the puzzle will be left out. Many will be surprised, especially those who only know the past year's events, at how far, how wide, and how long this has gone from it's origins.

 

Evolution Of The Controversy

Part I
The Whispers
1/5/2000

The earliest I can find reference to the idea that contrails are other than normal is from Bill Brumbaugh, an evangelist now based in Bozeman, Montana, who hosts "The Proactive Newshour", formerly on several now-defunct shortwave networks and currently on Libertyworks radio.com internet and on satellite audio feed.

According to information supplied by Brumbaugh to me, and confirmed by an associate of his, "Rick Flores", Brumbaugh developed concern that Ethylene Dibromide was present in jet fuel and was being burned, not sprayed, causing harmful pollution which was hazardous to health. He appears to have originated the idea sometime in 1995, based on his own comments and those of "Flores" that
were sent to me via email:

Excerpt from message of 10/6/99 from "Rick Flores" to
Bill Brumbaugh(cc'd to Jay Reynolds)-

"You remember several years ago when I actually took the time out to obtain
the fuel samples because I too was curious as to the validity of the "JP8,"
"Contrail" stories that you initiated in Southern California. Being a commercial pilot I was able to verify first hand some of the information you were using for your stories on Contrails. "

Excerpt from a message of 3/31/99 from Bill Brumbaugh to Jay Reynolds-

"I am aware that we have been receiving record amounts of photons in the last few months, but that does not reach back to 1995 when according to pilots I have spoken with, changes were made in the jet fuel composition. At the same time in 1995, I was advised that refueling teams in hangars were then under law, required to wear full body protective gear while refueling."

The pilot Brumbaugh refers to is "Flores", and Brumbaugh has refused to cite any documentary evidence that any such "law" has required such precautions. Current military concerns over JP-8 jet fuel are mainly based on their benzene content. Benzene, a carcinogen, is a natural component, in small amounts, of crude oil and almost all petroleum based fuels including gasoline.

The change from JP-4 to JP-8 jet fuel by the military was to use a less flammable, and thus less hazardous fuel. Ethylene Dibromide has never been a constituent of jet fuels at all, it was used in all gasoline products when tetraethyl lead was included in the formulation of "leaded gasoline" to prevent preignition or "cylinder knocking" EDB was used for the purpose of passing the lead through combustion to prevent lead deposition on engine combustion section parts such as valves and sparkplugs.

Since "knocking" was never a problem of jet engines, EDB was never needed. Some news reports have erroneously attributed soil contamination by EDB , such as at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, to jet fuel spillage when in fact the source of the EDB was spillage of aviation gasoline, probably from before the advent of the military's transition to jet aircraft.

My exchanges with Brumbaugh and "Flores" were instructive because these two cannot seem to keep their stories straight, from which some valuable conclusions can be drawn.

In a message dated 3/31/99, Bill Brumbaugh wrote to me-

"In 1996, I did obtain an independent analysis of JP8 and JP4 jet fuel. The
fuel was obtained through a pilot I knew in the Orange County area of
California. Unfortunately, again not possessing the finances to get this
analyzed myself, I trusted perhaps the wrong man who sent it to a
controversial figure by the name of Larry Wayne Harris. Mr. Harris, while
putting out some interesting stuff, is not credible in regard to his statements about the longevity of his employment by the CIA, and his claim of being a licensed microbiologist from 1984-1993 is false, and not even close. However, I was informed by him that part of the chemical composition of the JP8 was EDB
(Ethylene DiBromide) and Zinc Chloride."

"Flores", however, on 10/6/99 said -

"As for showing the samples publicly, why don't you go to William Thomas'
web site and obtain the proof you seek.
Also, if you can locate Larry Harris, ask him to send you a copy of the
analysis, I don't know where he is. Just think of it Jay, there are so
many opportunities to get the truth you seek. You ask: "why just can't you
send them to me Rick?" Well, first off, all my research is in storage
because I just relocated from another state and I have not
settled anywhere yet. Yes, I am a commercial pilot and do KNOW for a fact
about the chemicals in Jet A fuel. ALL pilots have made mention of the
contrails left by their jets and noticed it very much when the conversion
took effect 1994/95."

So, it seems that Brumbaugh got the samples from "Flores", but why does Brumbaugh speak of JP-8 and JP-4(military fuel), when "Flores" got samples of Jet A fuel , a commercial fuel with different specifications and refining? Of course, neither Harris nor Thomas have ever shown alleged sample results to anyone in the intervening 3 years hence, nor will they ever, and it seems they are not available from "Flores", who has them "in storage".

Regarding availability of the samples, additional questions to Brumbaugh
yielded-

"Please read below and realize I did not give the sample to Larry Harris, and
would not have. The man who did give it to him turned out to be a flake, and
was a man who eventually caused me to contact the police as he threatened my
life for several reasons, one of which was because I refuted and deflated Larry
Wayne Harris as I guest hosted Jeff Bakers "Baker Boys" hour...

The man who gave Larry Harris the sample is named Ron Williams. The independent analysis (as well as the obtaining of the samples) was done
confidentially through a "patriot pilot" at John Wayne airport (O.C. County,
CA.) who later moved to Washington state. I have no number for him, but I now
aware he also knew Ron Williams. Perhaps these sample ALSO went to Harris but that is mere speculation. I did not do the test, and what was faxed to
me was lost nearly two years ago when my computer was possibly hacked and American Tech computers said all myhard drive information was
unretrievable. If another hard copy exists of what I got (which was
labelled as being from the University of Arizona at Tucson) I don't know
where it is. I got pretty disgusted by Harris and his questionable activities,
and I threw out a manila folder containing his work which was faxed to me."

So, to sum up what can be gathered here, if any of it can be believed at all :
-Flores says he got a sample of commerciall Jet A fuel.
-Brumbaugh says he got a sample of militarry JP-8 and JP-4 fuel.
-"Flores" says he gave the samplle to Larry Wayne Harris.
-Brumbaugh says he gave the sample to &quoot;Ron Williams".
-"Flores" says his sample resultts are "in storage".
-Brumbaugh says his sample results were &qquot;lost"or he "threw" them out.

Everybody is pointing the finger at Larry Wayne Harris(more on that later).

On 5/7/99, Brumbaugh, responding to my request for more information, sent:
Q: Jay Reynolds- "Do the powerful documents you say you have consist of an analysis of jet fuel, soil, air or water?"

A: Brumbaugh- "The past documents specifically targeted the jet fuel, but a fellow broadcaster and past reliable source claims he has a water and soil analysis. I await his return from vacation eagerly, and will ask him to share it with me."

In the seven months that have passed since Brumbaugh made this statement,
he has not ever mentioned such addditional information.

What you have seen above is one of two things, either it's the
"Keystone Cops" running around in a manic panic, or it's the
"Three Stooges" being manipulated for fun and profit.



Evolution Of The Controversy

Part II
The Trail Thickens
1/5/2000

In early 1995, a man named Larry Wayne Harris, of Lancaster, Ohio decided that in order to write a book on biological warfare he needed to actually have some experience. Larry got some letterhead paper from Superior Laboratories, of Columbus, Ohio, where he worked as a septic tank and water well inspector, and ordered some bubonic plague bacteria from the ATCC(American Type Culture Collection), which supplies certified lines of all sorts of bacteria for scientists. The only problem was that Larry must have become a little worried about what he had done and his persistent calls to the ATCC folks about where his Bubonic Plague was raised a red flag and the authorities began to do some checking. When they finally caught up with Larry, he had his little vials of plague in the glove compartment of his car, which he evidently found safer than his home.

After his arrest, or some time during 1996, if you can believe the conflicting stories of Brumbaugh and "Flores", he entered the contrail controversy and began it's promotion by touting to others various "fuel sample results", none of which have ever been publicly displayed. Larry had become quite a celebrity in that time by promoting his book, "Bacteriological Warfare: A Major Threat to North America”,
which does describe some do-it-yourself methods of treating bacterial diseases. Larry's book also contains some quite detailed instructions on how to conduct such a bacteriological attack yourself, in the context of his description of how a team of foreign agents would do it.

You must understand that sometime during his life, Larry had convinced himself
that he was no ordinary septic and well inspector, he was in reality a highly trained expert who worked for the CIA training Iraqi agents the techniques of bacterial warfare. Larry said he was privy to the secret plan of a group of Iraqi women who had already smuggled in enough bacteria in their "body cavities" to begin a holy war jihad, and Larry's only recourse was to write this book and get it into your hands as fast as possible, for twenty dollars or so.

This part of the story was repeated many times on shortwave radio programs, in which Larry would recount identical versions of the procedure that could be used to spread anthrax spores over a city. He claimed to have dug into an old burial pit for cattle that had died from anthrax, and recovered the spores necessary to conduct such an attack. Larry also was used by Larry Baker, a shortwave show host on radio station WGTG, as an "expert on biological warfare" by saying he recommended the very expensive "colloidal silver water" that could "protect you from anthrax, plague, and smallpox".

During 1997, Larry allied himself with a neighbor, Richard Finke, also of Lancaster, OH, who calls himself "Righteous Dude" and claims to have a bookkeeping service.
In April of 1997, Larry Wayne Harris was sentenced to probation for wire fraud for his fraudulent ordering of the Bubonic Plague bacteria yersinia pestis.
Finke and Larry eventually formed a "defensive biowar and disaster recovery consulting firm" called LWH consulting, which they publicized by spamming email messages during the summer of 1997 that a biological attack was imminent. No such attack ever took place, which must have been quite frustrating for these two fellows desperately seeking customers.

To remedy this, Richard Finke, the "righteous dude", sent out to an email list service that discusses bioterrorism issues the following:

Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 19:18:37 -0300
From: Richard Finke
To: BIOWAR-L@mail.sonic.net
Subject: [BIOWAR] LINES IN THE SKIES IDENTIFIED
Sender: owner-biowar-l@sub.sonic.net
Reply-To: Richard Finke
GENOCIDE ON A WHOLESALE LOT
LINES IN THE SKY ARE IDENTIFIED!!
SAMPLES Are ANALYZED!!!
The lab director of Aqua-tech Environmental (aka. Aqua-Tel), Marion, OH,ph., (707) 887-2228, using samples taken from JP-8 contaminated fields of Maryland and Pennsylvania, reported today (9/18/97) that ethylene dibromide, otherwise known as EDB, has been the contaminate in the fuel and water samples taken of submitted by farmers, pilots and tanker drivers. EDB is one of the most tightly controlled EPA substances and was banned in 1983 due to its carcinogenieity. EDB is a pesticide that apparently is being placed in the jet fuel and dispersed on a daily, almost non-stop basis in our skies. The lines filling our skies are not contrails. The lines are dispersed and may linger for hours, slowly filtering down to unsuspecting pests, and I guess we’re the PESTS.
------------------------------------------------
I received a forwarded copy of this message which has appeared in altered versions since then, but this is the way I received it and the way Richard Finke sent it. Several problems become apparent upon examination and further research .

-This is not an analysis of any sort.
-The message is dated September 17, but thhe message says the information was issued on September 18.
-The message states the sample came from aa field, not a fuel.
-The phone number is not for a laboratory in Ohio, but for the California residence
of Wes Thomas of Forestville, who moderates the BIOWAR-L listservice where the message was posted.

Wes Thomas, when asked his involvement with Finke told me:
"I vaguely remember asking him and I think he said it was a typo. I'll have to search in my archive at home on that one." Wes Thomas never responded further.

Aqua-Tech refuses to discuss the alleged samples, and does not disclose proprietary sample results done for clients.

Despite obvious problems with the information contained in Finke's message, in the minds of thousands, it is real, it is fact, and it is repeated as real and factual information.

In reality, it is more keystone cops and three stooges, but people just lapped it up.
=================================

Within days, Finke's message had spread across the internet, passed along from one to the next with no regard to is factuality. My copy arrived within two days (forwarded directly from a person subscribed to the BIOWAR-L email list. By that afternoon, I had collected information on EDB and by the next day I had communicated with one scientist at NASA to gather information on normal contrails , then later two others who were researching contrail effects on the atmosphere. This led me to be able to know how normal contrails form and behave. I still did not know who sent the original EDB mailing, or if it was genuine. Email regarding the "analysis" went unanswered at Aqua-Tech labs.

Others who received Finke's email spread it far and wide like a virus without regard to whether it was true, false, or made any sense at all. It still appears on many websites, having "morphed" into various forms such as here, and there. One mutation even included a later claim that zinc chloride, a soldering flux, had also been found in the "analysis".

One and one-half years would elapse until I decided to research further, spurred by William Thomas' first article in January of 1999. I wrote:

"Dear Richard,
I am a journalist interested in writing an article about this subject.
Could you tell me any more about the sample?
Thanks,
Jay Reynolds

To which he replied:
"AJ, in response to your journalistic inquiry concerning 'heavy
contrails' I am taking the liberty of forwarding to you some e-mailing
on the subject. The analysis of the sprayed cocktail of JP-8 and EDB
was reportedly done by one particular lab here in Ohio. The info
sources are reputedable but there was a strong denial by the lab
itself. Interestingly the lab does a lot of business with governmental
agencies. Their contract losses would be significant to a lot of people
whose livelihoods depend on them. There was also the threat of legal
litigation. Thus I vouch for the veracity of the report's scientific
info but must remain silent concerning the lab itself. Please
understand and cooperate. In this regard it is helpful to me that the
reported phone number and name of the lab are not accurate. Also, there
were about seven men who died nastily getting this information out.
Accordingly we must comport ourselves respectfully, respectfully of
those men and ourselves.
I hope this answers to your inquiry, Thank you, /s/Ric"

Finke's reply to a journalist was designed to scare me off,
but in reality told me I must dig further. Unfortunately, to date, Ric "The Finke"
has never replied to repeated requests for more information.

Meanwhile, back to the fall of 1997.
After it's brief flareup, the contrail story went to ground, circulated mainly by Clarence Napier, Dot Bibbee, and Joe 6pk Burton, all known disseminators of undocumented rumor and false information. One very interesting fictional story showed up in October '97 which contains a surprisingly complete script of what people are now claiming:

-Weblike material
-Respiratory effecets
-Lab tests
-Mysterious "flu shots"
-An "undisclosed lab"
-By the "Blackops Reporter" Chip Tatum
One has to wonder where they got all that back three years ago?

Evolution Of The Controversy

Part III
Red Sky at Night?

As 1998 receded.....

(to be continued)

 

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