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Here in my town we have had people stealing copper from cellphone towers.
News, Copper Thieves Die Trying
PASADENA, Md. — Firefighters weren't sure what was causing the smoke rising from a former discount store in this Baltimore suburb. The place had been abandoned for years, the interior stripped to the walls.
When they got inside July 2, they found it coming from a grisly source: a 41-year-old man who became engulfed in flames and died after cutting through a high-voltage line.
FOXNews.com - Copper Thieves Die Trying - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News (http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul16/0,4670,CopperDeaths,00.html - broken link)
Yes, there have been reports of copper thefts from construction sites and nameplates stolen from memorials and statues. Do you think it is true that the war in Iraq is driving up the prices?
Swiping metals has been going on for quite some time. Manhole covers, roadway guard rails, farmland sprinkler pipes, anything aluminum and even fire hydrants were getting purloined in my old neck of the woods on a regular basis. The latest trend seems to be the catalytic converters from your car's exhaust system! If you get in your car, turn the key and all of a sudden your vehicle sounds like a race car....you've been had!
Here in my town we have had people stealing copper from cellphone towers.
News, Copper Thieves Die Trying
PASADENA, Md. — Firefighters weren't sure what was causing the smoke rising from a former discount store in this Baltimore suburb. The place had been abandoned for years, the interior stripped to the walls.
When they got inside July 2, they found it coming from a grisly source: a 41-year-old man who became engulfed in flames and died after cutting through a high-voltage line.
FOXNews.com - Copper Thieves Die Trying - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News (http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul16/0,4670,CopperDeaths,00.html - broken link)
This happened in my area, The parking lot was still lit up and a lot of truckers would park there because of this but since this happened with this guy, he blew out all the lights.
The paper is always filled with people stealing wire from construction sites and out of the vehicles themselves when they are parked at their house.
In Ohio, thieves have been known to strip houses of aluminum siding off abandoned homes...even gutters and downspouts.
Then the losers cash it in for drug money.
I'm sure this is not exclusive to Ohio. When I was in CA, I heard about it there too.
As mentioned, yes, this has been an ongoing trend. However, no, the Iraq war has not much bearing on the demand for Copper [however, for the elements used to alloy with Stainless Steel, that is another story,,, ] - that demand is mainly driven by China and commodity traders, what with the industry players juggling owners, etc. Darwin's law is at work, all over the globe, not just this country, sometimes with sad effects:
Pipes and air conditioners are being stolen from homes and churches -vacant, under construction, and occupied.
Thirty-four brass panels from a WWII memorial were stripped earlier in July - in Guam.
In Honolulu parks, thieves last year stole $10,000 worth of brass toilet flush valves.
Copper wiring stoled from the Shedd Park and Cawley Stadium, Lowell, MA.
Ohio, Maryland, and Wisconsin report that brass plates and Copper urns are being snatched from cemeteries.
In eastern France, 600 yards of Copper cable were stolen - cutting off phone service for two villages.
In Kentucky, similar situation, with 200 feet taken.
Copper parts from irrigation machinery in California is also being ripped out.
In March, two men were electrocuted as they tried to cut through high-voltage wire in Tyngsboro, MA.
Two men in Arkansas dead:
Arkansas News Bureau - Legislation addresses copper theft rise (http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/04/01/News/341509.html - broken link)
One man in Detroit dead:
Man dies trying to steal copper in Detroit (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/NEWS01/70604015/1003/NEWS01 - broken link)
And many others have died, and others will surely follow...
ps: no, I do not have morbid curiosity about this; rather, as a metallurgist, and one that is working in the Copper industry, am aware of these happenings.
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Stuff besides copper...
] - that demand is mainly driven by China and commodity traders, what with the industry players juggling owners, etc. Darwin's law is at work, all over the globe, not just this country, sometimes with sad effects:
