tagged w/ Water Pollution
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Several states recently banned specific practices that are common in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), taking small steps to level the playing field for more sustainable farms. California outlawed the amputation of dairy cows' tails, and Michigan passed a law phasing out restrictive crates for veal calves and pregnant sows, and tiny "battery" cages for egg-laying chickens, used to pack many animals together in a small space. Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Colorado, and Oregon had previously acted to ban crates and battery cages, which, along with tail docking, are unnecessary practices that serve only to make large, polluting CAFOs viable. Meanwhile, examples abound of farmers successfully working with nature rather than against it to produce animal products without the problems associated with CAFOs. Listen to this recent National Public Radio story about one Ohio dairyman's efforts to transform the industry and produce fresher, more flavorful milk from cows on pasture.
NPR story will be linked below.Several states recently banned specific practices that are common in CAFOs (confined... more
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WASHINGTON Scientific evidence that mountaintop-removal coal mining destroys streams and threatens human health is so strong the government should stop granting new permits for it, a group of 12 environmental scientists report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
The consequences of this mining in eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Virginia are "pervasive and irreversible," the article finds. Companies are required by law to take steps to reduce the damages, but their efforts don't compensate for lost streams nor do they prevent lasting water pollution, it says.
The article is a summary of recent scientific studies of the consequences of blasting the tops off mountains to obtain coal and dumping the excess rock into streams in valleys. The authors also studied new water-quality data from West Virginia streams and found that mining polluted them, reducing their biological health and diversity.
http://www.climate.noaa.gov/education/
Surprisingly little attention has been paid to this growing scientific evidence of the damages, they wrote, adding: "Regulators should no longer ignore rigorous science."
New permits shouldn't be granted, they argued, "unless new methods can be subjected to rigorous peer review and shown to remedy these problems."
The Science article cites a number of potential health risks from removing mountaintops and filling in valleys, including contaminated well water, toxic dust and fish that are tainted with the chemical selenium. It also looked at environmental damage to the mining and fill areas and to streams below them.
"The reason we're willing to make a policy recommendation is that the evidence is so clear-cut," said Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland, the lead author of the Science study and a specialist on the ecology of streams. Palmer has personal ties to Appalachia. Her family is from western North Carolina, and she spent much of her childhood there.
The assessment came days after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a permit under the Clean Water Act for Patriot Coal Corp.'s mountaintop Hobet 45 mine in West Virginia. The EPA reached a deal with Patriot to change the original plans. Instead of burying six miles of streams, the company will bury three. The EPA said that other changes would reduce stream contamination and protect public health.
At the same time, the agency acknowledged the environmental costs.
Mountaintop-removal mining has destroyed roughly 2,040 square miles of land in Appalachia and buried more than 2,000 miles of streams, EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said in an e-mail.
In a news release about its approval of the Hobet 45 mine, the EPA said:
"Scientific studies have increasingly identified significant water quality problems below surface coal mining operations that can contaminate surface waters for hundreds of years. Data from coalfield communities also indicate that coal mining is responsible for causing fish kills and contaminating fish and wildlife."
The statement says that the EPA is "committed to use its Clean Water Act regulatory authorities to reduce environmental and water quality impacts associated with surface coal mining."
The EPA's approval of the Hobet 45 mine, announced Tuesday, was the first major mountaintop mining permit the agency has approved from a batch of 79 that it said raised concerns. The mine is expected to employ 460 unionized miners.
Environmental groups condemned the decision and said that even with the changes, the mine would destroy forests and streams.
The 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act calls for balancing environmental protection with the nation's need for coal. Half the nation's electricity comes from burning coal. According to the Department of Energy, coal also contributes 36.5 percent of the nation's emissions of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas that's accumulating in the atmosphere.WASHINGTON Scientific evidence that mountaintop-removal coal mining destroys streams... more
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Workers at the Darlington nuclear station filled the wrong tank with a cocktail of water and a radioactive isotope Monday, spilling more than 200,000 litres into Lake Ontario.
Ontario Power Generation is investigating how the accident happened and officials say hourly tests of the lake water show that the level of tritium – the radioactive isotope of hydrogen – poses no harm to nearby residents.
The spilled water contained 0.1 per cent of the plant's allowable monthly release of tritium, said OPG spokesman Ted Gruetzner.
"It was a very small amount that was in the tank," he said.
However, the fact the spill happened is reason enough to worry, watchdogs say.
"Negligence at a nuclear plant can lead to catastrophic consequences. It's an unforgiving technology," said Shawn-Patrick Stensil, an energy campaigner with Greenpeace. "This may be presented as a pretty minor spill, but it's a bad sign when you see these types of breakdowns."
The accident happened around 3 p.m. at the Clarington facility, after which officials notified the Ministry of the Environment, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the Durham Medical Officer of Health and water treatment authorities.
The spilled water – enough to fill more than two Olympic-sized swimming pools – came from an underground tank that is used for backup cooling in the event of an emergency.
"We know what happened, we just don't know why it happened," said Gruetzner, explaining that staff charged with filling up the underground tanks inadvertently filled one that was already full.
The water also contained an unspecified amount of hydrazine, a toxic inorganic chemical compound that keeps pipes and tanks from rusting.
The tank overflowed and water ran onto the ground, much of it flowing into the lake. Cleanup crews have already taken care of the puddles of water that didn't reach the lake, many of which froze over and had to be chipped out, Gruetzner said.
"Our priority right now is to make sure the testing is done and the cleanup is completed," he said. "There will be an investigation to make sure this accident doesn't happen again."
Tritium can be harmful when ingested in enough quantity. It immediately travels to the gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed into the bloodstream within two hours.
Durham Region said in a statement that water sampling and testing is taking place at water supply plants in Oshawa, Bowmanville and Newcastle.
"Residents are advised that their water is safe to drink," according to the statement.
Still, Oshawa city councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri said the spill was worrisome.
"As a councillor and a parent, it's concerning. But I'm confident that everyone involved will be working tirelessly to find out what happened and where to go from there," said Marimpietri, a member of the city's Environmental Advisory Committee.
The spill comes a month after the Sierra Club of Canada released a report warning that "routine and accidental releases of tritium" are rising and that accumulation in the environment is a growing health concern. It criticized Canada for allowing tritium levels in drinking water that are 70 times higher than in the European Union and 473 times higher than in California.
Canada's nuclear safety commission dismissed the Sierra Club report as "junk science," but Linda Keen, former head of the commission, told the Star that community concerns should be taken seriously. She said tritium is an operational by-product of Candu nuclear reactors, making Canada the world's largest producer of the otherwise rare radioactive isotope.
"Accumulative effects of tritium are what really worried me (as head of the commission), not just the dose at a certain date," she said.Workers at the Darlington nuclear station filled the wrong tank with a cocktail of... more
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States in the Northeast have set aside or spent between $228,874 and $527,107 a year for bottled water, according to a new report Getting States Off the Bottle released today by Corporate Accountability International. The states surveyed include four Northeastern states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Pennsylvania – all known for their high quality tap water.
The findings come as public water systems face a $24 billion annual shortfall, and during financial times where states can ill afford to be spending public dollars on such a non-essential use of an essential public resource.
“Not only is the spending patently wasteful at a time when states can not afford unnecessary expenses, but it broadcasts the absolute wrong message about our high quality tap water,” said Connecticut State Representative Richard Roy, Chair of the House Environmental Committee.
Roy is one of hundreds of public officials nationwide that are now calling for taxpayer dollars to cease flowing to bottled water. In 2008, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, representing more than 1200 mayors, passed a resolution encouraging mayors to phase out city spending on bottled water. To date, more than 100 cities have taken action to cut spending on bottled water or support public water systems as well as three states, including Illinois, Virginia and New York.
Governors and mayors are stewards of public water systems, responsible for overseeing budgets that provide the overwhelming majority of public funding for this essential public service. But the need for greater investment in these systems is growing rapidly, while public fundings for these systems languishes.
A major cause of the gap in funding has been the marketing and promotion of bottled water. Marketing campaigns, such as Nestlé’s Born Better, have convinced one in five people to believe the only place to get clean drinking water is from a bottle. And as public confidence in tap water has waned, so too has the political will to invest in public water.
“Swift action by governors to cut bottled water spending can be a strong first step in restoring public water systems and the public’s confidence in them,” said Kelle Louaillier, executive director of Corporate Accountability International.
After all, up to forty percent of bottled water sold comes from the same source as tap water. Tap water is also more highly regulated than what comes in the bottle.
Public education campaigns like Think Outside the Bottle are, however, restoring confidence in public water systems. A recent Harris Poll found that 29 percent of people switched from bottled to tap water in the last year. An overall decline in the North American bottled water market reflects this shift in behavior and attitude toward the tap. However, state action is still lagging. While each state profiled in the report has taken some steps to allocate funding towards water infrastructure – such as dedicating funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to water systems – even these steps are a drop in the bucket compared to what will be needed to close the gap.
“During these tough economic times our states need to be thinking, ‘we should only spend scarce public dollars on projects that grow the economy at large not just the bottom line for a handful of private corporations,’” said Louaillier. “Investment in public water is, in this respect, one of the wisest investments we can make.”
According to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report, every dollar invested in public water generates more than six for the economy at large in the long term.
For the full report visit www.StopCorporateAbuse.org/GettingStatesOffTheBottleStates in the Northeast have set aside or spent between $228,874 and $527,107 a year... more
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This documentary explores the plight of those living in low lying areas of the South Pacific who are already feeling the effects of sea level rise and pollution. Water Tomorrow... It is today.This documentary explores the plight of those living in low lying areas of the South... more
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Just in time for the Himalayas to melt away... And yet, people don't think this is real or a crisis.Just in time for the Himalayas to melt away... And yet, people don't think this... more
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What's the point of the Interior Dept. issuing decrees if companies are still going to be allowed to get away with toxifiying the planet and destroying national landmarks for profit?What's the point of the Interior Dept. issuing decrees if companies are still... more
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Excellent film telling the story of the history of the Great Lakes and the challenges of the freshwater crisis.Excellent film telling the story of the history of the Great Lakes and the challenges... more
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The garbage I saw here which really in contrast was not as bad as some days was not put there by seagulls or any other species. It was put there by us. Water pollution is a manmade crisis and one that is toxifying the water we need to live. And it is only miles away from all of us.The state of our water and air is a moral reflection on man. We all have some work to do.The garbage I saw here which really in contrast was not as bad as some days was not... more
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An estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains dangerous chemicals, parasites, bacteria or viruses, or fails to meet federal health standards. Part of the problem, says journalist Charles Duhigg, is that water-pollution laws are not being enforced.An estimated one in 10 Americans have been exposed to drinking water that contains... more
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U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking waterU.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271... more
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ScottP
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2 years ago
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AS if we didn't have enough to worry about, it's the return of THE BLOB.
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quanta
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2 years ago
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Appalachian communities are suffering as a result of mountaintop removal mining. Earthjustice is working through the courts to protect Appalachian communities from this destructive practice and to ensure the Clean Water Act is enforced.Appalachian communities are suffering as a result of mountaintop removal mining.... more
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Radiation levels were higher than normal at the homes of as many as 10 Acreage families with brain tumors or brain cancer, according a New York City law firm affiliated with the nationally known environmental activist Erin Brockovich.
The radiation appears to be coming from well water, said Lemuel Srolovic, an attorney with the law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, which is investigating a suspected cancer cluster in the semi-rural community. A Stuart engineering company hired by the firm measured the radiation in mid-September using a Geiger counter.
Acreage cancer watch
Latest water report (pdf) (10/01/09)
"Generally, it showed there appeared to be radioactive material in ground water being drawn up," Srolovic said.
A report issued last week by the state Department of Environmental Protection similarly found elevated levels of radioactive particles in four wells in The Acreage. But the DEP stressed that the radiation can occur naturally, and the report said the problem is "simple" for homeowners to address by installing water-treatment systems.
The DEP report found no evidence that water in the Acreage faces hazards from man-made pollution. But a state Health Department investigation into the possible cancer cluster is continuing, as is a separate inquiry by Brockovich's firm.
Brockovich, best known for being portrayed by Julia Roberts in an Oscar-winning move, is scheduled to appear Thursday in West Palm Beach to update residents on the firm's findings.
The law firm's investigation started after the state Health Department in May began a resident-prompted study of brain cancer rates in the community. That study is now in its second phase, examining nine children who were diagnosed with brain tumors from 1995 through 2008.
Meanwhile, the DEP last week declared that its testing of 50 randomly selected Acreage wells showed that water in the 45,000-resident community generally meets state health standards. None of the 50 homes tested appear to have included families suffering from brain cancer or brain tumors.
"Our effort was kind of a supplemental testing to fill in the holes we feel weren't filled in by the DEP," Srolovic said.
The law firm's digging is fine with state environmental officials, said DEP spokesman Doug Tobin.
"While DEP has concluded our initial and secondary testing in and around The Acreage, the department encourages any other independent review or testing," Tobin said.
EnviroHome Inc., the environmental engineering firm that Weitz & Luxenberg hired, used a Geiger counter throughout the 10 residents' homes and yards. Only at water sources - wells, faucets and filtration systems - did readings rise higher than "background," or normal, radiation levels.
That prompted the Stuart company to take well water samples from nine of the 10 locations. Results are expected later this week and will include analysis for radium-226 and radium-228, radioactive metals that could cause cancer at elevated levels.
Geiger counters are used to read radiation levels but can't tell what is causing the radioactivity.
Srolovic said he was concerned about the DEP's test results.
"Certainly the Florida DEP testing at Seminole Water Plant and at private wells generally show widespread radiation in the water," Srolovic said. "The presence of this harmful material in water is a matter of concern."Radiation levels were higher than normal at the homes of as many as 10 Acreage... more
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The EPA's recent announcement that it is now considering regulating the use of deicing chemicals and mandating runoff prevention measures is oversight that is long overdue. But this new proposal won't prevent deicing chemical runoff completely...not even close.The EPA's recent announcement that it is now considering regulating the use of... more
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As far as I am concerned, if it is toxic in any way and pollutes land, water or air, it is not GREEN. That includes nuclear and natural gas.
Excerpt:
Pennsylvania environment officials are racing to clean up as much as 8,000 gallons of dangerous drilling fluids after a series of spills at a natural gas production site near the town of Dimock last week.
The spills, which occurred at a well site run by Cabot Oil and Gas, involve a compound manufactured by Halliburton that is described as a "potential carcinogen" and is used in the drilling process of hydraulic fracturing, according to state officials. The contaminants have seeped into a nearby creek, where a fish kill was reported by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP also reported fish "swimming erratically."
The incident is the latest in a series of environmental problems [1] connected to Cabot’s drilling in the Dimock area. Last winter, drinking water in several area homes [2] was found to contain metals and methane gas that state officials determined leaked underground from Cabot wells. And in the spring, the company was fined for several other spills, including an 800-gallon diesel spill from a truck that overturned.
Dimock, Penn.Neither Cabot Oil and Gas nor Halliburton immediately returned calls for comment on Monday. A Halliburton spokesperson sent an e-mail referring any questions to information on the company’s Web site.
DEP officials were also unavailable for interviews, but said through e-mail that faulty piping is suspected and that they have not confirmed the exact cause of the spill. A press spokesperson said to expect an announcement and actions toward Cabot by Tuesday.
ProPublica interviewed state officials several months ago about drilling problems in Dimock [1]. "Cabot has definitely had their share of problems out there," Craig Lobins, a regional oil and gas division director, said then. "Some of them is just being a little bit careless … or sloppy, or maybe a little bit of bad luck too."
The drilling fluid spill Wednesday may be the most serious yet, because it involves chemicals that are known to pose a risk to human health and has spread into the area’s surface water system.
end of excerptAs far as I am concerned, if it is toxic in any way and pollutes land, water or air,... more
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"Abandoned mercury mines throughout central California's rugged coastal mountains are polluting the state's major waterways, rendering fish unsafe to eat and risking the health of at least 100,000 impoverished people.
But an Associated Press investigation found that the federal government has tried to clean up fewer than a dozen of the hundreds of mines — and most cleanups have failed to stem the contamination.""Abandoned mercury mines throughout central California's rugged coastal... more
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For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to limit the quantity of toxic metals that coal-fired power plants release into waterways.
The agency said Tuesday that equipment required to reduce pollution in the air has increased harmful contaminants in water discharged by power plants, particularly heavy metals such as selenium, cadmium, mercury and lead. Current regulations do nothing to control metals and are not enough to protect water quality and wildlife, the agency said.
The agency said the new rules will be unveiled in 2012, but EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is pushing for an earlier target date.
In a preliminary study released last year, the EPA found that only a fraction of the nation's power plants were using readily available technologies to remove pollutants before they are released into waterways. The water pollution comes from scrubbers that strip gases of acid-raining causing sulfur dioxide and coal ash storage ponds where power plants store the leftovers of burning coal.
A spill at a coal ash pond in Tennessee late last year, which flooded hundreds of acres of land, damaged homes and killed fish in nearby rivers, helped raise awareness about the toxic contents of coal combustion waste and has put increasing pressure on the government to take action.
The announcement comes a day after three environmental groups threatened to sue the EPA for failing to update its regulations, first put in place in 1982. Federal law requires the agency to review regulations annually and revise them if necessary, which the advocates say the agency failed to do.For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to... more
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Jennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink the tap water in her home near Charleston, W.Va.
In fact, her entire family tries to avoid any contact with the water. Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Many of his brother’s teeth were capped to replace enamel that was eaten away.
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A water sample collected from a water heater by Patty Sebok, a neighbor of Jennifer Hall-Massey. Residents say such water is typical and has destroyed toilets, dishwashers and washing machines.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/09/12/business/13water2_190.jpgJennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink the tap water in her home near Charleston,... more
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KSirys
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2 years ago
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