Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Study: Cropland threatens drinking water for 250,000 people in the Valley
Posted by: Maven on March 13, 2012 at 7:32 am
From the Fresno Bee:
“A growing sea of underground pollution from farm fertilizers and dairy waste threatens drinking water for a 250,000 people from Fresno to Bakersfield, a new University of California study shows.
The bad water would fill Millerton Lake 64 times, according to estimates in the UC Davis study released today, and the annual cost of cleaning it up for residents in small towns, such as Seville in Tulare County, would be $36 million.
Rural San Joaquin Valley residents are unlikely to be surprised by the study, which covered the Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern land within the vast Tulare Lake Basin and the Monterey County portion of the Salinas Valley. In small towns, drinking bottled water is a way of life to avoid unhealthy tap water. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Report: Nitrate contamination in Salinas, Central valleys' drinking water pervasive, spreading, from the AP via the Washington Post
- Farming communities facing crisis over nitrate pollution, study says, from MSNBC
LINK FOR THE REPORT: Click here for the full report from U.C. Davis
California Water Blog: Growing costs and concern for drinking water in the Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley
Posted by: Maven on March 13, 2012 at 7:23 amFrom the California Channel:
“A potential public health concern has been percolating into aquifer drinking water supplies in the Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley for the past 50 to 60 years. Nitrate is accumulating in the groundwater, with 1 in 10 residents in these areas exposed to potential contamination of their drinking water supplies. This problem will worsen if nothing is done to correct it.
Some nitrate comes from septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants, but our UC Davis research team recently concluded that the overwhelming source of nitrate contamination,more than 90 percent ,is from agricultural fertilizers. The researchers studied nitrate in the drinking water of these two agricultural regions ,an area that includes Fresno, Bakersfield and Salinas. Throughout the region, nearly all of the 2.6 million residents rely on groundwater for drinking water. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Blog by clicking here.
Risks, costs will rise from contamination of drinking water, says commentary
Posted by: Maven on March 13, 2012 at 7:19 amFrom the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Thomas Harter and Jay Lund:
“From biting into a fresh strawberry to enjoying a cold glass of milk, we all reap the economic and gastronomic rewards of California agriculture : a $36.6 billion-a-year industry. Agriculture produces jobs for the state and food for the world. Yet there are costs, particularly when it comes to Californians’ access to clean water.
A newly released UC Davis study, funded by the State Water Resources Control Board in response to state legislation, concludes that two of California’s most productive agricultural regions : the Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley : have a drinking water problem from nitrate contamination. This area includes Salinas, Fresno and Bakersfield, where roughly 2.6 million people rely on groundwater for drinking water.
Some of the nitrate is coming from septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants, but our UC Davis researchers concluded that the overwhelming source of nitrate contamination : more than 90 percent : comes from agricultural fertilizers. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Sonoma County: No flouride in water any time soon
Posted by: Maven on March 10, 2012 at 6:29 amFrom Petaluma 360:
“Last month, the county's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to proceed with a study about injecting fluoride into the county's drinking water supply. But don't expect fluoride to appear in your tap water anytime soon, as the costs, logistics and even the politics of doing so are unclear.
Supervisor and former Petaluma City Councilman David Rabbitt, who supported the study saying he believes that adding fluoride to the local drinking supply would improve health in Sonoma County, doesn't expect to hear much on the issue again until a scientific analysis and feasibility study is completed and presented to the Board in January 2013. … “
Continue reading from Petaluma 360 by clicking here.
USGS on YouTube: What’s in our water?
Posted by: Maven on March 7, 2012 at 9:32 pmFrom USGS, posted at YouTube:
“In this episode, we are going to investigate more than just the substance “water.” We are going to examine what is in our nations’ water, how we at the U.S. Geological Survey monitor it, and what tools we have developed to aid those who want to explore more about our planet’s most abundant resource. This is the USGS CoreCast.”
SOMEWHAT RELATED: The State Water Board has prepared a report to submit to the legislature identifying California communities dependent upon contaminated water. Click here for more information.
Congressman Schiff calls for faster pace in finding maximum chromium 6 levels in drinking water
Posted by: Maven on March 7, 2012 at 9:12 pmFrom the Glendale News-Press:
“Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) took the California Department of Public Health to task Monday for “dragging its feet\” on setting new limits on chromium 6 in drinking water, adding to a growing chorus of frustration among local officials.
In a letter sent to the department's director Monday, Schiff called the years-long process for setting more strict contamination limits “unconscionable.
“I want to try to light a fire under them to get moving,\” Schiff said in a phone interview. “Unless we continue to stay after them, it may take them years to go to the next step. … “
Continue reading from the Glendale News-Press by clicking here.
Congressman Adam Schiff pushes for chromium-6 standard
Posted by: Maven on March 7, 2012 at 7:10 amFrom the Los Angeles Daily News:
“Rep. Adam Schiff is calling on state health officials to issue limits for chromium-6 in drinking water, following recent news last month that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will install about 30 new groundwater wells in the eastern San Fernando Valley to test for the toxic chemical.
Schiff on Monday sent a letter to Ron Chapman, director for the California Department of Public Health, urging him to move quickly to implement a maximum contaminant level for hexavalent chromium.
“While we already know that high levels of Chromium 6 can cause cancer, the state has dragged its feet in setting a standard to protect our drinking water and health. The standard should have been set years ago, and it’s time for them to finally finish the job,” Schiff wrote in a statement announcing the letter. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.
Rep. Schiff pushes for more restrictions on cancer-causing hexavalent chromium
Posted by: Maven on March 6, 2012 at 7:17 amFrom Southern California Public Radio:
“Southern California Congressman Adam Schiff is renewing a call for limits on the notorious cancer-causing heavy metal hexavalent chromium that contaminates water.
Hexavalent chromium exists naturally, but industrial contamination has spread it so much that 13 million Californians in most of the state’s counties risk some exposure. … “
Continue reading from Southern California Public Radio by clicking here.
Sonoma County supervisors back fluoride study; criticism called ‘off the charts’
Posted by: Maven on February 29, 2012 at 9:56 amFrom the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
“A move to add fluoride to most of Sonoma County’s drinking water to improve dental health received a significant boost Tuesday from the Board of Supervisors.
The board’s unanimous decision backing further study of a practice common across the country and recommended by leading national and international health agencies still provoked emotional protests from some speakers.
They proclaimed fluoride a health danger and decried government tinkering with the water supply, comments that drew unusually sharp rebukes from two supervisors. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat by clicking here.
Toxin in San Joaquin Valley water to be revealed
Posted by: Maven on February 29, 2012 at 9:29 amFrom Mark Grossi at the Fresno Bee:
“A few weeks ago, the state told me there’s no regulation of a dangerous chemical in the San Joaquin Valley’s drinking water because the chemical can’t be detected at very low levels.
It sounded plausible but still a little crazy. Turns out, it’s not completely true.
The California Department of Public Health can detect very low levels of the chemical — 1,2,3-trichloropropane or TCP, which is linked to cancer. The state is still testing the detection method, so it isn’t being used officially yet.
TCP is bad news. It came from a fumigant used decades ago to kill tiny worms called nematodes, and it’s in drinking-water wells from San Joaquin County to Kern County. The Valley has the worst TCP contamination in the state, according to state water authorities. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Barbara Boxer lobbies for water standards in light of chromium-6 findings
Posted by: Maven on February 26, 2012 at 6:55 amFrom MyDesert.com:
“U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer said she wants the federal Environmental Protection Agency to recommend action on a report that a potential carcinogen, chromium-6, is found in Coachella Valley groundwater at between 150 and 1,000 times more than a California public health goal.
Boxer, a Democrat who lives in Rancho Mirage, said in an email to The Desert Sun that her staff is “in direct communication with EPA on the chromium-6 levels identified in the Coachella Valley to ensure that EPA follows up on these findings and to make certain that public health is protected. … “
Continue reading from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
EPA releases Adaptation Strategies Guide for water agencies
Posted by: Maven on February 24, 2012 at 10:01 pmFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“The EPA Climate Ready Water Utilities initiative has developed an Adaptation Strategies Guide to assist drinking water and wastewater utilities in understanding impacts and strategies related to climate change. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Fresno Bee News Blog: State does have a way to detect dangerous, unregulated chemical in drinking water
Posted by: Maven on February 24, 2012 at 7:50 amFrom the Fresno Bee’s News Blog:
“I wrote that a possible cancer-causing chemical found in Valley drinking water could not be detected well enough to be regulated by the state.
A lawyer who is involved in the lawsuits against the manufacturers of the chemical says it can be accurately detected. His clients — water companies — can do it, he says.
So I asked the California Department of Public Health again about any advanced methods of monitoring the chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane or TCP — which has been found in the water of Clovis, Fresno and many other cities. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee News Blog by clicking here.
Desert Sun editorial: If our water is tainted, it must be cleaned up
Posted by: Maven on February 24, 2012 at 7:49 amFrom MyDesert.com (The Desert Sun), this editorial:
“All Americans should be able to take a drink of water without worrying about a health risk. Especially in our warm desert, hydration is important.
So it was shocking to read The Desert Sun investigation that found levels of hexavalent chromium in our drinking water were 150 to 1,000 times above the California public health goal.
Hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing heavy metal also known as chromium-6, was made famous by health activist Erin Brockovich. Her investigation of groundwater contamination in the high desert community of Hinkley was portrayed by Julia Roberts in an Academy Award-winning performance in 2000. … “
Continue reading this editorial from the Desert Sun by clicking here.
Commentary: Not a drop to drink: Inside California’s water crisis
Posted by: Maven on February 23, 2012 at 8:01 amFrom the California Progress Report:
“When Josie Nieto visits her relatives in Mexicali, Mexico, she luxuriates in long showers. And when she's thirsty, she enjoys a glass of water straight from the kitchen tap. At Nieto's own house, the water pressure is so low it can take her 45 minutes to shower and shampoo. And sometimes there's no water at all, which is why some of her neighbors hoard water in buckets. It's fine for laundry and houseplants, but Nieto isn't keen on drinking the stuff. The main pipe of her community water system runs straight down the middle of an irrigation ditch. “I've seen dead animals in there,” Nieto says.
The plastic water pipe itself suffers frequent breaks, which can allow contaminants to seep into the system. Washer screens on fixtures routinely trap sand and flecks of rust; a neighbor without a screen once drew from his tap a tall glass of polliwogs. In response to bacterial spikes, the water-system operator sends out boil-water notices, but boiling when nitrate levels rise would only concentrate the tasteless, odorless compound. So frequent are these alternating messages that Nieto neither drinks nor cooks with her tap water.
Curiously, Nieto doesn't live in Mexico or in any other developing nation that routinely struggles with water quality and quantity. She lives on the eastern side of one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, the flat-bottomed bowl of California's San Joaquin Valley. … “
Continue reading from the California Progress Report by clicking here.
Water tainted with chromium-6 in desert cities, explained
Posted by: Maven on February 23, 2012 at 7:16 amFrom KCET:
“According to a study of utility test results undertaken by the Coachella Valley newspaper the Desert Sun, tap water in Valley cities contains the known human carcinogen hexavalent chromium in concentrations that far exceed maximum levels proposed by the State of California.
Hexavalent chromium, also called Chromium-6, is a highly oxidized form of the metallic element in which the atoms are “missing” six electrons. Known to cause cancer if inhaled over long periods, the health effects of ingesting Chromium-6 in drinking water are less well established, but studies have suggested links to both lung and stomach cancers.
The proposed California drinking water standard is .02 micrograms of Chromium-6 per liter of drinking water, or .02 parts per billion (ppb). The federal limit on chromium in drinking water is 100 ppb, but Federal standards on chromium in drinking water do not distinguish among valences of the element — thus combining any hexavalent chromium found with the more common Chromium-3, a less-oxidized, more benign form of the element that’s actually a vital nutrient. California’s overall limit on chromium in drinking water is 50 ppb. … “
Continue reading from the KCET by clicking here.
UC Merced’s next-generation water fountains help in elimination of waste
Posted by: Maven on February 17, 2012 at 7:24 amFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“Less plastic and more sustainability.
That’s what a group of students — Engineers for a Sustainable World — and others at UC Merced want to see on campus.
The students were actively involved in getting a hydration station installed on campus. The station, which dispenses chilled water into reusable bottles, was installed last April inside the Kolligian Library. The purpose was to reduce the number of plastic water bottles on campus.
“It’s very interesting,” said Stephen Ho, a senior at UC Merced. “It tells us the number of (plastic) bottles it replaces.” … “
Continue reading from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
Fresno Bee News Blog: TCP in Valley drinking water: Story just gets scarier
Posted by: Maven on February 14, 2012 at 8:41 amFrom the Fresno Bee’s News Blog:
“Did I get your attention Saturday with the story about the cancer-causing chemical found in Clovis drinking water wells and others around the San Joaquin Valley I got phone calls and email.
People are telling me the California Department of Public Health needs to move faster and regulate this chemical — 1,2,3-trichloropropane. Call it TCP when you call your local lawmakers.
There’s no denying this is a scary chemical. TCP was in a farm fumigant that has not been applied in 30 years. Yet the chemical is still quite dangerous.
Five parts per trillion gets the attention of the public health department. That’s like five drops of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
But this story gets much scarier. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee News Blog by clicking here.
Dry cleaning solvent is likely carcinogen, EPA concludes in first update since 1988
Posted by: Maven on February 14, 2012 at 8:27 amFrom Bloomberg BNA:
“The Environmental Protection Agency formally concluded Feb. 10 that a widely used dry cleaning solvent is a likely human carcinogen, paving the way for the agency to reconsider drinking water and other standards for the chemical.
The agency released its final assessment of perchloroethylene, or perc (CAS No. 127-18-4). That assessment had not been updated since 1988.
The agency’s decision to classify perc as a likely human carcinogen is consistent with its finding in 2008, when it released a draft assessment of perchloroethylene (32 CRR 641, 6/30/08)
The National Academies also supported that classification in a 2010 report. … “
Continue reading from Bloomberg BNA by clicking here.
Water quality boards seek to manage nitrate contamination
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 8:30 amFrom the California Watch:
“It started in 2001 and mostly affected the very young and very old. Peoples' hair would fall out, their skin would break out in rashes and their eyes would turn red after showers.
“That was how people were hurt on the outside,\” said Horacio Amezquita, manager of the San Jerardo Cooperative, which houses about 250 low-income people in Salinas. “On the inside, we don't know.
Amezquita, a former farm worker, has lived at the cooperative for 33 years. Many of the residents work on nearby farms that use nitrogen-based fertilizers to help crops grow.
But the fertilizers that keep these farms in business leach into the soil and drinking water. … “
Continue reading from California Watch by clicking here.
California Dental Association pulls funding to fluoridate Watsonville’s water
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 7:29 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“Fluoride won’t be flowing from city taps — at least not in the foreseeable future.
Thursday, the California Dental Association Foundation announced it would not pay to install a water fluoridation system as the price tag escalated well beyond original estimates.
That effectively ended a decade of often bitter debate over the project aimed at improving the community’s oral health, though backers vow to continue the effort.
“I believe this eliminates the city of Watsonville from being forced to fluoridate city water,” said Councilman Daniel Dodge. “It’s dead.” … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Commentary: Ensuring clean water for the future
Posted by: Maven on January 29, 2012 at 8:44 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal, this commentary by Maria Gutzeit, president of the Newhall County Water District:
“How often do you think about your tap water If you are like most of us in the Santa Clarita Valley, it's not often. Recent polls suggest that since California's drought ended, public interest in conservation and other water matters has dropped significantly.
To some, complacency or apathy about tap water suggests public utilities are doing a good job at delivering a clean, reliable and affordable resource to your homes and businesses. To others, such as me and others in the water sector, the value of tap water needs to be in the forefront of everyone's minds. … “
Continue reading this commentary at the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
Efforts to bring clean water to Tulare County
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 7:23 amFrom KFSN:
“The effort to bring healthy water to Valley towns moved forward Wednesday after federal officials heard directly from residents about the ongoing problem.
Members of the Environmental Protection Agency toured parts of the Valley, in hopes of getting a closer look at just how bad people’s drinking water is.
The water coming out of the faucet may look clean, but Seville resident Rebecca Quintana says it’s filled with unhealthy levels of nitrates and bacteria.
Rebecca Quintana said, “We don’t have that luxury of just turning on the water and being able to drink or cook.” … “
Continue reading from KFSN by clicking here, or watch the newscast below.
Nuclear power plants threaten drinking water for 2.3 million Californians
Posted by: Maven on January 25, 2012 at 7:49 amFrom YubaNet.com:
“The drinking water for 2.3 million people in California could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by the California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and Environment California Research and Policy Center.
“The danger of nuclear power is too close to home. Here in California, the drinking water for 2.3 million people is too close to an active nuclear power plant,” said Emily Rusch, CALPIRG Education Fund State Director. “An accident or a leak could spew cancer-causing radioactive waste into our drinking water.”
The nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan last year drew a spotlight on the many risks associated with nuclear power. After the disaster, airborne radiation left areas around the plant uninhabitable, and even contaminated drinking water sources near Tokyo, 130 miles from the plant. … “
Continue reading from YubaNet.com by clicking here.
Nitrogen pollution impacts & solutions: Report highlights new research and offers solutions for a nitrogen-soaked world
Posted by: Maven on January 22, 2012 at 7:31 amFrom Medical News Today:
“The nitrogen cycle has been profoundly altered by human activities, and that in turn is affecting human health, air and water quality, and biodiversity in the U.S., according to a multi-disciplinary team of scientists writing in the 15th publication of the Ecological Society of America’s Issues in Ecology. In “Excess Nitrogen in the U.S. Environment: Trends, Risks, and Solutions,” lead author Eric Davidson (Woods Hole Research Center) and 15 colleagues from universities, government, and the private sector review the major sources of reactive nitrogen in the U.S., resulting effects on health and the environment, and potential solutions.
Nitrogen is both an essential nutrient and a pollutant, a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion and a fertilizer that feeds billions, a benefit and a hazard, depending on form, location, and quantity. … “
Continue reading from Medical News Today by clicking here.
Barstow: Perchlorate cleanup to begin as early as February
Posted by: Maven on January 9, 2012 at 6:31 amFrom the Victorville Daily Press:
“Environmental Protection Agency officials say they are strategizing with local officials to organize the cleanup of soil contaminated with perchlorate said to be the root cause of water contamination discovered in 2010.
The cleanup could start as early as February, depending on which strategies are determined to be most effective, according to William Duncan III of the EPA. The EPA will be discussing the cleanup with the Barstow City Council and Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. … “
Continue reading from the Victorville Daily Press by clicking here.
Perchlorate cleanup could begin as early as February
Posted by: Maven on January 6, 2012 at 7:25 amFrom the Desert Dispatch:
“Environmental Protection Agency officials say they are strategizing with local officials to organize cleanup of soil contaminated with perchlorate said to be the root cause of water contamination discovered in 2010.
According to William Duncan III with the EPA, the cleanup could start as early as February depending on what strategies are determined to be most effective. The EPA will be discussing the cleanup with area agencies, including the Barstow City Council and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. … “
Continue reading from the Desert Dispatch by clicking here.
Safe drinking water is a holiday wish for some California communities
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2011 at 8:03 amFrom the Public News Service:
“Safe drinking water is at the top of the holiday wish list for some Californians. For years, residents of Seville and other San Joaquin Valley communities have been forced to buy bottled water because their tap water is polluted with nitrate – a clear, odorless compound that has been linked to cancer. Juliette de Campos, policy advocate with the Community Water Center (CWC) says residents are spending more than 10 percent of their income on bottled drinking water, as well as paying their monthly water bill. … “
Continue reading from the Public News Service by clicking here.
Eastern Municipal passes higher costs to customers
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2011 at 7:00 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“Most typical residential customers of Eastern Municipal Water District will see about a $2 a month increase in their water bills to be sent out in February for their January water use.
The district staved off the rate hike until now by containing higher costs in the past two years by turning to other sources to cover supply costs. … “
Continue reading from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
Costs mount for Glendale’s ongoing inquiry into chromium 6
Posted by: Maven on December 20, 2011 at 7:08 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“The costs keep piling up as a project to study chromium 6 removal becomes a bigger expense than expected for Glendale, which has been trudging through nine years of research to strip the cancer-causing contaminant from groundwater.
Although the City Council last week approved spending an additional $400,000 to continue research at two testing facilities just two months after the council gave the green light to spend $550,000 in grant and state funding on more research some city officials are getting antsy.
“This has been going on for a number of years,” said Councilman Rafi Manoukian. “I want to get this thing done and over with.” … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Water boards attempt to manage state-wide nitrate problem
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 9:07 amFrom HealthyCal.org:
“It started in 2001, and mostly affected the very young and the very old. Peoples' hair would fall out, their skin would break out in rashes and their eyes would turn red after showers.
“That was how people were hurt on the outside,\” said Horacio Amezquita, manager of the San Jerardo Cooperative. “On the inside, we don't know.
Amezquita, a former farm worker, lives at the cooperative, which houses about 250 low-income people. Many of the residents work on nearby farms that use nitrogen-based fertilizers to help crops grow.
But the very fertilizers that keep these farms in business leach into the soil and into the drinking water. … “
Continue reading from HealthyCal.org by clicking here.
Hinkley’s plume of contamination appears to be migrating northward at a much faster rate
Posted by: Maven on December 14, 2011 at 7:23 amFrom the San Bernardino Sun:
“The plume of chromium 6 contamination in this unincorporated community eight miles west of Barstow has leaped a mile in a year, according to maps released by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Traditionally the plume has migrated about a foot per day, said Lisa Dernbach, senior engineering geologist with the water board.
“We surprised by the movement of the plume in the last last year,” Dernbach said during a question and answer session following a town meeting hosted by the water board at Hinkley Elementary School late last week. … “
Continue reading from the San Bernardino Sun by clicking here.
Water-quality standards unfairly burden rural communities
Posted by: Maven on December 12, 2011 at 8:26 amFrom the High Country News:
“When Clarence Aragon began managing the half-century-old Mora Mutual Water and Sewer Association 12 years ago, he thought he was helping the environment. Hundreds of households around Mora, N.M. — a small river-valley community on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains — flush wastewater through subpar septic systems, sending trickles of variably treated sewage into a shallow aquifer and eventually to the Mora River. But Aragon’s 1,000 or so subscribers employ one of rural New Mexico’s few treatment plants, a system of lagoons that oxygenate the water while special bacteria digest harmful sludge.
The system isn’t perfect, Aragon admits: The lagoons need repairs, and even when they’re working properly, they weren’t designed to reduce algae-fueling nutrients — nitrogen and phosphorous — enough to meet up-to-date water-quality standards. But building a treatment plant to meet those standards, which originated in a 1997 environmentalist lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, would cost around $7 million.
“This is a community with zero economy and 25 percent unemployment,” Aragon says. “Even if someone were to write me a check for (that system), we couldn’t afford to run it.” … “
Continue reading from the High Country News by clicking here.
Analysis: U.S. Congress attacks drinking water
Posted by: Maven on December 9, 2011 at 7:56 amFrom the Environment News Service:
“This year, residents of Midland, Texas sued Dow Chemical for dangerous levels of hexavalent chromium in their drinking water. Chromium-6 is a cancer-causing chemical made infamous by Julia Roberts’ film, “Erin Brockovich.” There are currently no drinking water standards for chromium-6, and the chemical industry is delaying a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assessment labeling it a potent carcinogen.
This is far from an isolated scenario, threats to the public drinking water supply are national in scope. From the 1950s to the 1980s, trichloroethylene, a carcinogenic metal degreaser, lurked, undetected, in the drinking water at North Carolina’s Fort Lejeune – affecting up to one million marines and their families.
California’s San Joaquin River and San Francisco Bay Delta are contaminated with selenium and mercury. … “
Continue reading from the Environment News Service by clicking here.
Los Angeles County study: Bottled water is safe
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 7:27 amFrom the Santa Clarita Signal:
“Contrary to concerns raised last summer about the standards for bottled drinking water sold in Los Angeles County, scientists told county supervisors Tuesday that the water is safe to drink.
Still, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who raised the initial concern, accepted the report from the Environmental Toxicology Bureau of Los Angeles County’s Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures with conditions: Quarterly reports must be made, including Health Department findings and actions taken to address water quality issues. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Clarita Signal by clicking here.
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