USA military contaminated drinking water news:

High level of cancer-causing agent found at Fort Detrick in Frederick.

Thursday, July 19, 2012 / byKatherine Heerbrandt, Staff Writer

Water flowing into Carroll Creek is less contaminated:

Water testing in and around Fort Detrick in Frederick has revealed levels of a cancer-causing agent 3,000 times federal safe drinking-water standards, a consultant hired by the U.S. Army said Wednesday night.

The discovery was made by Arcadis, a consultant hired to test groundwater contamination on the base as part of cleanup efforts mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009.

“The good news is we’re honing in on the problem,” said John Cherry of Arcadis, who presented the preliminary findings to the Restoration Advisory Board at the Hampton Inn in Frederick. “The bad news is there’s a problem.”

The consultants identified tetracholoroethene, or PCE, trichloroethene, or TCE, and chloroform as having the highest levels of concentration in and around Area B.

PCE was found in the highest concentrations, at 3,000 times the EPA’s safe drinking-water standards. EPA lists PCE’s maximum safe-contaminant level at 0.005 micrograms per liter, or five parts per billion. Arcadis found PCE at 14,000 to 15,000 parts per billion.

Area B, a 399-acre site, was previously used as a dumping ground for solvents and other biological waste.

The highest concentrations of PCE, used commonly as a dry-cleaning solvent, were found on the border of Area B. PCE, TCE and chloroform were all found in shallow groundwater and surface water outside of the base along Carroll Creek, but at lower levels.

The consultant found no contamination in private wells.

“Is it higher than anyone wants it to be? Yes,” said Cherry. “But no one’s drinking the water.”

Residents along Area B have been connected to Frederick city water and provided with bottled water for more than a decade.

Arcadis drilled 29 new wells up to 325 feet deep, sampled 13,000 feet of stream bed and identified 58 spring and surface water locations to sample. The drilling and sampling identified a portion of Area B, once used as a dumping ground, as the principal source of groundwater contamination.

Arcadis plans to study water flow, and further assess the extent of the contamination, including a wider range of chemicals in the fall.

The Restoration Advisory Board is an oversight group composed of members of the community, Army officials and regulators established by the military post to keep the public informed of its environmental cleanup efforts.

kheerbrandt@gazette.net

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Canada water contamination news: Lake Huron – Impact of diesel spill on water, environment: ‘Time will tell’

Published: Monday, July 23, 2012/ By Jim Bloch / Voice Reporter

Lt. Justin Westmiller, of Marysville, public affairs officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, with a section of absorbent boom used to collect spill product. Containment booms, on the other hand, are generally yellow and much thicker; they’re used to keep a spill corralled.

How will Thursday’s diesel fuel spill into lower Lake Huron impact drinking water and the environment? The bad news is that diesel fuel is one of the most toxic forms of oil to marine life. The good news is that it evaporates quickly and is relatively easily dispersed in open water.

That’s the word from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in a fact sheet on small diesel spills – 500-5,000 gallons – into natural water systems.

When the dredge barge Arthur J and the tug Madison capsized in Lake Huron, about two miles east of Lakeport State Park in rough water in the pre-dawn hours of July 19, the barge carried between 1,500-2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Lt. Justin Westmiller, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, did not want to classify the severity of the spill.

“At this point, we’re working on determining how much product made it into the water,” Westmiller said on Friday. He said it would be a couple of days before the amount of the release is known. Marine Pollution Control of Detroit, hired by the owner of the downed craft, MCM Marine of Sault Ste, arrived on the scene late Thursday. Divers from the company managed to the shut the remaining vents and all the valves on the Arthur J.

“We believe the leak is secure,” Westmiller said. “We’re continually assessing that. The situation is fluid out there.”

“Diesel fuel is light and volatile,” said Patty Troy, who runs the laboratory for the Port Huron Wastewater Treatment Plant and is the U.S. co-chair of the Binational Public Advisory Committee on the St. Clair River Area of Concern, charged with working to clean up the river. “It should dissipate without much action. Time will tell.”

“Two days ago, with 100 degree temperatures and the sun out, it would have dissipated quickly,” said Jeff Friedland, director of St. Clair County Emergency Management. The cleanup is occurring on a number of levels. One of the functions of the county hazmat team, Friedland explained, was decontaminating boats, personal floatation devices and other equipment exposed to the diesel fuel. Westmiller expected Marine Pollution Control to be on the scene until the salvage operation is complete.

By Thursday evening, the sheen of diesel fuel had expanded to a mile by two miles and reached the beach at the day use area of Lakeport State Park.

“We did have some diesel fuel sheening come ashore, but no heavy product,” said Westmiller. “That’s an important distinction. Sheen is normally unrecoverable.”

In other words, absorbent booms and other techniques would be unable to collect it. As of Friday morning, the public beaches at Metcalf Road, Fort Gratiot County Park and the beach at the day use area of Lakeport State Park, all on Lake Huron, were closed, said Kristine Morris, public information officer for St. Clair County. All other public beaches on the lake and the St. Clair River were open – with the exception of Chrysler Beach in Marysville, which the county health department closed at 4:30 p.m. on July 19 due to high e coli counts, unrelated to the diesel spill.

“Diesel oil is not very sticky or viscous, compared to black oils,” the NOAA fact sheet stated. “When small spills do strand on the shoreline, the oil tends to penetrate porous sediments quickly, but also to be washed off by waves and tidal flushing. Thus, shoreline cleanup is usually not needed. Diesel oil is readily and completely degraded by naturally occurring microbes, under timeframes of one to two months.”

NOAA reported that fish, invertebrates and seaweed can die if they come into contact with diesel. But because of the rapid dilution of small diesel spills in open water, no fish kills have ever been reported.

Why did the boats sink?

“It’s all under investigation,” said Westmiller, adding that it would probably be months before a final conclusion is reached.

“A lot of this is still unfolding,” said Troy. “As of (Thursday) afternoon, the water intake in Lambton, Ontario, remained closed. I’m confident that the water system was safe. All of the water plants were notified and all of the plants have many hours of capacity – they can shut down their intakes and still serve their customers for many hours. The fortunate thing was that officials learned of the spill and could respond to it before something bad happened. I’m grateful for that.”

Jim Bloch is a freelance writer. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.

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Canada / USA Fresh water news: State says Lake Ontario safe after brief rise in bacteria.

By GORDON BLOCK & JAEGUN LEE / TIMES STAFF WRITERS / 23/07/2012
HENDERSON — State officials say waters near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario are safe to swim in after water quality tests last week showed a brief increase in bacteria.

Peter M. Constantakes, a state Department of Health spokesman, said the increase was found as a part of routine sampling last week. He attributed the brief spike to hot weather, stagnant waters and area bird droppings.

A follow-up test of affected areas showed that the water quality had returned to safe levels.

“It doesn’t look like something that would be a long-term problem,” Mr. Constantakes said.

He explained that while high bacteria levels aren’t common, they can come up in the summer months.

“That’s why we do continual testing,” Mr. Constantakes said.

Kevin A. Kieff, regional director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said there was one high bacteria reading in water samples last week at Westcott Beach. A second testing determined the beach to be safe.

“The testing did not reveal problems at Westcott,” he said, adding that the state parks crew conducts site-specific tests at its beaches every week to make sure the water is not contaminated.

Save the River, a Clayton-based environmental group which conducts its own weekly tests of public beaches, also confirmed that area swimming waters seemed to be safe as of July 16.

“In the past three weeks E. coli has been minimal and there has not been any reason for concern,” the group said in its most recent report.

Even Wilson Bay, which for years was plagued by high bacteria counts, passed Save the River’s water tests.

Every year, the nonprofit organizes a group of volunteers to monitor area beaches — including Wilson Bay, Frink Dock in Clayton, Potter’s Beach on Grindstone Island, Round Island, Lake of the Isles near Wellesley Island and Scenic View Park in Alexandria Bay.

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Drinking water pollution news:

Ohio begins testing of arsenic levels in drinking water.

Press release date: July 18, 2012

ITS supports the state’s new initiative and urges all private well owners to regularly test their water.

Rock Hill, South Carolina – The state of Ohio is determining regions with elevated Arsenic levels in groundwater by collecting water samples from homes and public water systems. State health officials are using workshops to educate the public about the dangers of ingesting Arsenic and offering tests for Arsenic confirmation in well water. The USEPA regulates public water systems but it does not have the authority to regulate private drinking water wells. Some state and local governments have rules to protect these supplies; ultimately private owners are responsible for the safety and maintenance of their drinking water.

Arsenic is an element that occurs naturally in soil in many parts of the world that leaks into groundwater. Long-term exposure to the inorganic forms causes multiple health issues. Inorganic arsenic is toxic and carcinogenic (cancer causing) that harms the central and peripheral nervous systems. It can also cause birth defects and reproductive problems. It is also a hazardous byproduct of copper smelting, mining and coal burning. Arsenic has no smell, taste, or color when dissolved in water, even in high concentrations. Frequent water testing is imperative to verify its presence and concentration.

ITS has developed smaller versions of the popular USEPA/ETV verified Quick(TM) Arsenic Test Kits to help private well owners test the presence of inorganic arsenic (As +3 / As +5) quickly without waiting for lab results. These 5-kits provide accurate results at affordable prices and require no technical expertise. Testing can be done in less than 15 minutes at home using our safe patented chemistry.

Order now and receive a 10% off discount on Quick(TM) Arsenic Test Kits through August 31. Call 1-800-861-9712 ext. 1 or online www.arsenickits.com. Use coupon code “Ohio” on the web order checkout screen.

For more information contact:
Mike McBride
803.329.9712
mmcbride@sensafe.com

About Industrial Test Systems, Inc.:
Industrial Test Systems, Inc., (ITS) established in 1989, is a leading manufacturer of instruments and chemistries designed to test water quality parameters. ITS services industries such as municipal water treatment, food & beverage, trucking & automotive, pond & aquarium, pool & spa, educational, and medical diagnostics. ITS developed over 70 tests and proprietary chemistries many covered by our U.S. Patents and ETV/USEPA performance verified tests. ITS developed the first and only USEPA approved test strip.

For additional information on ITS water quality testing products, visit http://www.sensafe.com or call 1-800-861-9712. Information about the Quick(TM) Inorganic Arsenic Test kits is online at www.arsenickits.com

Mike McBride
Marketing / I.T. / Social Media Manager

Industrial Test Systems, Inc. – Innovators of Water Quality Testing
1875 Langston Street | Rock Hill, SC 29730 | PH 803.329.9712
www.sensafe.com www.poolcheckonline.com www.sensafe.com/blog/

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EPA provides $950,000 to improve water quality using green infrastructure in 17 communities.

$50,000 each awarded to cities of Atlanta, Ga. and Beaufort, S.C.

(ATLANTA – July 24, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is providing $950,000 to help 17 communities expand green infrastructure use to improve water quality and protect people’s health and benefit communities. The City of Atlanta, Ga., and the City of Beaufort, S.C., were among those selected for funding, and each received $50,000 grants.

Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls, keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems and waterways in local communities. The EPA funding is intended to increase incorporation of green infrastructure into stormwater management programs, protect water quality, and provide community benefits including job creation and neighborhood revitalization.

“Effective stormwater management is one of the most widespread challenges to water quality in the nation,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “Polluted stormwater can be harmful to the health of our nation’s waterbodies. These funds will help expand the use of green infrastructure, revitalize local neighborhoods and help safeguard people’s health and the environment.”

EPA is awarding the funds to diverse communities across 16 states. Some communities – like Beaufort, South Carolina and Neosho, Missouri – are small towns in urban growth areas interested in preserving and protecting their healthy waterways. Others – such as Camden, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – are large cities interested in adding green infrastructure into their redevelopment projects to restore degraded urban waters and help revitalize their communities. The selected communities also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of green infrastructure across a range of climate zones.

Green infrastructure captures and filters pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining it on site. Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain gardens and rain harvesting systems. Communities are increasingly using green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for single-purpose “gray” infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters, and ponds. The “green” alternative is often less expensive than structural solutions, and can help reduce costs of flooding in neighborhoods receiving the benefits.

In April 2011, EPA renewed its commitment to green infrastructure with the release of the “Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters and Build More Livable Communities through Green Infrastructure.” The agenda identifies community partnerships as one of five key activities that EPA will pursue to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure and EPA announced partnerships with 10 “model communities”.

In February 2012, EPA announced the availability of $950,000 in technical assistance to a second set of partner communities to help overcome some of the most common barriers to green infrastructure. EPA received letters of interest from over 150 communities across the country.

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