Sludge Watch ==> Probe Needed : Teflon Chemical in Drinking Water (and sludge)

Maureen Reilly maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca
Sun Jun 18 09:51:47 EDT 2006

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AmeriScan: June 16, 2006

a.. Steelworkers, Enviros Urge Probe of Teflon Chemical in Drinking Water

b.. American Red Cross Benefits from Hurricane Bets on WagerWeb.com

c.. Snake River Hatchery Funded, But Dams Still Block Salmon Recovery

d.. Clean Diesel Expected to Improve Southern California Air

e.. Child Pesticide Study Funded at University of Washington

f.. New York State Buys Former Homestead of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay

g.. Nutrients in Stormwater Feed Toxic Algae in Lakes

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Steelworkers, Enviros Urge Probe of Teflon Chemical in Drinking Water

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, June 16, 2006 (ENS) - Samples of tap water from two homes, the public library, and a local business in Parlin, New Jersey were found to contain trace levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used to make Teflon and other products. PFOS, a related perfluorochemical, was found in tap water and stream samples.
Representatives of the United Steelworkers Union (USW) took the samples in May as part of its ongoing investigation into PFOA contaminated sites around the country.

The union believes the PFOA emissions are from the DuPont Company's Parlin plant where PFOA was used in the manufacturing process. The USW has discovered elevated levels of PFOA in the blood of its members and other workers at DuPont plants.

The USW is calling on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a full investigation at the site in Parlin, including the monitoring of groundwater and wastewater discharges.

State investigators with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality have informed the USW and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club that a channel pouring contaminated water into the James River from DuPont's wastewater discharge area probably originated from groundwater seeping to the surface from near the company's wastewater basin.

In their June 12 letter to the EPA and VDEQ, the USW and Sierra Club criticized DuPont's plan for a voluntary investigation as "inadequate" and "designed to delay." The groups also expressed disappointment over the agencies' failure to analyze their own samples for PFOA contamination.

DuPont admits that it has known about the channel for years, but has never analyzed it for PFOA.

"They can't find what they don't look for," said Joe Drexler of the USW Strategic Campaigns Department. "Clearly, DuPont cannot be trusted to clean up its act, and the public needs regulation and not voluntarism."

PFOA was labeled a likely human carcinogen by EPA's Science Advisory Board in January 2006. In April, a lawsuit was filed against DuPont due to PFOA contamination from its plant in Deepwater, New Jersey.

Sampling conducted jointly and independently by the USW, the Sierra Club, and the Riverkeepers has uncovered PFOA surface water and/or drinking water contamination in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, and Deepwater.

PFOA contamination has also been confirmed in Circleville, Ohio and Parkersburg, West Virginia.

In January, the EPA called on DuPont to work toward eliminating PFOA from its products. However, DuPont only agreed to reduce emissions, and, in some cases, the amount of perfluorochemicals in products. DuPont is now the only U.S. manufacturer of PFOA and has resisted calls for the company to stop manufacturing the chemical.

"The discovery of contamination in Parlin is further evidence of DuPont's failure to keep this chemical out of the environment," said Gerald Fernandez, director of USW Strategic Campaign.

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Nutrients in Stormwater Feed Toxic Algae in Lakes

OLYMPIA, Washington, June 16, 2006 (ENS) - Following the deaths of two dogs after drinking from Anderson Lake in the Chimacum area of Jefferson County, the Department of Ecology is warning Washington residents to watch for toxic algae in the state's lakes.

The two dogs died after drinking lake water tainted with blue-green algae, according to Jefferson County health officials. Toxic blooms can occur in lakes and ponds nationwide.

"Unfortunately, as our lakes are developed and age, they are more prone to blue-green algae blooms," said Kathy Hamel, an aquatic weed specialist at Ecology. "While not all blooms turn toxic, many of them have the ability to do so and it can happen in a heartbeat."

Residents who live near lakes can help minimize algae growth by avoiding the use of lawn and garden fertilizers. Watering and rain can wash fertilizers out of the yard and garden and into the lake, which can cause nutrients to build up in the water.

Careless discarding of lawn clippings and yard debris near the lake will also cause excess nutrients to pollute the lake, agency officials said.

Blue-green algae, or Cyanobacteria, typically occur in lakes rich with nutrients like phosphate. The algae can multiply rapidly to form extensive blooms that can accumulate near shore as a thin bright green surface scum.

When a bloom dies, the water surface may become colored with a mixture of bright blue and white material, often mistaken for a paint spill. Some blue-green algae blooms may contribute to potential health and water quality problems.

Thread-like green algae is different from blue-green algae and is harmless, though some lake residents consider it to be a nuisance. Thread-like green algae feels slimy when handled and can be raked, while blue-green algae cannot be raked out of the water.

People should keep their pets and children out of the water when they see algae scum on the water's surface, Department of Ecology officials advise. While blue-green algae is most dangerous to pets, people can suffer health effects including intestinal discomfort or skin problems.

Anyone with concerns about a possible blue-green algae bloom in a lake should contact the local county health department.

Shoreline landscaping can have a major impact on swimming, boating and fishing in lakes. Toxins from stormwater runoff, pesticides and fertilizers can lower water quality, trigger algal blooms, kill fish and cause excess weed growth, Ecology officials point out.

A new website offered by the Department of Ecology gives pointers on creating "lake friendly" landscaping that reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers, helps filter harmful contaminants out of runoff before they pollute your lake, and helps control erosion.

On the website, Mary Jo Buza, of Thurston County Community and Environmental Programs suggests leaving some native vegetation along the shoreline instead of replacing it all with landscaping. If native vegetation is gone, Buza advises replanting native species of trees, shrubs and ground cover.

Native plants require fewer pesticides and fertilizers, and once established, need less water than exotic ornamental varieties, Buza says. Buffer areas created with native plants act as a natural filter system, trapping nutrients from stormwater runoff before they enter a lake. She suggests that lawn clippings and yard debris should be disposed of well away from lakes or nearby streams and wetlands.

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