CDP: Waterways Clips: October 20, 2022
Drought Bill Would Tax Ariz. Water Used By Saudi Cows. According to Politico, “Saudi Arabian dairy cows reliant on green alfalfa grown in Arizona might spit out their cud when they see the new tax bill proposed by Democratic Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raúl Grijalva. In a bid to curb groundwater pumping in the drought-stricken state, the Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation that would impose a 300 percent excise tax on water-intensive crops grown in areas experiencing at least 6-months of drought and shipped overseas.” [Politico, 10/19/22 (=)]
Worker Admits Dumping Raw Waste Into Jackson Water System. According to Politico, “An employee of a Mississippi wastewater hauling company pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday for his part in illegally discharging industrial waste into the capital city's sewer system. William Roberts, an employee of Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services, admitted to supervising the improper disposal of industrial waste at a commercial entity in Jackson. As a result of Roberts' negligence, the waste was trucked and hauled to a facility that was not a legal discharge point designated to receive the waste, federal prosecutors said.” [Politico, 10/19/22 (=)]
We Need 50 More Years Of The Clean Water Act. According to Scientific America, “When a blaze ignited Ohio’s Cuyahoga River on June 22, 1969, it wasn’t the first—or worst—time the notoriously filthy waterway had caught fire. But national media outlets seized on it as a stark example of the abysmal state of the nation’s waters after decades of unchecked industrial and sewage pollution. Coming at a time of growing public concern over the environment, the fire was one of many issues that spurred Congress to pass ambitious and bipartisan landmark legislation. In the 50 years since the Clean Water Act (CWA) became law, the health of U.S. rivers, lakes and streams has improved. On the Cuyahoga, insects, fish and birds that are sensitive to pollution have returned, as have kayakers and recreational fishers.” [Scientific America, 10/19/22 (=)]
Lobbying Over WOTUS Rewrite Ramps Up. According to Politico, “Lobbies for farmers, miners, homebuilders, golf course managers and a slew of other powerful interests are trying to sway the White House in hopes of shaping a controversial Clean Water Act rule. At issue is EPA’s “waters of the U.S.” or WOTUS, rule, which will determine the regulatory fate of wetlands and waterways across the nation. The upcoming rule is the latest chapter of a decades long saga that has involved shifting regulations, lawsuits and intense lobbying among developers, environmental groups and the agricultural sector.” [Politico, 10/19/22 (=)]
Lack Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Testing Could Be Leaving Most Victims In The Dark. According to The Hill, “Sandy Wynn-Stelt had thought her Michigan home was across the street from a Christmas tree farm, but she said in a lawsuit settled earlier this year that it was actually a toxic dump that contaminated her water. In 2017, the state’s Department of Environmental Quality came to Wynn-Stelt’s house to test her water, a test she believed at the time to be random. The test, however, turned up high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals” because they tend to linger in the environment and human bodies instead of breaking down. The class of chemicals, of which there are thousands, have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, as well as thyroid disease.” [The Hill, 10/19/22 (=)]
Ohio River Has An Alarming Increase Of Small Plastic ‘Nurdles’ According To Researchers. According to WTRF, “A regular monitoring of water quality and floating plastics in the Ohio River in Beaver County revealed a major surge in the small plastic pellets known as nurdles, and a change in their appearance, according to researchers A nurdle is a very small pellet of plastic that serves as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products. Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) and Three Rivers Waterkeeper (3RWK) say they have conducted the “nurdle patrol” since it was established in 2020 to document the amount of nurdles in our waterways prior to when the Ethylene Shell Cracker Plant in Beaver County begins producing nurdles.” [WTRF, 10/19/22 (=)]
EPA Agrees To GAO Call To Bolster EJ Analysis Of PFAS Contamination. According to Inside EPA, “EPA is agreeing to calls from Congress’ investigators to use data on dozens of PFAS that utilities will begin reporting next year to assess the environmental justice (EJ) impacts of the chemicals, a move that will bolster pending EPA analysis and help state and federal regulators “ensure adequate protection from PFAS in disadvantaged communities.” “The EPA Administrator should conduct a nationwide analysis using comprehensive data--such as the forthcoming fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule data [UCMR5] --to determine the demographic characteristics of communities with [per- polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)] in their drinking water,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released Oct. 19.” [Inside EPA, 10/19/22 (=)]
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