Harmful banned pesticide slowly leaving the Great Lakes environment

January 24, 2012 by 2 Comments

By Brian Bienkowski, Great Lakes Echo

A long-banned pesticide remains in the Great Lakes environment but is on the decline, scientists say.

Toxaphene was a heavily used pesticide in the U.S. until people realized how toxic it was in 1982, the year it was banned in the Great Lakes region and most other places. It was banned nationally by 1990. Toxaphene mostly came to the Great Lakes on winds from the South where it was used heavily in agriculture.

The pesticide breaks down slowly and accumulates in the fatty tissues of fish and other wildlife, so it’s remained in the Great Lakes long afterwards.

However, slowly but surely, the contaminants are going away.

Purging the pollutants

Researchers examined toxaphene in the Great Lakes and found that between the mid-1970s and the mid-90s, concentrations in fish decreased rapidly. Since the mid-90s decreases have been slower, but the downward trend continues.  The study is in press at the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Researchers analyzed lake trout from every lake except Erie, where they used walleye, to determine toxaphene levels. Concentrations were highest in Lake Superior and lowest in Lake Erie.

The chart below shows toxaphene concentrations (in nanograms) in whole fish in 1977 (1980 for Lake Ontario) and the 2009 levels. (Data: Toxaphene trends in the Great Lakes fish)

Bigger, deeper, colder

Lake Superior has always had the highest concentrations.

“Lake Superior is bigger and colder, so when toxaphene came to the Great Lakes through the air, it was attracted to the lake,” said Thomas Holsen, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Clarkston University and co-author of the study.

While its size gives toxaphene a larger target, the cold water doesn’t release the chemicals as gases very quickly.

Holsen said toxaphene “cycles around the globe” so now that the Great Lakes are purging the chemicals, they’re heading elsewhere.

“In the Great Lakes, the out arrow is bigger than the in arrow right now,” Holsen said.

But since the chemicals are world travelers, those arrows can change direction quickly. AsEcho reported, after the official ban in 1990, the lake’s toxaphene levels continued to rise for a few years.

But, even in the biggest, coldest and deepest lake, the overall trend has been positive. From 1990 to 2009, toxaphene levels in Lake Superior’s lake trout have decreased approximately 86 percent.

There are no legal uses of toxaphene in the world, according to Holsen.  Eventually, the chemicals will break down.

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Natural Gas Drilling Disaster in PA, Thousands of Gallons of Fracking Fluid Spilled

April 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

Chesapeake Energy, Pennsylvania’s largest driller of natural gas, suspended fracking operations across the state Friday after a well blowout late Tuesday night in Bradford County, one year to the day after the BP Deepwater Horizon well disaster.

Thousands of gallons of fracking fluid leaked during the blowout from the ATGAS well, gushing past containment measures, over farmland and into local waterways. The leak has been slowed but not yet stopped as of Friday afternoon.

The drill sits on the Morse family farm in Canton, PA, and the entire surrounding community is farmland.

Local news station WNEP interviewed the farm’s owner and neighbors, excerpted below:

“The biggest thing is the footprint on the environment. Well obviously this is a big footprint,” said neighbor Ted Tomlinson. “It’s one of those things that happens. Gotta live with it, I guess.  Here to stay.”

Neighbors like him were asked to leave their homes as a precaution. Some did, and some did not.  “Our family’s been on this corner a long time and expect to stay and expect a good-faith effort from Chesapeake so that we can live here,” Tomlinson added.

His concern is for his drinking water well just several football fields away from the blown-out gas well.
 
“That’s typically everyone’s concern in the area, is well water,” Tomlinson added. We don’t want all that other stuff. We want to keep on drinking it.”

“It’s just one of those things,” said farm owner Randy Morse. He leased his property to Chesapeake. His beef cattle will no longer be able to drink from the brook that has been contaminated. Morse is broken up over the whole thing, hoping others don’t blame him. “As it looks right now, all the water that ran into that tributary did run into the creek, without adverse affects right now,” Morse said.

The exact cause of the accident is unknown, said Chesapeake Energy spokesman Brian Grove to the Associated Press.

It is as yet unclear as to whether or not the well be subject to a “top kill” operation to plug the well, but company plans do include the use of “a mix of plastic, ground up tires and heavy mud” to plug the well, according to Reuters.

According to their company website, Chesapeake Energy was “one of the first energy companies to call for disclosure of additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process,” and has provided details on a well-by-well basis as to the additives used in their fracking procedures.

Specific information is listed on www.hydraulicfracturingdisclosure.org for many of Chesapeake Energy’s wells, but the ATGAS well is not yet listed and neither is information on the fracking fluid leaking into the environment.

Read all WMEAC blog posts on fracking here.

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Toxic chemicals injected into wells during fracking

April 18, 2011 by

Walnut Shells and Toxins:  What’s being used in fracking operations?  

Ian Urbina of the The New York Times writes about the latest report on fracking.

The inquiry over fracking…  found that 14 of the nation’s most active hydraulic fracturing companies used 866 million gallons of hydraulic fracturing products — not including water. More than 650 of these products contained chemicals that are known or possible human carcinogens, regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, or are listed as hazardous air pollutants, the report said.

A request for comment from the American Petroleum Institute about the report received no reply.

While the exact mixture being pumped into our water supply is not quite clear, certain ingredients are becoming known. Some are surprising, like instant coffee. Others are troubling, like the carcinogen benzene. Those looking for answers about fracking solutions should be lauded, and we can only hope continued questioning leads to increased transparency and better regulations both nationally and in Michigan.

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WMEAC Position on High-Volume Horizontal Fracturing

March 31, 2011 by 2 Comments

High-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for natural gas may pose threats to groundwater, drinking water, and air quality.  WMEAC is not yet ready to support a permanent ban, but seeks increased transparency and regulation.

WMEAC and a coalition of environmental groups have identified fracking as one of our four major state-level priorities.  WMEAC is concerned that modern day high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing and it’s proprietary cocktail of chemical lubricants and solvents could be potentially harmful to groundwater and drinking water supplies. The practice also raises serious concerns about the large amounts of groundwater extraction, methods of wastewater (aka “produced water”) disposal/reuse, air emissions, and the impact of heavy equipment needed to transport very large volumes of wastewater, and drilling supplies through natural areas, small communities, and urban centers.

The issue has flared in Michigan in part because of a May 4, 2010 auction of public land mineral rights yielding $178 million — nearly as much as Michigan had earned in its past 81 years of state mineral auctions combined – coupled with a national natural gas boom, rising prices of fossil fuel substitutes, and an improving economy.

Already, there are reports of releases of radioactive wastewater into Pennsylvania streams and rivers, and we’re well aware of the variety of issues associated with all types of natural gas drilling documented in the Oscar nominated documentary Gasland.  Yet, Michigan has very different geology than Colorado, New York, Texas, and some of the other states having serious problems, and Michigan’s current regulatory regime is stronger than the states that have experienced the worst problems.

WMEAC and Environmental partners take action

Within the past year WMEAC joined environmental groups across the state sending a comprehensive and detailed letter expressing concerns about hydraulic fracturing to the Supervisor of Wells and ex-Director of DNRE, Rebecca Humphries.  The new administration has continued working with environmental groups.  Assistant Supervisor of Wells, Harold Fitch, and DEQ staff have thus far been responsive to concerns, and they are working closely with Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, WMEAC, and other environmental groups - going through our checklist of concerns one by one.  These issues have not been sufficiently addressed yet, and WMEAC will remain vigilant until they are.

Given that discussions between environmental groups, and state government have been fruitful thus far, and that Michigan is in a different position geologically, and has better regulations than other states, WMEAC is not yet ready to request a permanent moratorium on horizontal hydraulic fracturing.

Don’t Frack Michigan advocates for ban

There are groups in Michigan dedicated to banning fracking.   Don’t Frack Michigan is leading this charge, and WMEAC certainly supports the passion and intent of these groups in protecting Michigan’s priceless water resources.  WMEAC feels that the viability of such a position for making progress on the issue is not only unlikely, but may also prove counterproductive to actually achieving increased ground and surface water protections.  For this reason WMEAC and other environmental groups are currently working with Michigan regulators, the executive branch, and state legislators. 

New Developments could alter WMEAC approach

WMEAC, of course, maintains the right to alter its advocacy course as new science and information becomes available.  For example, the U.S. EPA has embarked on a major study due in 2012 to find more definitive answers to many of the outstanding scientific questions and documented issues concerning fracking.  A definitive statement by the EPA or significant results from this study would certainly influence WMEAC’s decision making on this issue and policy stance.  Likewise, a significant rush to drill by the oil and gas industry would also influence WMEAC’s approach.

Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy First!

Finally, despite WMEAC stopping short of calling for a fracking ban, it remains true that WMEAC always supports energy efficiency and energy optimization measures first, and seeks non fossil-fuel, clean energy production second.  Only when these options are technologically and economically exhausted should the conversation move to considering natural gas and other fossil fuels – and Michigan is nowhere near that point.

Contact WMEAC Policy Director Nicholas Occhipinti for more information and to take action on this issue.  nocchipinti@wmeac.org or 616.451.3051 x23.


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EPA Settles in Lawsuit, To Treat Invasive Species as “Living Pollution”

March 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

Greater restrictions will be placed on ship ballast water treatment, aiding in the fight against invasive species in the Great Lakes such as Asian Carp, according to a settlement reached last week in a 2009 lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The suit was filed against the federal agency by a coalition among Michigan, other Great Lakes states, and a dozen environmental groups.

Whole ecosystems are transported from one part of the world to another through the shipping industry’s current saltwater flushing process known as ‘swish and spit,’ said Thom Cmar, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the plaintiffs in the case. “Until this point, EPA’s permit has left an open door to new invasions from ballast water dumping,” he said. “This settlement should prompt EPA to treat ‘living pollution’ as aggressively as it would an oil spill or toxic release. With aquatic invasions occurring all over the country, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Great Lakes to San Francisco Bay, this action is long overdue.”

According to a March 8 press release by the State of Michigan, the settlement agreement outlines a process for the EPA to establish common protective standards for ballast water discharges to all United States waters. Key elements of the settlement agreement include:

  • Arranging for scientific reports, speeding up the time line for issuance of the next Vessel General Permit (VGP);
  • Facilitating regional communication for ballast water regulation; and,
  • Providing information on the development of the next VGP requirements.

“The Great Lakes define the state of Michigan,” said Gov. Rick Snyder (R) in the release. “But our waters are now home to more than 180 aquatic invaders, introduced and spread by unregulated ballast water. I urge the EPA to move swiftly on plans to offer a long-term protection strategy for the Great Lakes.”

“This agreement moves the EPA forward to more effective methods that will protect our Great Lakes and the jobs that depend upon them,” said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette in the statement.

The NRDC statement said:

Ballast water is the number one source for a rogue’s gallery of aquatic nuisances such as the so-called “fish Ebola,” the spiny water flea, and zebra and quagga mussels. These and other invasive species now sap the American economy of billions of dollars annually. After a long battle over how living pollution should be dealt with under the Clean Water Act, the settlement requires EPA to complete scientific reviews of the steps that ships should take to protect human health and the economy of communities on American coasts and in the Great Lakes.

[The settlement] resolves court challenges brought in 2009 by the conservation groups, who contended that EPA’s current Vessel General Permit does not adequately protect U.S. waters from invasive species. Before the Vessel General Permit was issued in 2008, EPA had allowed ships to dump ballast water and other pollution without Clean Water Act permits. Conservation groups first petitioned EPA in 1999 to begin regulating ship discharges under the Clean Water Act, eventually prevailing in federal court in California in 2005, a legal victory that helped set the stage for today’s settlement.

By requiring numeric limits on discharges of living pollution, the new permit should help to stem the rapid and broad movement of invasive species throughout American waters by forcing ships to adopt technologies to treat their ballast water. EPA has also agreed to require additional monitoring and reporting of vessels’ ballast water discharges in the new permit.

“The Great Lakes have been global ground zero for freshwater invasions for decades. U.S. EPA’s first cut at a permit didn’t even come close to stemming the onslaught. We’re heartened the agency appears to be getting serious about preventing new invasions before they happen,” said Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, another litigant in the lawsuit.

Under the settlement agreement, the EPA will study available ballast water treatment options and release its findings by May 31, 2011 and will issue new treatment requirements by November, 2012. The new policies will go into effect in December, 2013.

Image courtesy www.sxc.hu

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WMEAC Examines Fracking: “Gasland” Showing TONIGHT, March 23, 7-9pm

March 23, 2011 by 8 Comments

Tonight, join WMEAC as we examine an emerging threat to Michigan water resources from recent innovations in natural gas exploration with its screening of the award-winning documentary GASLAND. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.

Location: Celebration Cinema North, 2121 Celebration Dr NE, Grand Rapids, MI

Tickets are only $5 ($3 for WMEAC members), available at the door or in advance at the WMEAC office. Contact Daniel Schoonmaker at 616.451.3051 x28 or dschoonmaker@wmeac.org for more information.

Josh Fox’s GASLAND was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary and won top prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.  GASLAND details how the largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history is sweeping across the United States thanks to fracking, unlocking a Saudi Arabia of natural gas beneath American soil at a potentially devastating environmental cost.

View Gasland’s IMDB review here, or the trailer for tonight’s showing below:

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Wow. Coal Sure Kills A Lot of People

March 22, 2011 by

The above is a visualization of a data chart making the rounds of the interwebs this week in support of nuclear power. Gleaned primarily from World Health Organization data on workplace fatalities and air pollution (nothing on the impact of climate change), the data shows that nuclear energy kills far less people than other type of energy.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the world has taken some fairly significant steps to avoid nuclear disasters, the main reason there is so little nuclear power in place today.

Whatever your opinion on nuclear power, the big takeaway from this data is that coal kills tons more people than any alternative, clean energy or otherwise.   The below graph shows the comparison between deaths per terawatt hour and the percentage of world energy production per fuel source.  (Note that solar and wind are both omitted from this chart, as neither accounts for even 1 percent of global energy production.  According to the above chart, both are relatively safe.)   Together, the data suggests that from a human health and safety perspective, there really is no worse choice than coal.

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Michigan’s oil spill: a scientist gets sucked in

March 17, 2011 by

By Maya Fischhoff, Great Lakes Echo

When a pipeline burst in a wetland near Marshall, MI, last July, no one caught it for 12 hours. By that time, 20,000 barrels of oil had leaked from the pipeline into the wetland and were moving down the Kalamazoo River.

Steve Hamilton is an Michigan State University professor of zoology based at Kellogg Biological Station, and president of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. He became deeply involved in efforts to clean up the oil, and described the experience to a packed audience at a recent seminar sponsored by the university’ Center for Water Sciences.

As president of the Watershed Council, Hamilton joined the science team formed early on by the EPA, state agencies, and Enbridge, the oil company responsible for the spill. He was the only academic or non-profit representative on the team, which analyzed response plans and made clean-up recommendations. “We met every day or every other day in Marshall for a couple of months.”

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“Fracking” Proven to Produce Radioactive Groundwater

March 9, 2011 by 3 Comments

Radiation Warning

New evidence suggests that the controversial process of “fracking” produces radioactive groundwater. A University at Buffalo study found that uranium located near natural gas deposits is released into the groundwater through the process, prompting significant safety concerns.

Read more about the study here.

Dr. Tracy Bank, the study’s lead researcher, wondered if so much water under so much pressure would mix nearby naturally-occurring uranium into the groundwater. “We found that the uranium and the hydrocarbons are in the same physical space,” she said in a university press release. She found that “they are not just physically — but also chemically — bound.

“That led me to believe that uranium in solution could be more of an issue because the process of drilling to extract the hydrocarbons could start mobilizing the metals as well, forcing them into the soluble phase and causing them to move around,” she concluded. In essence, Dr. Bank’s hypothesis was correct – fracking mixes localized minerals into the water, including radioactive uranium.

“Fracking” is industry slang for a specialized form of Natural Gas drilling, short for “high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracking” – a process in which high volumes of water, sand, and industrial chemicals are pumped deep into the Earth to fracture rock and release gas for collection.

Recent reports have cited the process as posing significant generalized environmental dangers from the use of mixed chemicals, and thousands of EPA documents obtained by the New York Times correlate the process with increased general water and air toxicity. Adding radioactive groundwater to other negative side effects only adds to the list of negative side effects from the process.

Read the NYT article and read through the EPA documents here.

Despite reassurances from the drilling industry that any environmental dangers are too small to pose a significant risk, the U.S. Congress has declared the issue significant enough to warrant further study, and the EPA was commissioned to evaluate fracking and all associated dangers. The EPA’s proposed study is being reviewed by their advisory board March 7-8, 2011. Initial study results will be available in 2012 and a finalized report will be issued in 2014.

Read about this upcoming study on the EPA’s website here.

If you are interested in learning more about fracking, come to WMEAC’s sponsored showing of Gasland, an Oscar-nominated documentary. Showing will be the evening of March 23, 2011, at the Grand Rapids Celebration Cinema. Visit www.gaslandthemovie.com

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