Drought/CashCow/Desal/Aquifer/Rain/list/TMDL/Action Request
Our
Santa Fe River
Happy New Year 2009.
CONSERVE >
CONSERVE > CONSERVE......................WATER
!
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Drought still here, with aquifer at
its lowest in this area
By Rachael Anne Ryals
Herald Staff Writer
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Graphic
Courtesy of the Suwannee River Management
District. |
While most of North Central Florida is not
experiencing the extreme drought conditions that were around
last year at this time, officials said the area still needs a
lot more rainfall to bring the rain levels up to
normal. | | |
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water:
Say "water" and many people think
blue, as in the Caribbean or the crystal depths of a Florida spring. But look
closer at water issues around the world and the real color of water may be green
-- as in money.
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Desalination Plants Increase - As do Concerns
By Philippa Rayment
Epoch Times Staff Dec 17, 2008
Desalination:”a very, very short sighted
answer” UN advisor on water Maude Barlow
The control room of a desalination plant
in Carboneras, near Almeria, southern Spain. The desalination process requires
considerable energy.(Jose Luis Roca/AFP/Getty Images )
‘Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink;’ Thus spoke
the ancient marina in the 18th century. We are now in the 21st century and the
cry goes out again. Man is looking to the oceans, not only as a supply for food,
but also as a supply for drinking water. It seems to be a viable solution for
energy rich countries such as Dubai and Saudi Arabia but how is it for
Australia? Is this a valid source of drinking water? What are the ramifications
of desalination?
r
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Aquifer Story:
City dedicates $5,000 to SRWMD for
aquifer assessment
Lake City entered an agreement with
Suwannee River Water Management District, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and tentatively the Columbia County Board of County
Commissioners to conduct an aquifer vulnerability assessment.
At its
regular meeting Monday night, City Council approved a resolution, in which the
city will dedicate $5,000 to help fund the $80,000 study.
For more of
this story, click on or type the URL
below:
http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2008/12/16/news/doc49470f9b9ad49644125215.txt
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High radiation levels in Florida rain
Friday, December 12, 2008 12:53 PM
From:
"BERNARD WINDHAM" <berniew1@embarqmail.com>
To:
"FLEnvDiscuss" <FLEnvDiscuss@yahoogroups.com>
I previously noted that I've had some tests that said I had high levels of
radiation exposure, have been being treated for it. The person testing me
(Eric Myers) said others had similar high levels and said he had been told by
another person doing a lot of testing, that following up on the test results
using geiger counter, 2 people had confirmed high levels of radiation in the
rain, more some days than others.
I talked to Henry Hall, who is a tester at a local Dr. Office, who had been
one doing the geiger counter followups. He had also found high levels of
radiation in himself and others, so followed up to determine where in his house
it might be coming from. He only found high levels in rain. He called DEP
and the person there said that DEP tests rain throughout the state and has been
finding high levels of radiation in the rain. Henry said the DEP person
advised staying indoors when it rains, but didn't speculate about the source of
the radiation.
Henry says possible sources include the Central Florida Phosphate mine
tailings which have moderate levels of uranium, radon, etc.(this is a source
thats widely distributed in phosphate fertilizer) ; plus emissions from
Chernobyl or similar source; Some states have much higher cancer
rates near nuclear power plants, but the plants deny measureable
emissions. We have several nuclear plants in Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, etc. Also Raoul Clark with DEP notes that this area got
high radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons tests and has high residual levels in
the environment and small game animals. Some houses in this
area have high radon from underground uranium deposits, but not the likely
source of high rain levels.
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List of Drinking Water
Contamination
Federal Register
Notice:
Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 3--Draft | PDF Version (28pp, 271K,
About PDF)
Fact Sheet
PDF (7pp 54K, About PDF)
EPA
815-F-08-001
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MY
TWO CENTS: TMDL’s
- It is a shame that we have to
determine how much pollution that the Suwannee River can carry away and how much harm
can be done to its eco-system. Sounds like someone is plotting an
assassination of the last clean river in the United States.
- The
TMDL’s are extremely biased toward the developers which mean more pollution
than is agreeable with the river is going to be dumped in the river until it
is over loaded to a calculated capability. That calculated capacity is
the edge of irreversible harm to the quality and quantity of the water in the
Suwannee
River Basin.
- The
State is enforcing policies that will degrade of the quality of Florida’s water to
Class III. Class II water is required for Shellfish Propagation or
Harvesting.
- Class
III water will not support the quantity or quality of any exoskeleton species
that has commercial value.
A simple
example:
My question is what
happens to the wildlife that feed on shellfish. The White Ibis bird, whose
favorite food is the - Pomacea
paludosa - Florida Apple Snail, the Apple Snail lives in an
exoskeleton, it and all others shellfish need suitable Class II water to
propagate. With only Class III water any shellfish or creature with
an exoskeleton will eventually become extinct. What is the White Ibis bird
going to eat?
This simple event will
be repeated thousands of times, in thousands of species if we do not insist on
Class II water as the end result of water treatment.
Surface Water Quality
Classifications
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/classes.htm
Class I - Potable Water
Supplies
Fourteen general areas throughout the state including: impoundments
and associated tributaries, certain lakes, rivers, or portions of rivers, used
as a drinking water supply.
Class II - Shellfish Propagation or
Harvesting
Generally coastal waters where shellfish harvesting
occurs.
Class III - Recreation, Propagation
and Maintenance of a Healthy, Well-Balanced Population of Fish and
Wildlife
The surface waters of the state are Class III unless described in
rule 62-302.400 F.A.C.
Class IV - Agricultural Water
Supplies
Generally located in agriculture areas around Lake Okeechobee .
Class V - Navigation, Utility and
Industrial Use.
Currently, there are not any
designated Class V bodies of water. The Fenholloway River was reclassified as Class III in
1998.
Stan
Meeks
Manatee
Advocate
Suwannee River
Keepers, Inc.
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Action Request:
Gainesville Sun
Randall H. Reid: Alternative futures
By Randall H. Reid
Special to The Sun
The new year is a traditional time to reflect on the
changes we could make to improve our quality of life.
Perhaps you will resolve this week to lose a little weight by walking more,
reduce your GRU bill by installing solar panels or take more time to read to
your children.
Each action would benefit you and our community. Healthy citizens require
less public health care, a solar energy unit would reduce green house gases and
high literacy rates have a direct correlation to lower crime levels.
There is little personal activity that doesn’t contribute to or diminish the
communal realm we share.
read more: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20081228/OPINION03/812260295/-1/OPINION?Title=Alternative_futures
