Daily Colorado Water News
Coyote Gulch
Nonpoint Source Colorado
COLORADO
WARMING TO CUT COLORADO WATER SUPPLY
A report on the Colorado Water Conservation Board's commissioned study of the effect of climate change on the state was released Monday, and will help drive discussions at a three-day conference in Denver designed to help water officials and governments deal with dwindling water supplies. Denver Rocky Mountain News; 10/7/08
CONCERNS ABOUT WATER QUALITY MAY DELAY RESERVOIR PROJECT
The state health department said significant water quality problems should be addressed before the proposed Glade and Galeton reservoirs project in northern Colorado moves forward. The state's concerns, outlined in a Sept. 12 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are likely to delay the reservoirs, several officials said. Key concerns are that the project, because it reduces flows, could increase concentrations of selenium, a metal that can be toxic to fish. Lower stream flows also could make it more difficult for Fort Collins to treat its water, the state said. Gary Wockner, a spokesman for Save The Poudre, said the water quality problems would cost millions of dollars to fix, if they can be fixed at all. "We don't believe they can be mitigated," he said. Rocky Mountain News; 10/7/08
CURRENT AFFAIRS ON STATE WATER: UTILITIES CROSS THE DIVIDE TO START NEGOTIATING WATER MOVING PLANS
The two sides of the Continental Divide are engaged in a first-of-its-kind negotiation over moving more water to the Front Range - the two water companies are planning $410 million in new projects to provide an extra 16 billion gallons - while protecting the mountain streams and rivers. Denver needs the water to meet projections showing the city's thirst will exceed its supply in eight years - with demand growing 50 percent to 375,000 acre-feet. For Grand County - where fishing, kayaking, skiing and tourism generated almost $170 million in revenue in 2003 - maintaining the health and flow of streams is an economic concern as well as environmental one. As it is, about 60 percent of the county's waters measured at the confluence of the Colorado and Fraser were shipped to the Front Range between 1991 and 2001, according to a Northwest Colorado Council of Governments analysis. The new projects would remove another 10 percent. Denver Post; 10/5/08
Editorial on Windy Gap: Diversions
Denver Post; 10/26/08
A WATER WARNING FROM AN ANCIENT PEOPLE
Thanks to ancient tree rings, we have such accurate pictures of long-forgotten droughts that we can track arid cycles as they moved across the Southwest centuries ago. The zigzag growth patterns in Chaco's tree rings are a sobering chronicle of persistent droughts, which culminated around 1100 in a 50-year dry spell. Chaco emptied rapidly. Family by family, the permanent residents of the great houses moved away, to live with kin where water was more abundant. The droughts occurred because the winter jet stream over the northeastern Pacific and its associated storm tracks stayed well north of California. After 1300, there was an abrupt change to persistently wetter conditions, which lasted for 600 years, before giving way to today's arid conditions. None of today's droughts approach the intensity and duration of the epochal dry spells of a thousand years ago. These prolonged droughts occurred because of warming throughout the world and persistent, dry La Niña conditions in the Pacific. The lesson is clear: Even modest warming can bring serious drought to California. California Forum; 10/5/08
BLM DELAYS ANY NEW WELLS ON PLATEAU
In Colorado, where the Bureau of Land Management's plan to lease portions of the Roan Plateau for energy development sparked fierce opposition and at least one lawsuit, the BLM's promise that no new energy work would begin until June blocked an effort by environmental groups to obtain a federal court injunction to stop drilling. The federal judge said the BLM's promise provided more than enough time for her to hear the entire lawsuit and render a decision before any drilling would begin. Denver Post; 10/16/08
GLADE BACKERS: PROJECT LIKELY DELAYED
Backers of the Glade Reservoir project say they're confident the water-supply project will win federal approval, but they are now expecting that approval to come sometime next year instead of by the end of 2008. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the power to approve or deny NISP based on environmental considerations, and earlier this summer asked supporters and critics to offer comments on a draft environmental impact statement. NISP would supply growing cities and towns east and south of Fort Collins with water from the Poudre River, among other sources, by storing high springtime flows in a new reservoir, Glade, northwest of Fort Collins. NISP is being fought tooth-and-nail by local environmental activists, and the city of Fort Collins has formally outlined a slew of concerns about the project's impacts. Fort Collins would get none of the water from NISP, which could dramatically lower summertime stream flows through the city. Last month, the city asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a supplemental DEIS, which could further delay approval. Coloradoan.com; 10/18/08
STEVENS RESERVOIR COMPLETION ‘TOUCH AND GO' FOR 2008
With a long dry autumn, the Steven's Reservoir dam and expansion project could still be completed this year - but an unusually wet summer has Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District officials holding their breath. According to PAWSD Project Manager Gregg Mayo, "It's touch and go. With another period of rain like we saw last weekend, we probably won't make it." The project, which began with land acquisition twenty years ago, raises the existing dam ten feet. This will result in a storage capacity nearly triple that of the old reservoir. Pagosa Daily Post; 10/8/08
STUDY: DRILLING'S WATER IMPACTS MINIMAL
A new hydrology study of the effects of coalbed methane drilling on water levels in the central Raton Basin disputes the significant impacts found by a previous study. The study, jointly commissioned by Pioneer Natural Resources and XTO Energy, suggested that the effects of drilling on water levels in the basin were negligible. A summary of the study's findings released by energy industry consultant Norwest Applied Hydrology stated that the mathematical model called MODFLOW was utilized to track the potential effects of coalbed methane drilling (CBM) drilling on the basin's water levels. MODFLOW, an "industry standard" numeric groundwater flow modeling code also used by the U.S. Geological Survey, found the CBM-related depletions from the Purgatoire River to be less than 30 acre-feet. The previous study, conducted in 2006 and 2007 at the behest of state regulatory agencies and released in January, had used a different modeling code that resulted in estimating the depletory effects at 1,150 acre-feet. Both studies measured water depletion for the same one-year period. Trinidad Times Independent; 10/7/08
REPS. DEGETTE, SALAZAR TARGET FRACING FLUIDS
US Reps. Diana DeGette of Denver and John Salazar of Manassa sponsored legislation that would remove a measure passed with the 2005 Energy Policy Act that exempts hydraulic fluids used during oil and gas drilling operations from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Durango Herald; 10/18/08
TOXIC PLUME SPURS STUDY OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Canon City Uranium Mill - It has been 24 years since the federal government designated the mill a Superfund cleanup site, based on radioactive contamination of air and groundwater drifting away from the 2,600-acre site just south of the city. Today the cleanup is less than half complete. A new plume of uranium-contaminated groundwater is spreading unchecked from the mill under a golf course toward Cañon City (population 15,850) and the Arkansas River, state documents and Cotter mill operators confirmed. The hulking mill is one of four facilities in the country capable of converting uranium ore into the yellowcake needed to make nuclear power. (Only one, in Utah, is now in operation.) Residents near the plant have complained for years about a variety of ailments they believe could be partly a result of exposure to contaminated air or groundwater coming from plant property. Denver Post; 10/19/08
FARMS RESIST WATER CUTBACK
Agriculture officials say Colorado would be making a mistake if it dealt with looming water shortages due to drought, climate change and growth by diverting more water from farms and ranches. Agriculture uses 86 percent of the water in the state, making it a likely place to look when shortfalls crop up. But Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp said it makes little sense to raid farms and ranches when population is increasing, the need for food is rising and U.S. farmland is shrinking. Drought and growth have intensified the fight over water. Some farmers and ranchers in northeastern Colorado have had their wells restricted or shut down after cities and others with surface water rights successfully argued the wells were illegally drawing down the South Platte River. Water for energy development and growth likely would be taken from agriculture. Stulp said agriculture is trying to find more drought-resistant crops and become more efficient, but it's an uphill battle, Stulp said. Denver Post; 10/12/08
ANIMAS - LA PLATA PROJECT 97% COMPLETE
On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation celebrated the near-completion of the Animas-La Plata Project, a settlement of tribal water rights with Colorado and New Mexico tribes begun four decades ago, and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, along with representatives from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe and the Navajo Nation joined in the celebration. Durango Herald; 10/17/08
STATE WATER BOARD REPORT INDICATES CLIMATE CHANGE WILL AFFECT WATER SUPPLY PLANNING
According to observations cited in the report, Colorado's temperature has increased about 2° F in the past 30 years. Computer models project Colorado's temperature will warm 2.5° F by 2025 and 4° F by 2050. By the mid-21st century, current climate regimes may shift, bringing the temperature regimes of the Kansas border westward and upslope to the Front Range, and the climate of the desert Southwest may creep into Western Slope valleys. Although winters warm, high-elevation winter temperatures are projected to remain well below freezing, preserving the bulk of the state's crucial snow pack, which lies above about 8,000 feet. Observed precipitation variability is high and no consistent precipitation trends have been detected. Model projections of precipitation show little change in annual average precipitation, however, temperature increases alone will have significant impacts on snow and water resources. Earlier spring melt, increased evaporation, and drier soils will reduce runoff for most of the state's river basins, with a 5% to 20% loss in the Colorado River Basin by the mid-21st century. This report suggests a reduction in total water supply by the mid-21st century. The overwhelming majority of studies agree on those trends. Colorado Water Conservation Board; 10/6/08
JACKSON GULCH REPAIR BILL PASSES HOUSE, MOVES TO SENATE
The United States House of Representatives passed a critical bill Monday regarding a rehabilitation project for the Jackson Gulch Reservoir. The bill, titled the Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007, will allow funding repairs for the Jackson Gulch Reservoir feeder canal, a main water supplier into the Mancos Valley. The canal is nearly 60 years old and is in need of rehabilitation. Cortez Journal; 10/21/08
FUTURE OIL, WATER NEEDS MIGHT NOT MIX
In 40 years, will Colorado have a greater need for oil or for water? The state may not be able to have both, a draft of a new study suggests. An analysis of the water needed to produce oil shale indicates that most of the remaining flows in the Colorado River and two of its tributaries, widely viewed as the state's last source of new water supplies, would need to be tapped to mine the energy-rich shale. According to the assessment, as much as 410,000 acre-feet of water would be required to produce 1.5 million barrels of oil from shale annually by 2050. That's enough H20 for about 820,000 households. Most of the water would be used to cool coal-fired power plants that supply the electricity needed to extract oil from shale. "Oil shale is the real 800- pound gorilla out there," said Jim Pokrandt, a spokesman for the Colorado River District and member of the panel that commissioned the study. "We're not advocates for or against oil shale. But if its requirements are as large as it looks like they're going to be, we ought to be looking at it now. We can't just say we're going to have oil shale tomorrow." Rocky Mountain News; 10/21/08
SPREAD OF MUSSELS SEEMS UNSTOPPABLE
Now that the quagga is out of the bagga, so to speak, we're left to contemplate what might - or should - happen on Colorado's waters relative to the campaign to prevent the spread of invasive species. Recent, and alarming, findings have confirmed the presence of quagga and zebra mussels in seven Colorado flat waters. These are Pueblo, Granby, Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain, Willow Creek and the two latest discoveries, Tarryall and Jumbo. These represent a strange mixture of waters, ranging from high mountains to low plains. Apart from the obvious connection among the four upper Colorado River Basin reservoirs, there seems little rhyme or reason to it all. What does seem clear, despite warnings, these critters seem destined to spread when and where destiny pleases, following a perplexing pattern evidenced in other parts of the country. By the time ice forms, the Colorado Division of Wildlife will have spent close to six figures on inspection, money that might have gone to fishery projects. If the pattern continues, expect the cost to increase. Estimates suggest that current programs are 95% effective, but the 5% that are missed are still enough to perpetuate the spread of the quagga. The Denver Post; 10/22/08
NEW GROUP AIMS TO PROTECT UNCOMPAHGRE WATERSHED
Concerned citizens in the upper and lower Uncompahgre River basins have formed the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership. With funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, the group intends to develop a watershed plan that will identify and prioritize projects that will ultimately improve water quality and ecosystem health in the watershed. According to Jeff Crane, executive director of the Colorado Watershed Assembly, the movement began about two years ago when the Friends of the River Uncompahgre began a concerted effort to work on riparian buffers in the Montrose area, while the Ridgway/Ouray Community Coalition was working on water issues in the upper basin. Both had requested organizational assistance from the Colorado Watershed Assembly. "It seemed like a good opportunity to begin a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive watershed plan to include all stakeholders in the watershed," said Crane. One of the most important ongoing objectives of the planning stage has been identifying parties with an interest in the long-term health of the watershed. Involving them in assessing the health of the Uncompahgre Watershed by identifying current and future needs related to keeping it healthy will help the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership develop a comprehensive plan. Telluride Watch; 10/21/08
WESTERN US
DOE TO BUILD SYSTEM TO TREAT GROUND WATER PLUME AT HANFORD
The water-treatment plant designed by the Department of Energy to treat a contaminated plume of groundwater at the Hanford nuclear complex in Washington State will be the largest on the site, containing more than 50 wells and a $174-million pump and treat station. Tri-City Herald; 10/3/08
WATER SUPPLIES NEED WET WINTER
Back-to-back winters with little snow or rain has dropped water levels in Nevada's reservoirs and the state's rivers and streams are running low, and state water officials said a good snowpack is needed to cure the deficit. Reno Gazette-Journal; 10/13/08
OIL SHALE COMPANIES TELL STATE THERE'S ENOUGH WATER TO DEVELOP OIL SHALE
Officials from two oil companies told state regulators Thursday that the Uintah Basin has plenty of water to supply commercial-scale development of oil shale in Utah. Laura Nelson, Red Leaf Resources Inc.'s vice president of energy and environmental development, and Gary Aho, Oil Shale Exploration Co.'s vice president of operations, told the Utah Board of Water Resources in a meeting at the State Capitol that Utah has sufficient water for developing Utah's portion of oil in the Green River formation. The Green River formation spans Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, and is estimated to hold 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil locked in shale, about 70 percent of it on federal Bureau of Land Management property. With a moratorium now expired on leasing public lands to oil companies for shale projects, a big lingering question is whether Utah's desert environment has enough water to support the people and processes it will take to tap the shale. The oil shale would need further refining, possibly in Utah, to become usable crude. Deseret News; 10/2/08
RAINWATER HARVESTING - A GOOD IDEA IF YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH IT
Conservation advocates, including many utilities, have embraced the idea of using water collected from roofs, and stored in cisterns or rain barrels, to reduce reliance on dwindling surface water or groundwater supplies. Yet in Utah, Colorado and Washington, it's illegal to do so unless you go through the difficult -- and often impossible -- process of gaining a state water right. That's because virtually all flowing water in most Western states is already dedicated to someone's use, and state water officials figure that trapping rainwater amounts to impeding that legal right. State legislators in Colorado, Utah and Washington are working on new laws that would allow small-scale collection of runoff without a specific water right. But given the numerous interest groups with a stake in water law, it's no easy task. Legislators in Washington and Colorado have had a hard time crafting rules dealing with the issue, though some expect that water harvesting -- by rural residents, at least -- in Colorado will be legalized next year. High Country News; 10/7/08
COURT APPOINTEE TAKES ON STATES' WATER FIGHT
The U.S. Supreme Court appointed Barton H. Thompson, a professor of natural resources law at Stanford University, as special master in the dispute between Montana and Wyoming over water in the Tongue and Powder rivers. Both rivers rise in the mountains of Wyoming and flow across the state line into Montana. In a lawsuit filed before the court in January 2007, Montana alleged that Wyoming is taking more than its share of water under terms of the 1951 Yellowstone River Compact. Wyoming counters that the compact says nothing about groundwater and that it was not intended to be regulated under the compact. It also asserts that the storage reservoirs are not on the rivers, but on their tributaries, which are also not governed by the compact. Billings Gazette; 10/21/08
THE SECRET'S OUT: TONS OF WATER IN THE CASCADES
Scientists said a reservoir of volcanic rock high in the mountains of Oregon and Northern California contains about seven years' worth of rain and snow, and is possibly one of the largest groundwater systems in a mountainous region on the planet. Some water leaks steadily into tributaries of the Willamette, keeping the river full of water even when most Western rivers are mere trickles. This all-year reliability of water puts Oregon in a stronger position than the rest of the West as global climate change dries out many states. At the same time, it may also make the Northwest a sought-after source of future water for the rest of the West. Southwest states have already floated the far-out idea of piping in water from the Columbia River. Portland Oregonian; 10/19/08
TINY FISH FINDS ITSELF IN MIDDLE OF WATER WAR
The arid desert home for a tiny fish may now play a much bigger role in whether the Southern Nevada Water Authority will someday be allowed to pump vast amounts of water from beneath the Utah/Nevada border for piping to an increasingly thirsty Las Vegas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday that it plans to take the next 12 months to examine a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity to protect the least chub with federal listing as an endangered species. The least chub has been around for 15,000 years and grows to be less than 3 inches long. Three of the six remaining least chub habitats are in areas that could be affected by the pumping project. Critics are concerned that the pumping would dry up that habitat and possibly create a dust-bowl environment, igniting fears of sub-standard air quality. A Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesman says its "fair" to look at the impact that pumping water will have, so long as all other existing threats are considered along with the complex geological nuances that affect what happens to groundwater supplies as a whole when pumping begins. Deseret News; 10/20/08
EPA: RIVER QUALITY BETTER FOLLOWING REMOVAL OF DAM
The Environmental Protection Agency reported last week that almost seven months after the Milltown Dam was removed, water quality in the Clark Fork River has improved, recreation is safer and sediment released downstream appears to be within predicted levels. Forba said that since the 100-year-old hydroelectric dam was breached March 27, the river has moved about 371,000 tons of sediment downstream. That's 23 percent more material than expected, but an earlier sediment flushing in 2007 released about 60,000 fewer tons than predicted. Forba said the EPA is on track for its prediction of 603,000 tons of released material between 2006 and 2009. Researchers are trying to gauge how much toxic arsenic, copper and other mining wastes trapped behind Milltown Dam from mining in the Butte area will be released, and what the toxins might do to fish, bugs and people downstream. More arsenic contaminated sediment was released than expected, but is not as dangerous as arsenic contaminated water. The bugs seem to be suffereing due to the increase in sediment rather than due to toxins, but the sediment should wash downstream over time. Fish populations in the area are down, but its hard to say if they've moved upstream or if they've been hurt by the sediment release. Billings Gazette; 10/19/08
NAVAJOS TO RUN PROGRAM PROTECTING GROUNDWATER
On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would hand over authority for an underground injection control program for oil and gas drilling operations on the Navajo Nation to the Nation. Arizona Daily Sun (AP); Oct. 23
RURAL CANALS PLUS URBAN PAVEMENT: A RECIPE FOR DISASTER?
Idaho's aging irrigation canals present more of a threat now that urban development lines the canals, and state officials fear that a breach of a canal could lead to a disaster similar to that in Nevada earlier this year that left 500 homes damaged after the Truckee-Carson Canal failed. Paved roads and parking lots today surround many canals that once ran through the desert. That means more runoff now flows into the ditches than was ever contemplated by the pioneers who built them. "Canals are larger at the beginning and get smaller toward the end," said Settlers Irrigation District Manager Nathan Draper. That's perfect for delivering certain amounts of water to certain places, but dangerous for catching stormwater runoff. Canal systems, Draper said, "were never intended as storm drainage systems." Irrigation districts are concerned about financial and civil liability they could face if stormwater runoff in canals floods nearby urban areas. Idaho Statesman; 10/24/08
NATIONAL
SENATORS MAY HEAR ENERGY, RIVER BILLS
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will try to get Congress in November to address the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, a bipartisan bill with more than 140 pieces of legislation that includes protections for the Wyoming Range and a stretch of the Snake River in the Cowboy State. Jackson Hole Daily; 10/2/08
ENERGY VERSUS WATER: SOLVING BOTH CRISES TOGETHER
In June the state of Florida made an unusual announcement: it would sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the corps's plan to reduce water flow from reservoirs in Georgia into the Apalachicola River, which runs through Florida from the Georgia-Alabama border. Florida was concerned that the restricted flow would threaten certain endangered species. Alabama also objected, worried about another species: nuclear power plants, which use enormous quantities of water, usually drawn from rivers and lakes, to cool their big reactors. The reduced flow raised the specter that the Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala., would need to shut down. Scientific American; 10/22/08
NEODESHA, KANSAS, HAS NEW HOPE FOR A CLEANER FUTURE
Under the town of Neodesha is a plume of toxic oil left behind when an oil refinery near town closed in 1970 without cleanup. From time to time, this oil will bubble to the surface. Contamination from oil also has poisoned the groundwater under a large part of the town and one of the elementary schools, so some wells have been closed and the city's main source of drinking water is the Fall River. Residents now are concerned because experts testified that the oil is migrating toward the river. But BP and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment say that currently there are no health risks. Recently residents accompanying a reporter saw water running black with an oily sheen in a creek that runs alongside former oil lagoons and flows to the Fall River. KDHE and BP officials said they would investigate. "That is definitely something that is interesting to us," said Christopher Carey, a KDHE environmental scientist. But after decades of battling the sludge and years of attempting to sue oil giant BP, residents have some hopeful news. In a surprise turnabout last month, a judge ruled that BP was liable for damages and a jury now must decide if BP should pay what the city wants - a half-billion dollars. BP has appealed the ruling. The Kansas City Star; 10/16/08
STATES SUE EPA OVER WATER TRANSFER RULE
Minnesota and eight other states have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over what they say is an illegal ruling that could hurt fisheries and contaminate drinking water. The lawsuit targets an EPA water transfer rule published June 9 that exempts the discharge of pollutants contained in "transfer waters" from permitting requirements, the attorneys general said. The states contend the rule creates a loophole that could allow the transfer of polluted or contaminated water from one water body to another where it would do harm. Examples of water transfers include an oceangoing ship dumping salt water into the Great Lakes or a lake's water being drained into a river. Water transfers routinely occur throughout the country for irrigation projects, city drinking water, dams and ecological restoration. "The EPA takes this issue very seriously and will continue to use all our clean water tools to protect the nation's streams and rivers from potential impacts from water transfers," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin Grumbles in a statement. "However, we have not yet seen a copy of the challenge to the regulation." In June, EPA officials said the agency would focus on preventing contaminants from entering water sources in the first place and said clean water permits should focus on water pollution instead of water movement. US Water News; 10/08
MINES TO GET FREER HAND TO DUMP WASTE
Before the Interior Department's new regulation on dumping mining waste near streams can take effect, the Environmental Protection Agency must certify that the regulation complies with the federal Clean Air and Clean Water acts and that the environmental impact statement is adequate. Washington Post; 10/18/08
HEALTHY LAWNS VS. CLEAN WATER?
A proposed measure in Westchester would prohibit the sale of fertilizer containing phosphates, whether organic or synthetic, because of their role in choking waterways with pollution. It is that lack of distinction that has triggered opposition from garden suppliers like Mr. Krautter, whose business is mainly organic and who dismiss the notion that organic fertilizers can cause harm. The legislation would also limit the application of any type of fertilizer to between April and November and require those selling fertilizer products or offering lawn care services to distribute information about phosphorus-based pollution. (The bill pertains only to lawn fertilizer and does not include commonly used pesticides for grubs and other insects.) Proponents say the legislation is essential for keeping the water supply safe. NY Times; 10/19/08
PALIN'S HAND SEEN IN BATTLE OVER MINE IN ALASKA
If state regulators give their approval, mining companies plan to carve an open pit that would rival the world's largest mines, descending half a mile and taking as much energy to operate daily as the city of Anchorage. That prospect has ignited a war between Alaska's two historic industries, mining and fishing. Scientists and former state and federal biologists warn that toxic residue from the project, known as Pebble Mine, would irreparably harm a centuries-old salmon fishing industry that employs 17,000 and hauls in $100 million annually. Ms. Palin has remained officially neutral, saying that the state will evaluate the project when it receives a formal permit application. But she has embraced resource extraction in ways that are likely to help Pebble. New York Times; 10/21/08
TREATMENT PLANT IN TOWANDA PROPOSED FOR GAS DRILLING WATER
Several different companies have expressed interest in constructing a small treatment plant in central Bradford County to process waste water from natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, according to the manager of the Towanda Municipal Authority. Discussions between the companies and local officials are in the early stages, said Tom Fairchild Jr., manager of the Towanda Municipal Authority. One option would be to treat the waste water entirely at the plant and then discharge the treated water directly into the Susquehanna River. Under another option being considered, the waste water would be to "pre-treated" at the proposed plant and then funneled via a sewer main to the Towanda Municipal Authority's existing sewage treatment plant, where it would be further treated before being discharged into the river. "There are a lot of concerns (about the proposed plant) but also lots of opportunity if we can get our technical concerns worked through," said Fairchild, who added that using the Towanda Municipal Authority's sewage treatment plant to partially treat the waste water could raise a significant amount of revenue for the authority. A lot of water - on average 5 million gallons - is used to develop each natural gas well, Fairchild said. And most of the water comes back out of the well and must be treated, he said. The Daily Review; 10/23/08
INTERNATIONAL
ECO-BATTLE EMERGING OVER FISH AND MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR RESORT
The Garibaldi At Squamish, an upscale ski resort planned for the headwaters of the Brohm River, which is one of the most productive wild steelhead and salmon streams in British Columbia, threatens the integrity of the river, according to a report by former B.C. government steelhead biologist Pat Slaney. Vancouver Sun; 10/9/08
MAUDE BARLOW NAMED FIRST UN WATER ADVISOR
Canadian activist Maude Barlow has been appointed as the United Nation's first senior adviser on water issues, a role she hopes to use to establish water as a human right and to convince Canada to "change its shameful position" on the issue. Barlow, chair of the citizens' advocacy group Council of Canadians, will work with the current president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann. "This is a wonderful opportunity to advance a more democratic and transparent method of policy making around water at the global level than now exists," Barlow said in a press release. "Water is a commons, a public trust and a human right." Barlow said there's "growing momentum" in the international community for water justice but will focus some of her attention on her home country. "I also plan to take this opportunity to get the Canadian government to change its shameful position, and to finally join the international community in recognizing water as a human right," said Barlow. CBC News; 10/21/08
RISK OF DISEASES RISES WITH WATER TEMPERATURE
When a 1991 cholera outbreak that killed thousands in Peru was traced to plankton blooms fueled by warmer-than-usual coastal waters, linking disease outbreaks to epidemics was a new idea. Now, scientists say, it is a near-certainty that global warming will drive significant increases in waterborne diseases around the world. Rainfalls will be heavier, triggering sewage overflows, contaminating drinking water and endangering beachgoers. Higher lake and ocean temperatures will cause bacteria, parasites and algal blooms to flourish. Warmer weather and heavier rains also will mean more mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus, malaria and dengue fever. Fresh produce and shellfish are more likely to become contaminated. Heavier rainfalls are one of the most agreed-upon effects of climate change. The frequency of intense rainfalls has increased notably in the Midwest, the Northeast and Alaska, and the trend will accelerate, said the 2007 report of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The consequences will be particularly severe in the 950 U.S. cities and towns --including New York, the District, Milwaukee and Philadelphia -- that have "combined sewer systems," archaic designs that carry storm water and sewage in the same pipes. During heavy rains, the systems often cannot handle the volume, and raw sewage spills into lakes or waterways, including drinking-water supplies. Washington Post; 10/22/08
ARSENIC-TAINTED WATER IN CHINA SICKENS 450
The number of people sickened by contaminated water in southern China has risen to 450, more than double the previously reported figure, state media said. An investigation indicated the villagers' water source had been polluted by industrial waste from Jinhai Metallurgy Chemical, a branch of the state-owned Liuzhou China Tin Co. Ltd. The factory has been closed since the contamination was detected. Authorities in the nearby city of Hechi said torrential rains from a recent typhoon caused wastewater from the company to overflow into nearby ponds and wells. China's double-digit economic growth has come with a surge in toxic industries. The country has 16 of the world's 20 most heavily polluted cities. US Water News; 10/08
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