Toledo water crisis: Half a million people without safe drinking water as toxins contaminate Ohio city supply

Didge wrote:Up to half a million residents of one of the largest cities in Ohio are without safe drinking water after a dangerous toxin was discovered in the supply.


A state of emergency has been declared in Toledo, Ohio’s fourth largest city, and its surrounding suburbs after the contamination was discovered late on Friday.
Restaurants and even the local zoo have been forced to close as a result of the crisis, thought to be caused by a “harmful algal bloom” at the water’s source in Lake Erie, according to city officials.
The National Guard has been called in to bring water to the area after a warning against drinking from the tap sparked a shopping frenzy for clean bottled water.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/half-a-million-people-without-water-as-toxins-contaminate-ohio-city-water-supply-9644829.html

This kind of thing is getting pretty much "Par" for the course in America hardly a month goes by without some river being in the news for dangerous contamination from industrial spills

Indeed Korben, but this is a logistical nightmare, people cannot even boil the water to use or even brush their teeth.
Am surprised how this has not been so big in the news until now

Didge wrote:Indeed Korben, but this is a logistical nightmare, people cannot even boil the water to use or even brush their teeth.
Am surprised how this has not been so big in the news until now

The same thing has happened hundred`s times in the states this year with varying degrees of contamination some they had to truck in bottled water from neghbouring states  

About 10,000 tons of chemicals spill into American  rivers a year
Every time it happens legislation to prevent it goes the same way as gun legislation goes after a school shooting
That is
All promises and no action till its forgot about


ps you rarely hear it on some news stations but msnbc`s Rachael Maddow highlights it often

Korben_Dallas wrote:

Didge wrote:Indeed Korben, but this is a logistical nightmare, people cannot even boil the water to use or even brush their teeth.
Am surprised how this has not been so big in the news until now

The same thing has happened hundred`s times in the states this year with varying degrees of contamination some they had to truck in bottled water from neghbouring states  

About 10,000 tons of chemicals spill into American  rivers a year
Every time it happens legislation to prevent it goes the same way as gun legislation goes after a school shooting
That is
All promises and no action till its forgot about


ps you rarely hear it on some news stations  but msnbc`s Rachael Maddow highlights it often

They reckon this could have been cause by chemicals used within farming.
Again this is going to be a logistical nightmare to manage, hence why the army have been called into help!

Korben_Dallas wrote:
The same thing has happened hundred`s times in the states this year with varying degrees of contamination some they had to truck in bottled water from neghbouring states  

About 10,000 tons of chemicals spill into American  rivers a year
Every time it happens legislation to prevent it goes the same way as gun legislation goes after a school shooting
That is
All promises and no action till its forgot about

ps you rarely hear it on some news stations  but msnbc`s Rachael Maddow highlights it often

You make a good point, KD.  These are not necessarily issue-related problems, where legislation fails due to unpopularity of the matter (eg, gun control).  This is the direct result of the McConnell/Boehner doctrine: where the other party is in power, do everything to cause the nation to fail.  In other words, do nothing and take no measures to improve things.  

We've seen this inaction with respect to immigration and masses of Central American children appearing on the US border--a humanitarian crisis if there ever was one.  We've seen bridges collapse into rivers (eg, I-35 Bridge in Minnesota).  We've seen Congress fail to pass disaster relief (eg, Hurricane Sandy); and that is coming back to haunt them, where the disasters happen in conservative districts.  In sum, the Republicans in Congress see to it that no need goes fulfilled, lest a Democratic president take credit.

You see this most of all with infrastructure, health and safety.  The answer lies in geopolitical economics.  And not coincidentally, Republicans are the party of special economic interests.  Infrastructure, health and safety are expenditures related to a given country or geography.  The capitalist creed is to make money wherever profit is to be found.  Investments in America go against the capitalist creed.  Labour is too expensive in America.  So, not only is capital gushing overseas, but care and concern about infrastructure, health and safety locally is waning as well.  Why spend money on places you don't care about?

The same thing is going on in the UK.  What do you think austerity is all about?  You see austerity at home, but not in overseas investment, eh?  What do you think privatization is all about?  He who controls the institutions can keep the costs down...in fact, do away with them altogether.  Investment in the homeland is a thing of the past.

Really, nations need to take control of their own economies.  If that is socialism, so be it.  These sudden stampedes into foreign markets are really economic dam-breaks for nations...kinda like the way the Black Sea and the Persian Gulf went from small lakes and river beds to open oceans.  See?  Economic infrastructure is a concern too.

If anyone wondered about the humanitarian instincts of Republicans and Tories, look no further than the McConnell/Boehner doctrine.

The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.

-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, quoted in National Journal, November 4, 2010

Limbaugh wrote:So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what’s gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don’t care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.” Somebody’s gotta say it.

—Rush Limbaugh, January 20, 2009.

Original Quill wrote:

Limbaugh wrote:So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what’s gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don’t care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.” Somebody’s gotta say it.

—Rush Limbaugh, January 20, 2009.

The oxycotton king.....i really really really really really really really really dislike that fat fec
i am only glad that sort of crap isn't allowed to be broadcast in the UK ..............we do have standards

I take consolation in the fact that he is a druggie, and should be regarded as such.

Korben_Dallas wrote:

Didge wrote:
Indeed Korben, but this is a logistical nightmare, people cannot even boil the water to use or even brush their teeth.
Am surprised how this has not been so big in the news until now

The same thing has happened hundred`s times in the states this year with varying degrees of contamination some they had to truck in bottled water from neghbouring states  

About 10,000 tons of chemicals spill into American  rivers a year
Every time it happens legislation to prevent it goes the same way as gun legislation goes after a school shooting
That is
All promises and no action till its forgot about

ps you rarely hear it on some news stations  but msnbc`s Rachael Maddow highlights it often

  

TOXIC ALGAL BLOOMS have nothing to do with industrial and toxic-material pollution "spills"...

THEY have everything to do with nutrient-rich waterways (e.g. from sewerage and fertiiiser runoffs; and interference with catchment areas via land-clearing, farming, urban sprawl..), especially where this bad enough state of affairs is then made immeasurably worse via further human interference through such things as excessive water usage, poorly placed dams, bridges and roadways; and being exacerbated by warm/hot water from power stations and factories and nutrient-rich spills (e.g. from food factories, feedlots, dumps..).

ALGAL BLOOMS then tend to use up the freely dissolved O2 in that water, making it impossible for other lifeforms to survive there, while the blue-green algae thrive in these conditions.   

AND of course, then there's the "toxic" side of things ~ poisoning those communities that have "grown lazy" over the years, and take the cheap and easy way of obtaining their water supplies..


THE solution to "Toxic Algal Blooms" is easy ~ stop the nutrient rich runoffs into the waterways and dams, and keep the streams flowing and oxygen-enriched (their natural state..). The problem is that such "easy" fixes requires co-operation and agreement among the involved entities ~ states, landholders, corporate and special interests, local communities...    

AND "there's the rub" ~ a couple of of selfish-minded bodies that decide to put their own interests first, can upset and delay these necessary fixes for years..


NOR are they a uniquely North American problem ~ they occur all over the world, from Australia to the Middle East, Africa across Europe, and quit common in parts of Britain.

THE worst places in the world for these polluted waterways are Israel, Eastern Europe and parts of Russia, as well as several regions in the USA..  

Lone Wolf wrote:

Korben_Dallas wrote:

The same thing has happened hundred`s times in the states this year with varying degrees of contamination some they had to truck in bottled water from neghbouring states  

About 10,000 tons of chemicals spill into American  rivers a year
Every time it happens legislation to prevent it goes the same way as gun legislation goes after a school shooting
That is
All promises and no action till its forgot about

ps you rarely hear it on some news stations  but msnbc`s Rachael Maddow highlights it often

  

TOXIC ALGAL BLOOMS have nothing to do with industrial and toxic-material pollution "spills"...

THEY have everything to do with nutrient-rich waterways (e.g. from sewerage and fertiiiser runoffs; and interference with catchment areas via land-clearing, farming, urban sprawl..), especially where this bad enough state of affairs is then made immeasurably worse via further human interference through such things as excessive water usage, poorly placed dams, bridges and roadways; and being exacerbated by warm/hot water from power stations and factories and nutrient-rich spills (e.g. from food factories, feedlots, dumps..).
ALGAL BLOOMS then tend to use up the freely dissolved O2 in that water, making it impossible for other lifeforms to survive there, while the blue-green algae thrive in these conditions.   

AND of course, then there's the "toxic" side of things ~ poisoning those communities that have "grown lazy" over the years, and take the cheap and easy way of obtaining their water supplies..


THE solution to "Toxic Algal Blooms" is easy ~ stop the nutrient rich runoffs into the waterways and dams, and keep the streams flowing and oxygen-enriched (their natural state..). The problem is that such "easy" fixes requires co-operation and agreement among the involved entities ~ states, landholders, corporate and special interests, local communities...    

AND "there's the rub" ~ a couple of of selfish-minded bodies that decide to put their own interests first, can upset and delay these necessary fixes for years..


NOR are they a uniquely North American problem ~ they occur all over the world, from Australia to the Middle East, Africa across Europe, and quit common in parts of Britain.

THE worst places in the world for these polluted waterways are Israel, Eastern Europe and parts of Russia, as well as several regions in the USA..  

Interesting ....but i don't think T.A.B have been mentioned in relation to this
These are companies whom ether by accident or intentionally dump Industrial toxic chemicals into the rivers

  

Algal blooms are mentioned in the 2nd paragraph in Didge's extract :

Didge wrote:
Up to half a million residents of one of the largest cities in Ohio are without safe drinking water after a dangerous toxin was discovered in the supply.

A state of emergency has been declared in Toledo, Ohio’s fourth largest city, and its surrounding suburbs after the contamination was discovered late on Friday.
Restaurants and even the local zoo have been forced to close as a result of the crisis, thought to be caused by a “harmful algal bloom” at the water’s source in Lake Erie, according to city officials.
The National Guard has been called in to bring water to the area after a warning against drinking from the tap sparked a shopping frenzy for clean bottled water.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/half-a-million-people-without-water-as-toxins-contaminate-ohio-city-water-supply-9644829.html

Lone Wolf wrote:  

Algal blooms are mentioned in the 2nd paragraph in Didge's extract :

Didge wrote:
Up to half a million residents of one of the largest cities in Ohio are without safe drinking water after a dangerous toxin was discovered in the supply.

A state of emergency has been declared in Toledo, Ohio’s fourth largest city, and its surrounding suburbs after the contamination was discovered late on Friday.
Restaurants and even the local zoo have been forced to close as a result of the crisis, thought to be caused by a “harmful algal bloom” at the water’s source in Lake Erie, according to city officials.
The National Guard has been called in to bring water to the area after a warning against drinking from the tap sparked a shopping frenzy for clean bottled water.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/half-a-million-people-without-water-as-toxins-contaminate-ohio-city-water-supply-9644829.html

My apologies i assumed it had been cause my more industrial spill`s as its happens all to regularly in the states

Well you are half-right, KD.  TABs are the result of indiscriminate discharge of industrial waste into Lake Erie.  This one is no different, although it is not a point source discharge like the recent one in West Virginia (release of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM) from Freedom Industries’ facility in Charleston into the Elk River).

Lake Erie is said to be the most polluted water body in the world.  Maybe some in Russia are worse, but Lake Erie is up there.