Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
March 24, 2008
4. Water Quality
New hurdle for Klamath dams; Utility could face scrutiny over water quality - Associated Press
Algae toxin added to Klamath River quality standards - Redding Record Searchlight
GROUNDWATER CLEANUP:
Did Rialto violate Brown Act?; Meeting on toxin issues questioned - San Bernardino County Sun
New hurdle for Klamath dams; Utility could face scrutiny over water quality
Associated Press – 3/21/08
The algae toxins in the
"Now PacifiCorp will have to clean up the toxic algae in the
The EPA finding did not point to the dams as the source of the algae toxins. That is an issue for later consideration. But it did note that toxins were found at unhealthy levels in the reservoirs behind the dams, and not in the river downstream. Low levels have been found in fish, but not enough to warn people against eating them.
Maintaining that the algae has been found in the river since before the dams, PacifiCorp spokesman Paul Vogel said the utility company did not anticipate the toxins being a significant problem to getting clean water certification.
"We see it as a part of the process, and it is certainly an issue we study," Vogel said. "We are looking at it and take it very seriously."
The California Water Board is waiting for a specific proposal on modifications to the series of dams straddling the Oregon-California border before going ahead with the environmental analysis on certification, said board spokesman Bill Rukeyser
"The state of
Alexis Strauss, EPA water division director for the Western states, said she did not think the algae toxins by themselves would prevent clean water certifications, but she noted they come on top of problems with warm water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, and nutrients from agricultural runoff.
The toxins come from the blue-green algae known as Microcystis aeruginosa. Testing by the Karuk tribe showed levels exceeding World Health Organization guidelines in the Copco Reservoir in 2001. The Copco and
Microcystis aeruginosa commonly blooms in warm, slow-moving waters with high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, nutrients commonly running off agricultural land. The toxin affects the liver and can harm people and animals that swim in or drink tainted waters. The EPA noted there was a report of a dog suffering liver damage after swimming in Copco Reservoir. #
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-klamath22mar22,1,5022428.story
Algae toxin added to
Redding Record Searchlight – 3/22/08
By Dylan Darling, staff writer
Tiny toxins produced by bright green algae along the Klamath River in
The Iron Gate Dam is one of a string of four power dams on the river owned by Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp. While the company is attempting to win a new 50-year federal license to continue operating the dams, environmentalists, as well as farmers above the dams and fisherman below them, have called for their removal.
And the algae is another reason to remove them, environmentalists say.
"They are the things that create skin rashes," said Peter Kozelka, a scientist in the EPA's
The toxins also can cause liver problems and tumors.
Already on the list of possible problems are nutrients, dissolved oxygen levels and temperature -- all factors that determine whether the algae will bloom, Kozelka said. The affected area is a stretch of about 20 miles along the river between Iron Gate Dam and the
Klamath Riverkeeper -- the Orleans-based environmental group whose lawsuit against the EPA spurred the addition of the toxins to the list -- said the change could be another reason for PacifiCorp to remove the dams.
"It means that PacifiCorp will need to clean up the toxic algae, and we think the only way to do so is to remove the dams," said Regina Chichizola, director of Klamath Riverkeeper.
But Art Sasse, a Pacifi-Corp spokesman, said the change shouldn't affect PacifiCorp's re-licensing effort.
He said the company has always taken algae in the
"We don't anticipate that this will affect our clean water certification process in any way," he said.
The EPA expects to set water quality standards for the river in 2009.
Meanwhile, in an agreement released in January, a coalition of 26 stakeholders in the
But the company isn't among the stakeholders that forged the agreement and is continuing efforts to relicense the dams rather than remove them.
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors held an informational meeting about the agreement, led by Phil Detrich of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that drew about 25 Dunsmuir area residents Thursday night.
Another meeting on the same topic is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the
http://www.redding.com/news/2008/mar/22/algae-toxin-added/
GROUNDWATER CLEANUP:
Did
By Jason Pesick, staff writer
Rialto City Council members may have violated a state law last month while in the nation's capital.
A majority of the council joined representatives from several local government agencies in a meeting on Feb. 27 with Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino.
Under
Officials from
"Whenever the council gets together in a majority fashion to deal with something of official significance to the city - that is a meeting," said Terry Francke, general counsel and founder of Californians Aware, a nonprofit that promotes government disclosure.
"For a meeting like that, the law requires that the time, place and subject matter of discussion be posted for any remote meeting like that."
In addition, Francke said the public must be able to attend, even if the meeting is out of state.
When the meeting with Baca began, only two
"I didn't want there to be any perception that there would be a Brown Act violation," Councilman Ed Scott said.
But Rep. Baca told Scott he could attend the meeting because no decisions were going to be made.
Scott said the Brown Act was not violated because the meeting consisted of Baca talking to the local officials.
"It's just ridiculous," Scott said about suggestions that the Brown Act was violated.
Scott said he would contact the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit to ask for a formal inquiry.
In this case, the only sanction the council members could face is an admonishment not to do it again, Deputy District Attorney Frank Vanella said Friday.
"I've had no phone call," he said.
Rep. Baca said the Brown Act was not violated.
"If it was about
Colton Mayor Kelly Chastain said she stayed out of the meeting due to concerns that she would violate the Brown Act. #
http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_8673910?IADID=Search-www.sbsun.com-www.sbsun.com
####
No comments:
Post a Comment