EPA outlines plan to deal with water polluted by 3M chemicals

Washington – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined a national plan Thursday to deal with public health risks of pollution caused by a family of chemicals used in many household products, including those produced by Minnesota-based 3M Co.
Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told reporters Thursday that the EPA initiative is moving toward classifying PFAS as a hazardous substance under the EPA’s Superfund program, allowing the EPA to clean up sites and force polluters to pay.
Environmental and consumer groups said the EPA’s plan doesn’t go far enough.
They quickly challenged Wheeler’s decision not to push immediately for a national standard or other measures that will to lower allowable amounts of PFAS in drinking and groundwater.
No mandatory national standard exists for allowable levels of PFAS, only a federal advisory level.
Wheeler said Thursday that EPA feels "70 parts per trillion is a safe level for drinking water."
But Minnesota’s limits, like the federal limits, are "advisory rules, not regulatory standards, " said Jim Kelly, the state’s manager of environmental surveillance and assessments.
Wheeler said EPA will recommend mandatory PFAS toxicity standards by the end of the year but could not say how long the process of approval and implementation would take.
PFAS were discovered in drinking water in eastern Twin Cities in 2004.
"We’re ahead of most states already," said the MPCA’s Smith.

Boil Advisory Remains In Effect For Some Dayton, Montgomery County Water Customers

Results from water-quality tests are expected by Friday evening after an overnight water main break and leak under the Great Miami River that left thousands of residents without water or with low water pressure.
The affected line was located just west of the Keowee Street Bridge, a spokesperson for Dayton says.
But a boil advisory remains in effect for parts of Montgomery County.
Approximately 30,000 service connections, or around 75,000 residents, are in areas affected by the boil advisory.
Montgomery County Health Commissioner Jeff Cooper says the boil advisory is a precaution.
"We’re asking all individuals to adhere to it until test results come back confirming that there is no contamination," Cooper says.
County officials also invite residents to call a helpline to find out whether your address falls under the current boil advisory: 937-781-2688.
UPDATE at 10:50 a.m.: City spokesperson Bryan Taulbee says the following Kroger locations will be distributing donated bottled water to those affected by the city’s water outage beginning at 11:30 a.m. Thursday: 3520 W. Siebenthaler Ave. 1934 Needmore Rd.
UPDATE at 10:00 a.m.: City officials say Dayton’s widespread water outage was caused by a leak in pipes under the Great Miami River.
— The City of Dayton has issued a boil advisory for Montgomery County water customers using the Dayton water system.

Israel Chokes Off Water Supply to 17 Palestinian Communities – Report

Israeli forces this week opted to cut off water supply lines feeding into more than a dozen communities in the West Bank city of Hebron, according to the Palestine News Network.
In total, the changes will affect 17 Mafasir Yatta communities, where an estimated 1,500 Palestinians reside.
The Wednesday move has been largely criticized by locals as yet another Israeli measure to force Palestinians away from their home in order to expand settlements, PNN reported.
A 2009 Amnesty International report on Palestinian access to water supplies notes that "Palestinian consumption in the [Occupied Palestinian Territories] is about 70 litres a day per person — well below the 100 litres per capita daily recommended by the World Health Organization — whereas Israeli daily per capita consumption, at about 300 litres, is about four times as much."
More recently, a 2018 United Nations report found that "at least 1.9 million Palestinians experience, or are at risk of, conflict and violence, displacement and denial of access to livelihoods, among other threats."
"The most vulnerable Palestinians are currently denied or restricted in their access to essential services such as water and health care.
A recurrent cycle of shocks, natural and manmade, has eroded the resilience of vulnerable households to cope with the prolonged nature of the humanitarian crisis," it noted.
News of the water lines being closed off came on the same day that Israeli forces destroyed a recently reconstructed road that connected Khallet Ad-Dabe’ to Masafer Yatta in the south of Hebron.
Rateb al-Jabour, the coordinator of the Anti-Wall and Anti-Settlement Committees in Yatta, told the Palestine News Agency that Israeli servicemembers provided protection to a military bulldozer as the road was being destroyed.
Earlier this week, residents of the troubled city of Hebron also witnessed Israeli settlers attacking various Palestinian homes in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, Ma’an News Agency reported.

UNMISS launches borehole construction project for water access in Manyang-Ngok

A borehole construction project has been launched in Manyang-Ngok county in Tonj, hoping to bring an end to conflicts arising from water access, thanks to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which has broken ground to drill two water points in the remote villages of Akot Madut and Atoong, located more than 40 kms from the Tonj area capital.
"Water is life.
I thank them, and I thank God for bringing UNMISS and water," he said, concluding his stream of gratitude.
"Now the distance walked in search of water is solved, but women dying during giving birth is not yet over," she noted.
The project will be implemented by the Community Initiative for Development Agency – CIDA, whose Executive Director, Gabriel Pap Nyok, asked community members to remain peaceful and support the drilling process.
"That commitment should not only be from UNMISS and CIDA but from you, too, [as the benefiting community].
UNMISS head of Kuajok field office Anastasie Nyirigira said that while serving to diminish water-related conflicts, the project would also ensure that all internally displaced persons in the area have a chance to access clean drinking water.
Tonj Governor Mathew Mathiang Magoordit thanked UNMISS and CIDA for their partnership and assistance to the community of Manyang-Ngok county.
"I am happy and grateful to UNMISS," he said, noting, "You have helped the community by providing water and my state administration will fully cooperate with you.
(With Inputs from APO)

EPA to Limit Cancer-Causing Manmade Chemicals in Drinking Water

Reuters / Carlos Barria The Environmental Protection Agency is setting a limit on the level of toxic cancer-causing chemicals allowed in drinking water.
The agency will announce a plan Thursday to control a group of manmade chemicals known as PFAs—found in non-stick cookware and stain-resistant carpeting—which are linked to cancer as well as liver and thyroid damage.
It’s not yet known what the specific permitted level for the toxic substances will be, but drinking water systems around the country will be tested for the chemicals to make sure they’re at lower levels than they were at a previous round of testing in 2012.
It was previously reported by Politico that the EPA had no intention to limit the chemicals, which are believed to be contaminating millions of Americans’ tap water.
Alex Jones—the Infowars conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, which left 27 people dead, was a false-flag operation—will be forced to submit to a sworn deposition as part of a defamation lawsuit the victims’ families filed against him.
Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis made the ruling Wednesday that will see Jones answer questions during a five-hour deposition.
Bellis also ordered three other defendants to be deposed who are “critical to Infowars’ business operations,” according to the Sandy Hook families.
Bellis previously ruled that Jones must turn over Infowars’ internal financial, business, and marketing documents.
Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was one of 20 first-graders killed in the shooting, said: “It is far beyond time that [Jones] be held accountable for the pain his false narratives have caused so many and today’s ruling brings us one step closer to doing that.” Jones has repeatedly denied the defamation allegations.

Grahamstown residents queue for hours for water

Parts of Makhanda East, where the townships are located, have been without running water for up to nine days, causing outrage among residents.
According to the Makana Municipality, water on the eastern side of town started being restored on Wednesday, with the pumps working at 50% capacity.
Ngeleza said that the municipality has not been communicating with township residents about when the water will be turned off or on, or where trucks will distribute water.
Failing infrastructure Water is supplied to Makhanda through two treatment works: the Waainek Treatment Works and the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works.
When they run out, the Waainek Treatment Works will shut down, and the town will rely entirely on 10 megalitres a day from the James Kleynhans treatment works.
The James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works supplies water to Makhanda east, the poorer side of town.
The problem with the James Kleynhans water treatment works is less about access to water, and more about ageing infrastructure and failed contracts.
The municipality announced that they had to turn off the pumps, wait for the sludge to settle, and install a new pump before starting to turn the water back on, which it finished doing on Wednesday.
A project to upgrade the pumping capacity, from 10 to 20 megalitres per day was announced in 2015, with the project due to be completed by 2017.
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Investing in infrastructure that will better protect Manitoba communities from flooding and ensure their access to clean drinking water

From: Infrastructure Canada Selkirk, Manitoba, February 13, 2019—Modern reliable water and wastewater systems are crucial to protecting the health of Canadians, keeping Manitoba’s waterways clean and supporting economic growth.
Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and the Honourable Jeff Wharton, Manitoba Minister of Municipal Relations, were in Selkirk to announce joint funding for important upgrades to water and wastewater systems in the City of Selkirk and the R.M.
of Ritchot.
of Ritchot, funding will support upgrades to the raw water supply system and increase the capacity of the reservoir to meet rising water use from rural residents in the R.M.
Agathe, St. Adolphe, Île des Chênes, as well as planned future expansion of the regional water system to the community of Grande Pointe and area.
Both projects will be funded through the Small Communities Fund, with each partner providing one third of the eligible project costs.
These important projects in the City of Selkirk and the R.M.
of Ritchot will not only improve services for residents, but protect the environment, keep communities healthy and livable, and pave the way for economic development and growth.” The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development “These projects will ensure that wastewater in the City of Selkirk and drinking water in Richot will be treated to a higher quality.
Improvements to our municipal infrastructure are a priority in Manitoba, and these projects are an important step towards making our municipalities’ infrastructure stronger and more efficient for all residents.” Jeff Wharton, Minister of Municipal Relations “Since 2011, the City of Selkirk, with the support of our funding partners, have made significant investments into our water and wastewater systems; improving our capacity to serve our growing community, our resiliency to climate change, and our environmental performance.
This project will support the future development of almost 750 acres and will reduce the current demands on our existing system.” Larry Johannson, Mayor of the City of Selkirk “I, along with all of Richot council, am excited for the infrastructure funding from the governments of Canada and Manitoba.

NIGERIA: Five Salesian communities have access to clean water thanks to funding from Salesian Missions “Clean Water Initiative”

(MissionNewswire) Through a “Clean Water Initiative,” Salesian Missions has provided the funding for the construction of 10 water boreholes in communities in Nigeria.
As part of the second phase of the project, the construction of boreholes has begun at Salesian centers in the towns of Koko, Abuja and three others in the Benue State.
The new water supply will help ensure that poor youth, their families and Salesian missionaries living and working in the area have access to safe, clean water for drinking and cooking and for personal hygiene.
This project also ensures access to water for Salesian youth centers that are providing services for street children.
This reduces the number of waterborne illnesses that can affect those in our schools, keeping them away from important study time.” UN-Water estimates that worldwide 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and by 2050, the world’s population will have grown by an estimated 2 billion people pushing global water demand up to 30 percent higher than today.
Women and children often bear the primary responsibility for water collection in the majority of households and globally, spend 140 million hours a day collecting water.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the ninth most populous country in the world.
By UN estimates, Nigeria will be one of the countries responsible for most of the world’s total population increase by 2050.
While Nigeria has the second strongest economy in Africa, it also has extreme rates of poverty with 100 million people living on less than $1 a day.
Poverty still remains one of the most critical challenges facing the country and population growth rates have meant a steady increase in the number of people living in conditions of poverty.

Thousands of Displaced South Sudanese ‘Suffering’ Without Food, Water

Officials in South Sudan’s Yei River State say thousands of people who fled their homes during fighting over the past two weeks are without food or clean water.
Other local residents fled across the border into the northern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The residents fled fighting between government forces and National Salvation Front rebels led by Thomas Cirillo.
Witnesses told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus that soldiers killed civilians, raped women, and burned entire villages.
We are suffering, and children are crying amidst us because they are hungry and there is no food," Dawa told VOA.
James Guya, a father of six who also fled with his children to the shelter outside Yei, said women and children are especially in need of help.
We are staying here without access to clean water.
Lack of funds Moses Mabe, relief and rehabilitation commission coordinator for Yei River County, said county and state governments lack the funds needed to help.
Humanitarian access Eujin Byun, the UNHCR communications officer in Juba, is urging the warring parties to end the fighting and to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers trying to intervene.
"We have an access challenge to those IDPs and we have been blocked by the parties to the conflict, and that is why we are calling on all parties to the conflict to ensure free civilian movement and access for humanitarian actors," Byun told South Sudan in Focus.

Manyang-Ngok community hopes two new boreholes will end feud over water access

A borehole construction project has been launched in Manyang-Ngok county in Tonj, hoping to bring an end to conflicts arising from water access, thanks to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which has broken ground to drill two water points in the remote villages of Akot Madut and Atoong, located more than 40kms from the Tonj area capital.
“Water is life.
I thank them, and I thank God for bringing UNMISS and water,” he said, concluding his stream of gratitude.
Another resident, Ajak Akot, thanked UNMISS for providing water, but took the opportunity to raise other matters of concern, especially those affecting women.
“Now the distance walked in search of water is solved, but women dying during giving birth is not yet over,” she noted.
The project will be implemented by the Community Initiative for Development Agency – CIDA, whose Executive Director, Gabriel Pap Nyok, asked community members to remain peaceful and support the drilling process.
“That commitment should not only be from UNMISS and CIDA, but from you, too, [as the benefitting community].
UNMISS head of Kuajok field office Anastasie Nyirigira said that while serving to diminish water-related conflicts, the project would also ensure that all internally displaced persons in the area have a chance to access clean drinking water.
Tonj Governor Mathew Mathiang Magoordit thanked UNMISS and CIDA for their partnership and assistance to the community of Manyang-Ngok county.
He vowed to cooperate with UNMISS during his tenure as governor.