The thought on everyone’s mind behind the Yoke’s grocery store in Airway Heights Wednesday morning was, “Where’s the water?” “Everybody’s out,” said Martha Grall, as she smoked a cigarette outside of her car. Behind her’s was a line of eight others waiting patiently for a water shipment that was supposed to arrive at 7 a.m., but was more than two hours late. When news broke late last night that water from city pipes likely is contaminated with chemical runoff from Fairchild Air Force Base, word quickly spread that city officials were handing out bottled water. Crowds of more than 100 began arriving to the area behind the grocery store Tuesday night. Firefighters and volunteers handed out more than 300 packs of water by 9:15 p.m. But by 7 a.m. the next morning, all of the water was gone – about 700 gallons total, said Mitch Metzger, fire chief for Airway Heights. Another shipment of about several thousand gallons was due this morning, according to deputy fire chief Nate Whannell, but volunteers and water-less residents were left scratching their head. Metzger said the city ordered the water from Food Services of America. He said a…

Areas around manufacturing sites still heavily contaminated with antimicrobials and breeding multidrug-resistant pathogens Effluent from Indian pharmaceutical firms contains high levels of antibiotics, and is contributing to the growth and spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria.
A team led by Christoph Lübbert from Leipzig University Hospital, Germany, analysed antibiotic pollution in Hyderabad, where 30% of India’s drug exports are manufactured.
They collected water samples close to bulk drug manufacturing facilities in and around the Patancheru–Bollaram industrial zone on the city’s outskirts; near two sewage treatment plants; and from the Musi River and habitats within Hyderabad and nearby villages.1 ‘The pharmaceutical industry has argued that it has improved production processes,’ says Lübbert.
We wanted to find out whether the situation has really changed or if there are still problems.’ The researchers analysed samples for 25 different antibiotic and antifungal pharmaceuticals using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.
Almost all the samples contained bacteria resistant to multiple drugs, and many were contaminated with ‘excessively high concentrations’ of antibiotics and antifungals.
Antimicrobial pollution is not a new issue.2 ‘Pharmaceuticals in the environment are a global challenge, but India has become a hotspot for this particular problem,’ Lübbert adds.
‘Although pollution from bulk drug manufacturing is less widespread, discharges that promote development of drug-resistant microorganisms can still have global consequences.’ Transfer of genetic information between pathogens, and global transit of goods and people, mean resistance can spread quickly.
This is the highest concentration of any drug ever measured in the environment The Bulk Drug Manufacturers’ Association of India (BDMAI) recently commissioned its own study, performed by Siddavattam Dayananda from the University of Hyderabad.3 The study compared bacterial loads in water and soil samples from areas near to manufacturing plants and up to 50km away.
Lübbert points out several significant flaws in the BDMAI analysis, and calls the conclusions ‘questionable’ and inaccurate.
That is highly unethical and irresponsible.’ As well as improving effluent treatment from manufacturers and eliminating environmental discharges, he highlights the need to restrict sales of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, and to improve waste disposal systems in hospitals.

Airway Heights residents warned not to drink tap water amid chemical contamination findings from Fairchild AFB.
Airway Heights residents lined up by the hundreds Tuesday night to receive bottled water after city officials advised residents not to drink or cook with water from city pipes, as it is likely contaminated with chemical runoff from Fairchild Air Force Base.
But the tap water “is safe for activities where water will not be ingested, such as bathing, doing laundry and washing dishes,” the city and the Air Force said in a joint statement Tuesday evening.
They said the warning was issued “out of an abundance of caution” and does not apply to residents east of Hayford Road, who get water from the city of Spokane’s system.
The chemicals are believed to have come from a fire-extinguishing foam the Air Force used from 1970 until last year on a fire-training site as well as two locations where aircraft have crashed.
Fairchild officials said last week they had expanded their search farther east and south of the base; the chemicals had been detected at concerning levels in at least 17 wells.
In the statement, Air Force Col. Ryan Samuelson said that “we cannot know the extent to which any past base activities contributed to the PFOS/PFOA concentrations in this area.” In a phone call, Airway Heights Mayor Kevin Ritchey said base officials tested four city wells and found contamination in three of them, all in the area of West 21st Avenue and South Lawson Street.
“The problem is the test results take about a week, so we’re talking seven to 10 days to be completely sure” the contamination is reduced, Ritchey said.
The EPA says most people have low levels of the chemicals in their bloodstreams because of exposure from consumer products.
The Air Force said the EPA’s recommendations are based on “cumulative lifetime exposure from water ingestion, not from skin contact or breathing water vapor.” Officials are looking for alternative water sources and may install filtration systems on the affected wells.

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. – Airway Heights water customers are being advised not to drink the city’s water or use it for cooking due to ground water contamination. On Tuesday, Airway Heights and Fairchild Airforce Base said preliminary groundwater sampling results for two water wells indicate high levels of two different acids (PFOS and PFOA). The acids are classified by the EPA as emerging contaminants and are present in common household items and heat and fire resistant products, including aqueous film forming foam formulations that were used by the Air Force in fire trucks from 1970-2016 including those at Fairchild AFB. The air force is validating the findings and they expect to provide final…

State Comptroller Joseph Shapira published his annual report on Tuesday, slamming the government for a variety of deficiencies in the arenas of medicine, cyber crime and others, while also calling on the attorney-general to investigate Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel.
Shapira said the report reflected his focus on the “two flagship issues” of “struggling against public corruption” and “defending human rights, with an emphasis on protecting the rights of weaker sectors” of society.
While the report acknowledged the agreement led to development of the Tamar Reservoir and the flow of gas to Israel earlier than the initial target date, Shapira said the resultant rise in gas prices cost the IEC between $820 million and $1.5 billion – likely influencing electricity rates as well.
Shapira found that ministries granted the Jewish Agency exemption from tender bids in a number of areas – only some of which were permitted according to an agreement reached with the government.
In 1952, the state granted the Jewish Agency a unique status, which among other things allowed it exemption from tendering contracts in specified areas.
The agreement was renewed in 1979.
The audit found, however, that ministries allowed the agency to implement some projects in areas that were incompatible with functions listed in the agreement and others which were clearly not permitted.
Shapira also tackled the issue of cross-boundary water pollution, describing the problem as Israel’s most serious ecological hazard that crosses the Green Line.
Blaming a variety of government authorities for failing to coordinate their activities or set specific policy for handling the treatment of such resources, the state comptroller called upon relevant officials to join forces immediately.
Shapira called upon all relevant parties to take “systemic action” and unify under one inter-ministerial team, as well as enlist international support, to find solutions to what has become one of the gravest problems in the region.

The mooted 70GL reduction has resulted from an ongoing consultation process over the past four years and MDBA modelling of social, economic and environmental impacts which has also involved farming representatives.
The review process will trigger legislative amendments to adjust the Basin Plan, to be moved by Mr Joyce in federal parliament in July or August, while backing from the NSW and Queensland governments for the 70GL proposal is critical to the final outcome.
“I note the Authority’s own economic modelling shows a 390GL Plan would cost 205 jobs in the St George and Dirranbandi areas, while the 320GL plan costs 132 jobs,” he said.
He said the MDBA had acted in good faith recommending a lower amount of water be recovered from the Northern Basin with minimal environmental impact but “the actions of the Deputy Prime Minister change the context completely”.
“The Deputy Prime Minister needs to clarify if he supports the whole Plan or just the parts that suit him – there are no half-way measures here.” But a spokesperson for Minister Joyce said Mr Burke trying to make a political ‘upstream versus downstream’ issue out of the Northern Basin review was “pathetic and disappointing”.
“Further, MDBA modelling shows that under their recommended changes, SA is likely to receive increased flows in drier periods.” “Now who is playing politics with water?” The spokesperson said under the proposed 70GL scenario, around 200 jobs would be saved across struggling Northern Basin communities, while still achieving the same level of environmental outcomes.
“It’s important to note that even under the recommended changes there is further recovery to go through for some of these communities,” the statement said.
Mr Whan said according to the MDBA calculations it was “clear” that changing the target from 390GL to 320GL had no measurable impact on water available for SA and the Southern Basin.
“On that basis it is hard to see any practical reason why there would be opposition to the recommendation from the Southern Basin, including SA.” Political support for 70GL and 320GL target Mr Hunter has previously said the SA government wanted evidence that a reduction in the water recovery target from the Northern Basin review would have little impact on the southern connecting basin and anything less than 320GL would not be accepted.
The spokesperson said the decision to reduce water recovery in the Northern Basin from 390GL to 320GL was a step in the right direction – but it was disappointing that more productive water would be taken out of some northern communities, effectively leading to NSW being ‘over recovered’.

Contract awarded for Crawford Field revitalization.
ANDERSON – Work on converting Crawford Field for use as a slow-pitch softball diamond could be completed by June 1.
The Anderson Board of Public Works awarded the contract on Tuesday to Double Eagle Turf Management, which bid $17,200.
The second quote of $18,823 was submitted by Marschands Athletic Field Services.
Currently the slow-pitch leagues are sharing the Pulaski Park diamond with the local fast-pitch league.
In addition to use as a softball facility, Crawford Field will be used for recreational activities in the summer youth program, Community Day gatherings, by the Anderson Township Trustee Girls and Boys Club and for general recreational activities by the public.
In other business: The Board of Public Works declared as surplus property items from eight city departments that will be auctioned off this summer.
Items to be auctioned include a 1970 GM bus from Emergency Management; a 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier, two 1995 Ford pickup trucks, a 1998 Jeep Cherokee, 1999 Ford pickup truck, 2002 Ford Ranger and 2001 Buick Century from Anderson Municipal Light & Power; two 1995 Chevrolet pickup trucks, two 1996 Chevrolet pickup trucks, and a 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck from the Water Department.
The board took under advisement single bids for plumbing work at three houses through the Homeowner Rehab program of the Community Development Department.
Water Works Inc. submitted the only bid for the following properties: 1111 E. 28th St., $2,895; 2924 Walton St., $6,355; and 706 W. Fourth St., $2,052.

Standing in front of a former Martindale-Brightwood plating plant cleared of hazardous materials, environmental activists Tuesday ticked off the impacts that President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget could have across Indiana.
And less money for emergency clean-up projects like the one that removed hazardous chemicals from the former Williamson Polishing and Plating site.
“One of the key points is that the program that cleaned this up is slated for the 17 percent budget cuts,” said Dr. Indra Frank, director of environmental health and water policy for the Hoosier Environmental Council.
He has said that this move would help to promote job growth and that the states should assume the regulatory power that the agency currently holds.
Brown Ave. IDEM does not have the resources to do clean-ups at sites such as this one, which had a range of hazardous materials, including sodium cyanide, sodium hydroxide, silver, zinc, other metals and numerous acids.
It took the EPA about four months and $1.8 million to clean up the site.
“We know this type of industry pollution would not be tolerated in wealthier neighborhoods,” said Elizabeth Gore, president of the Martindale Brightwood Environmental Justice Collaborative and an Indianapolis Public Schools board member.
The area is still suffering the consequences of an explosion more than 45 years ago at a lead smelter.
In 2016, that program funded 84 projects in Indiana for a total of $125 million.
“People need to understand that EPA programs make a real and positive difference in Indiana communities… None of us wants the air to be dirtier, the water to be more dangerous to drink or abandoned sites like this one abandoned forever."

A study carried out by the Goa State Pollution Control Board on air quality at the mining hub of Sonshi in Sattari taluka since May 2 has found that the air quality measurement equipment installed by the mining companies in the village were manipulated, as a result the air quality has been shown far below the permissible level.
A report presented by ten mining companies to the board on Monday shows falsely recorded air quality standard below the safe level; within 20-30 microgram per cubic metre (mpcm).
According to the GSPCB data on ambient air quality, the respirable particulate matter (RPM or PM10), which directly affects breathing, has gone up by over seven to eight times at Sonshi from the national ambiance air quality standard of 100 mpcm.
Ambient air quality monitoring stations measure real time and peak concentration levels of dangerous pollutants in air.
Interestingly, six to seven air quality monitoring stations installed by the mine owners have recorded fake air quality readings through manipulation of the machines.
Thirteen mine leases had been given consent to operate by the board, and of which only 10 operated.
Despite the suspension of mining activities by the board at Sonshi from April 28, the mining companies have repeatedly defied the board order and continued with their operations.
However, it was found that for two days – April 30 and May 1 – mining had been completely halted by the mine owners.
And from May 7 a major mining company still continued with its operations till May 13 making around 3800 trips of mining trucks.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa had also said that there should be no mining-related vehicular traffic on Sonshi’s roads till the show-cause notices issued by the GSPCB are decided upon.

PhD Studentship: Exploring farmers’ attitudes to on-farm control measures of water pollution.
The research in this PhD will explore farm business structures and management decisions and their evolution in response to the CSF programme, with a strong emphasis on farmer attitudes to a range of on-farm measures including those that are less popular with farmers.
What informs the attitudes of farmers to these measures and what might allow or encourage attitudinal shift?
This requires more in-depth research with farmers than standard interview surveys.
So it is anticipated that the student will spend time on farms in observation and conversation (an ethnographic approach) and/or conduct farmer focus groups with the study areas.
The studentship is part of a major new research programme, commissioned by the Environment Agency and led by Professor Adrian Collins at Rothamsted Research, exploring the landscape scale impacts of on-farm measures for controlling diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) funded and delivered by the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) initiative.
We have a good idea of what measures appeal to famers and those that do not.
In the main, and not surprisingly, the more attractive measures are those that fit better with existing farming systems and have cost benefits to farmers (either through lower input costs or grant aid).
The studentship, open to Home/EU applicants only, includes the Home/EU fee rate (currently £4,400 per annum) and a maintenance stipend at UK research council rates (currently £14,553 per annum), plus research allowance of £2,000 per annum.
Full details of the studentships, including how to apply, can be found here: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2601 Further details about these studentships are available from our Graduate Research School: ssis-researchadmissions@exeter.ac.uk Deadline for applications is 21st June 2017.