Perth nurses want free lead test after water contamination concerns.
MORE than 160 nurses at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital say free blood testing should be offered as the lead contamination scandal continues.
Australian Nursing Federation State secretary Mark Olson said about 96 per cent of nurses surveyed believed blood tests should be offered to staff, which was a clear sign members were concerned.
“To be clear, the ANF is not forcing tests on anyone, we are just responding to concerns from our members and the community about unsafe lead levels in the area,” Mr Olson said.
“Anyone who has spent a lot of time in the QEII area, is concerned about having been affected by lead and wants a test should be entitled to a free test from the Government.” He said the McGowan Government told the ANF this week it would distribute information sheets to SCGH staff about the availability of the free tests.
A spokesman for North Metropolitan Health Service said the Chief Health Officer had advised the water supply on the QEIIMC site was safe to drink.
“However, NMHS has made available expert health officers to provide information, clarification and reassurances to staff about the safety of the drinking water on the QEIIMC site, as well as facilitate a blood test referral,” he said.
The blood tests, each costing about $35, would be covered by NMHS.
Health Minister Roger Cook last week said two out of 500 water tests at the hospital precinct in the past financial year showed results that “did not meet Australian drinking water guidelines”.
High readings were recorded on March 13 and 22.

Health Dept fines Big Island Dairy for pollution violations.
HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has issued a Notice of Violation and Order to Big Island Dairy, LLC for the unlawful discharge of wastewater from the dairy’s Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFO), located in O’okala on Hawaii Island, to Kaohaoha Gulch.
The DOH has ordered Big Island Dairy, LLC to immediately cease discharging wastewater to state waters, pay a penalty of $25,000 to the state, and take corrective actions to prevent future unlawful discharges from the dairy to state waters.
Further, the dairy is required to apply to DOH for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit required under the Federal Clean Water Act, and State of Hawaii water pollution laws.
Additional DOH oversight of other past and current dairy issues is continuing.
Requirement for an NPDES Permit Authorizing the Discharge to State waters Under the federal Clean Water Act and state water pollution laws, a dairy with 700 or more mature milking cows which operates as a CAFO and discharges is required to obtain and comply with an NPDES permit.
NPDES permits regulate the discharges from the dairy to state and federal waters by requiring implementation of pollution reducing practices and compliance reporting.
The CNMP will be an enforceable provision of the NPDES permit.
The dairy must develop corrective action plans if the dairy finds any evidence of waste or wastewater within state waters due to dairy operations.
The Hawaii Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch protects the health of residents and visitors who enjoy Hawaii’s coastal and inland water resources.

An official at the wastewater treatment plant in the town said the volume of rain resulted in surface water getting into the sewage system.
Despite some discoloration of the water coming up through people’s sump pumps and drain pipes, it is mostly rainwater coming from the sanitary sewers, said Jeff Ritter, chief operator at the sewage treatment plant and water pollution control center.
Ritter said he was unable to determine how many homes were affected Friday.
"I do know that, if your house was built before a certain time, they have the sewer laterals go underneath their basement slabs.
He said the problem may have been exacerbated in cases where residents have their sump pumps illegally connected to the sanitary sewers.
"The sump pump is supposed to go to the storm sewer," Ritter said.
He said the town’s sewer system has cracks in it and compromised spots where ground water can get in, especially in cases where there has been heavy rainfall.
You can have a brand new sewer system with only five houses hooked into it, if you have this much water come down, you’re going to get flooded," Ritter said.
The town of Porter, village of Youngstown, and the village and town of Lewiston contribute to the sewage treatment plant in the town.
Our storm sewers have not been able to convey the water fast enough.

EPA chief recuses himself from lawsuits he had joined as Oklahoma’s attorney general.
EPA chief Scott Pruitt has recused himself from lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency that he was involved in as Oklahoma’s attorney general.
He also will not take part in any cases in which the state of Oklahoma is a party.
"I am taking this action to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety," Pruitt said in the statement.
In his previous role as Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt participated in more than a dozen lawsuits against the EPA, including challenges to the Obama-era’s Clean Power Plan and a rule related to the Clean Water Act.
Pruitt said in his statement Thursday that his recusal "addresses all of my ethics obligations."
During Pruitt’s confirmation hearing, Democrats pressed him on his stances on rules intended to protect against climate change and air and water pollution and urged him to recuse himself from the 14 cases in which he had participated in lawsuits against the agency he was named to lead.
Pruitt at the hearing discussed his view that the bulk of environmental regulations should be in the hands of the states.
In explaining his decision to now recuse himself from the lawsuits, Pruitt wrote in the statement that he had conferred with the Office of General Counsel’s Ethics Office and determined, "I must recuse myself from matters in which I have a financial interest, or a personal or business relationship."
"I am committed to enacting the president’s regulatory agenda by reviewing, revising or rescinding rules and regulations created by the previous administration that cause undue or unnecessary stress on American jobs or the economy," Pruitt said in a statement about the recusal.

Geography Lagos- Location, Population Growth, Economic Challenges, Traffic Issues, Water Pollution.
If you’re educated, then more likely to find work in growing industry, e.g. finance/film/fashion What are economic opportunities in Lagos?
-Informal economy is a type of employment that comprises work done without official knowledge of government & so, without paying taxes.
-Life expectancy, yrs spent in school & wealth have all improved significantly in 21stC -Lagos is above average improvement with better health care, education & employment than rural areas.
a) Obtaining raw materials from land or sea b) Manufacturing to produce goods c) Services that people need What is the main type of employment in Lagos?
-tertiary- 78%- services that people need, as Lagos is home to many new service industries, e.g. finance in the CBD Why is the informal economy important?
Water vendors How does water treatment plants supply water?
How do water vendors supply water?
-Rapidly growing industries unregulated, so industries further pollute water with chemicals -Access to proper toilets is limited, so people use pit latrines/pail latrines, polluting groundwater.
-In 2003, government set up Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to improve transport in city.

Plan could energize sewer plant’s options.
HERMITAGE – Hermitage Municipal Authority is exploring a new use for the energy it generates at the water pollution control plant – charging batteries.
These aren’t batteries like the 9-volts in your smoke alarm or the C’s in a flashlight.
The power stored in the batteries would be "available to the grid as a backup system," Darby said.
"We would charge them with our generator," Darby said.
The authority has been selling electricity to the electrical grid – the interconnection between power companies – and getting a credit for the amount sold on its Pennsylvania Power Co. electric bill.
Viridity officials want to visit the plant, meet operators and review the plant’s capability, said consulting engineer Jason Wert of RETTEW Inc.
If Viridity thinks an arrangement will work, it will make a formal proposal to the authority, Penn Power will review its responsibilities under the proposal and PJM will make a final determination, Wert said.
"It’s on your property but you’re not managing and running the cell tower," Wert said.
"I think it’s going to be for the public’s benefit and it will be available to us in an emergency as well," Darby said.

Nature lover Ramakrishnan Ramasamy’s goal to save Cameron Highlands is filled with challenges.
As the president of the non-governmental organisation, Regional Environment Awareness Cameron Highlands, he faces constant threats from those who want him to back down.
But to the public, he is known as the president of the non-governmental organisation, Regional Environment Awareness Cameron Highlands (Reach), since 2000.
“These actions have resulted in a host of problems, from falling ground temperatures to landslides, dying rivers, traffic jams, littering and polluting of the water supply.
This was not the Cameron Highlands we all know.
“I was made the president the following year and have been leading the organisation ever since.
“On many occasions, there were unknown individuals who issued warnings and even death threats to me.
“We work with schools, universities, the corporate sector and also the local community to learn and engage in biodiversity.
“However, I declined because this has never been part of my goals.
“Even if we can get more people who want to save Cameron Highlands to come on board, our mission is already a success.”

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Impact of Global Warming & Climate Change.
The changing climate patterns and global warming caused by carbon emissions pose a formidable threat to the dwellers of the earth.
As appears, the acknowledged threats posed by global warming, the industrialised nations are not meeting their obligations properly and remain oblivious to imminent dangers posed by the climate change.
Environmental experts recommend two-pronged strategies to deal with the problem of global warming, i.e. adaptation to global warming and climate change mitigation.
Adaptation to global warming is a response to global warming related to minimizing the exposures of the social and biological systems to the climate changes.
Therefore, the industrialized countries that are responsible for the emanation of heat-trapping gases into the air, contributing to global warming and resultant climate changes, must not only address this issue seriously but also assist the developing nations in coping with the effects of global heating.
As estimated, the two-thirds (2/3) of the greenhouse gases are being the trapped by these vapors.
On that point, there are uncountable reports on adverse climate change due to massive Indian military activity in this area.
The prominent cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad confront excessive noise pollution that leads to the auditory issues, sleeplessness, stress, and cardiovascular diseases.
The environmental conditions in Pakistan are getting worse.

EPA chief recuses himself from lawsuits he was involved in as Oklahoma’s attorney general.
(WASHINGTON) — EPA chief Scott Pruitt has recused himself from lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency that he was involved in as Oklahoma’s attorney general.
He also will not take part in any cases in which the state of Oklahoma is a party.
“I am taking this action to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety,” Pruitt said in the statement.
In his previous role as Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt participated in more than a dozen lawsuits against the EPA, including challenges to the Obama-era’s Clean Power Plan and a rule related to the Clean Water Act.
Pruitt said in his statement Thursday that his recusal “addresses all of my ethics obligations.” During Pruitt’s confirmation hearing, Democrats pressed him on his stances on rules intended to protect against climate change and air and water pollution and urged him to recuse himself from the 14 cases in which he had participated in lawsuits against the agency he was named to lead.
“What the American people are expecting here is that the EPA doesn’t turn into every polluters’ ally,” Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.)
said to Pruitt during his hearing, urging him to recuse himself “from every case you brought.” Pruitt at the hearing discussed his view that the bulk of environmental regulations should be in the hands of the states.
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