Brain-Eating Amoeba (Naegleria Fowleri) Swimming in My Pond?

We were recently asked about “brain-eating amobeas”  here is a summary of what we found:

1. The brain-eating amoeba is actually known as Naegleria fowleri and it was discovered in 1965.
   
2. It leaves in a cyst (egg-like stage) and a trophozoites (active stage).
3. Size – Small – 8 to 15 um  (micrometers)  For the record, a penny has a width of 1500 micrometers.
4. They do not like salt or saline water.
5. They like warm stagnant freshwater, including pools and spas not properly treated.
6. Organism enters the body through the NOSE !
7. Infections are Rare and mostly in the southern states.
8. Incubation Period – 2 to 15 days- average is 5 days
9. Symptoms: headache, fever, stiff neck, loss of appetite, vomiting, mental confusion, seizures, and coma.   I am sorry when coma is a symptom – WOW!!!!

Want to read more and get the details – We Suggest Web MD  !!!!   Source Information for this Summary!

We were asked about water testing – we could not find anything specific, but this would be two solid screening tests for surface water for this issue.

A. Total Microbiological Quality   (E.Coli, Coliform bacteria, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Heliobacter Pylori, Sphingomonas, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus and more)

Or

B. General Pond Water Screening with Bacteria

Hot New Concern in Drinking Water GenX and PFAS !  (Emerging drinking water contaminants)

Recomended Reading

Wells and Septic Systems Paperback

The Septic System Owner’s Manual Paperback

Master Watershed Steward Program and Training in Watershed Management

The Keystone Clean Water Team has been involved in watershed training and citizen based science programs since the foundation of the organization.  We have conducted rain barrel workshops, training sessions on low impact development and rural/urban landowner stormwater management, citizen science and stream and lake monitoring programs, education on conservation of water, resources, and energy, private well owner outreach, groundwater/watershed education, and stream and watershed assessments.

In June and July of 2019, we were asked by the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Program to conduct 2 training sessions for their education efforts.

Program 1:  “Earth- Was Not Always a Big Blue Ball”
Program 2:   “Pennsylvania – Balancing Natural Gas/Development/ Groundwater and the Environment ”

If you are looking for other resources on these topics, please consider the following:

Educational Booklet on Drinking Water In Pennsylvania

Know Your H20 Store – Neighborhood Hazard Reports (Nationwide) and Water Testing Services

Interesting Reading:  The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water

Training Courses
Natural Gas and Fracking – Environmental Consequences
Stream Restoration (Course 1 of 6)
Stream Monitoring Program – Use our Surface Water Quality Index Calculator (give your stream or surface water a Grade)

You can find information on the Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to educate and empower volunteers to protect environmental resources. Training and volunteer service are coordinated at the county level by extension staff, partners, or trained volunteers. Generally 15-20 people are selected for the program each year. Those accepted to the program attend training classes that focus on a broad range of water resource topics, including groundwater, stream ecology, wetlands, invasive plants, water recreation and stormwater management. There is a one-time registration cost to those accepted into the program. This is to cover the cost of the manual, name tag, and cost of the meeting facilities.  Master Watershed Stewards work with the community to improve the health of our streams, rivers and other natural resources.

Example projects

Education and Training Biofuels Energy Renewable LEED

Open Letter to website visitors

This is Mr. Brian Oram.  I am the current manager of the Carbonwaters.org blog and the Keystone Clean Water Team.  As part of our effort, we have been attempting to provide fact based information on environmental issues, energy issues and other matters using a fair, honesty, and balanced approach.  In many ways, I believe we have accomplished this goal.  Since I have over 30 years experience in training professionals (trades and licensed professionals), we have attempted to provide information and links to solid educational opportunities.  In many cases, we have search for solid training programs or assisted training programs.   This webpage is a link to some of the recent education programs that we have found on the topics of energy, renewable energy, and related topics.  In order to help and support the 501 c3, we are informing you that for some of these links we receive a referral fee or commission.  We are attempting to make the organization sustainable and this is one of the branches we are attempting to create:

Courses

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) “Green Associate course is designed to educate candidates on the cutting edge green building and sustainable design practices, and enables participants to designate that expertise with an internationally recognized professional credential. Developed and backed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED Green Associate and credential has gained national and global notoriety. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is one of the most widely used standards for green building and design. The Tier 1: LEED Green Associate training course and exam covers general information on green building practices for residential and commercial projects, and prepares individuals to support other professionals working on projects seeking LEED certification. This course will also prepare you for the LEED Green Associate Credential from USGBC (US Green Building Council). This is an internationally recognized certification that designates expertise in green building and design principles. The exam fee is included with the course.”

Solar Power Professional -“Get the renewable energy training you need as you learn the basics of solar systems, their benefits, and their many applications. Examine the history of photovoltaic solar power, and gain a sense for where the PV industry is headed. We’ll start with basic safety, including how to avoid potential accidents and how to create a safe work environment as well as the use of protective equipment. You’ll master the fundamentals of electricity and solar energy, including how to calculate simple circuit values and predict solar position using solar path diagrams. Upon completion of this course, you’ll have a thorough understanding of PV applications, working safety as it pertains to this field, basic electricity, and PV module fundamentals.”

Biofuel Production – “At the present time, hundreds of facilities worldwide are producing biofuels. Over the next few decades many advances will be made in this field, and hundreds of new facilities will be built to produce this type of fuel. This opens a new field for potential workers. For decades to come, biofuels will be produced and consumed in the United States, creating an ongoing demand for biofuel production workers. The Biofuel Production Operations Online Training course will give you the education you need to begin an exciting career in biofuel production. As a biofuel production operator, your job will be to ensure the quality and purity of the biofuel your plant produces. This involves inspecting and repairing equipment, operating computer systems, and handling lab equipment. This online course will ensure you have the skills you need to handle these tasks.”

Others

Natural Gas Plant Operations – “Natural gas plant operators monitor and control the systems and equipment that take gas from its natural state and convert it into a usable product. Your job is to ensure that the gas produced is free of impurities. The purified gas is then separated into products such as ethane, propane, butane, and methane. You’ll also be responsible for the flow of this processed gas into the pipelines that carry it to the various industries and homes that use it for fuel. In addition, you’ll make gas flow changes to the supply system to keep pace with customer demands. Natural gas plant operators earn above-average wages and enjoy good job security and potential to advance into supervisory or management positions. This is a user-friendly course, designed for people who have no prior exposure to technical aspects of hydrocarbons, energy, or industrial processes. No prior science or math education is necessary; the course includes all of the necessary basic science and technology elements.”

Power Plant Operations – “If you want a career with high pay and a stable work environment, our Power Plant Operations Online Training course will get you on the right track. Now is an excellent time to start an exciting career as a power plant operator—there are thousands of power plants in the United States alone, and a large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating open power plant operator jobs for many years to come. Power plant operator training will prepare you to fill the ongoing need for entry-level positions in this industry. We offer a unique, user-friendly course designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry, math, physics, or chemistry. The necessary science concepts are built into the course modules. Very few institutions provide power plant operator training and certification programs for entry-level operators, so your certificate from this course will give you an edge over others in the field. After you complete this course, you will be fluent in how to operate a power plant with safety as the prime consideration. You’ll be able to make adjustments to keep system process variables, such as flows, temperatures, and pressures, within acceptable ranges; detect both potential and actual problems and analyze operational trends as well as take corrective actions. You’ll also learn important strategies to sustain communication with other operators, as well as maintenance and management.”

Using Plants to Clean Things Up – “In the United States, there are thousands of chemical manufacturing facilities, run by chemical plant operators. These operators are highly paid and enjoy a stable work environment, and there is an ongoing need for entry-level personnel. Currently a large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating a critical shortage of technical workers for many years to come. This course can help you get started. There are very few institutions that provide training for entry-level operators. This Chemical Plant Operations Online Training course is unique and user friendly, designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry or math, physics, or chemistry. The necessary science concepts are built into the course modules. Get started in the field by taking the Chemical Plant Operations Online Training course!”

Oil Refinery Operations – “The United States is home to thousands of oil refineries, all of which need experts to run their operations. Oil refinery operators are highly paid and enjoy a stable work environment, and there’s an ongoing need for entry-level personnel. Sounds great, right? The Oil Refinery Operations Online Training course will teach you everything you need to know to enter the energy industry as an oil refinery operator. Our oil refinery training is unique and user-friendly, designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry. The energy industry is ever-changing, encompassing everything from power plant operations, to petrochemicals like oil and natural gas, to renewable energy sources. Taking an oil refinery operations course offers you a path to a growing sector of the field. A large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating a critical shortage of technical workers for many years to come—which is great for entry-level workers.

Currently very few institutions provide entry-level training and courses in oil refinery operation. Generally, oil refinery operators enter the workforce in entry-level positions and work their way up, sometimes to senior management positions. In their day-to-day tasks, oil refinery operators have the responsibility to make sure unit and process systems function properly. They consider personnel safety the primary objective and ensure production processes are operating safely. They continually monitor instrumentation and the operation of equipment and make adjustments to keep system process variables within acceptable ranges. Oil refinery operators also detect potential and actual problems and take corrective action to prevent the interruption of system operations. You will learn how to perform all these oil refinery processes in our course, and more.”

Other courses in the Trades Programs

We are hoping to add more course on Geothermal Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Audit, and much more.   If you have a course, you would like to see link to this webpage:  Please leave a message in the comment section.   If the comment section is closed email bfenviro @ ptd.net.

Thanks for understanding

 

Brian Oram

Free Pesticide Recertification Credit Events and Mid-Season Turf Care

Aquarius Supply are holding some valuable (and FREE) PA and NJ pesticide recertification credit events in the coming weeks. I understand your time is valuable, so I make sure to cater the content of the presentations to maximize the amount of recertification credits you receive in only 1 hour. As a bonus, NJ ProFACT, ISA, and PCH credits will also be offered during these 1 hour credit talks at select locations. Please see the dates, times, locations, and recertification credit offerings below.

All of the PA and NJ events will offer free lunch (optional) from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The credit talks will start at 12:30 PM and end promptly at 1:30 PM. Please reach out to me to register.

NJ Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved: (2)-CORE, (2)-3a, (2)-3b; (2) ProFACT Credits Pending
7/29 Aquarius Supply, Lakewood, NJ
7/31 Aquarius Supply, Hawthorne, NJ
8/1 Aquarius Supply, Whippany, NJ
8/8 Aquarius Supply, Sewell, NJ

PA Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved: (1)-CORE, (1)-PC, (1)-05, (1)-06, (1)-23; PCH and ISA Credits Pending
8/6 Aquarius Supply, Allentown, PA
8/9 Aquarius Supply, Norristown, PA

Lastly, have you ever wondered where your grass seed comes from? Or, what Blue Tag Certified seed actually is? Do you know that it takes one full acre of farm land to produce only 1 ton of grass seed? Please join us for a short webinar on July 25th from 2-2:30 PM hosted by Aquarius Supply and Mountain View Seeds to get these and many more questions answered. This educational event will arm you with the knowledge needed to make an informed buying decision when it comes to your upcoming seed purchase. Please click on the link below to register.

SIGN UP FOR OUR UPCOMING WEBINAR ON JULY 25TH:
“WHAT’S IN THE BAG?” HOSTED BY AQUARIUS SUPPLY AND MOUNTAIN VIEW SEEDS.

RSVP ON EVENTBRITE

Penn State Extension to Provide No-Cost Drinking Water Testing for Lead and Other Pollutants in a Limited Number of Private Wells, Springs and Cisterns

Community Announcement

Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants?  If not, here is your chance.

Penn State Extension has received funding from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners using private water wells, springs or cisterns in Luzerne County.  The testing is for private water supplies that are actively being used for drinking water in the household. Camps or seasonal households that are not continuously used are not eligible for this program. The commercial value of this water testing would be $100.

This testing is limited to the first 40 households using a private well, spring or cistern that register at  https://extension.psu.edu/safe-drinking-water-workshop

Once you register, you can pick up your drinking water test kit at the Luzerne County Extension office at 16 Luzerne Ave, Suite 200 West Pittston, PA 18643 starting on June 10. Instructions on how to collect the water sample are included in the kit.  Water tests kits will be collected at the Luzerne County Extension office on July 22 & August 8, 2019.

 

Individual water samples will be analyzed for numerous drinking water parameters including total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, corrosivity, nitrate, arsenic, copper and lead.  Results of your testing will be available during two separate one-hour workshops to be held at 2:00 PM or 6:00 PM on August 27 at the Dallas Emergency Services Building, 3593 State Route 118 Dallas PA 18612. You will be asked to attend one of these workshops to get your water test results.  A brief presentation will also be given including professional interpretation of your results and information on how to solve drinking water problems.

Diagnose a Drinking Water Problem

Other Water Testing Products

1. City Water Users (lab test)
2. Well Water Users (lab test)
3. Home Screening Test