Flint Authority Falsely Reports Water Quality Testing for Lead in Drinking Water
“FLINT, MI – As concerns about Flint’s water quality were mounting earlier this year, the city disregarded federal rules requiring it to seek out homes with lead plumbing for testing, potentially leading the city and state to underestimate for months the extent of toxic lead leaching into Flint’s tap water.
City water officials filed certified documents with state regulators that claimed the city only tested tap water from homes where residents were at the highest risk of lead poisoning, but records obtained by The Flint Journal-MLive show those claims were false and may have delayed efforts to fix the public health emergency.
Water samples sent to state labs for testing in the first six months of this year were all marked as having come from homes with lead service lines, but actually almost always came from homes at less risk of lead leaching – houses with underground plumbing made of copper, galvanized steel or materials that could not be identified, according to the city’s own documents given to The Journal through the Freedom of Information Act.
In response to questioning, Flint Utilities Administrator Mike Glasgow said the city was struggling to collect the number of samples that were required following the city’s switch to the Flint River as its water source in April 2014.”
To read more on this story – go to http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/documents_show_city_filed_fals.html
Learn More about Your Drinking Water
- Get the Know Your H20? Phone App (Free) – http://www.knowyourh20.us
- Learn more about Corrosive Water and Affordable Water Testing – http://www.water-research.ne
The Pennsylvania Association Environmental Professional needs “You” to serve as a member of the Board of Directors
The PAEP needs “You” to serve as a member of the Board of Directors
Have you decided that it is time for you to make a formal commitment to being an Environmental Professional? Would you like to make major contributions to help meet the needs of both public and private sector projects? Would you like to take on a leadership role in the states most active Professional Association for Environmental Professionals? If so, it’s time for you to join the PAEP Board of Directors.
PAEP is a voluntary association headed by a Board of Directors. The Board is composed of
9 elected members from the environmental field. All serve a three year term of office without compensation. In September of each year the process of electing 3 Board Members begins. Board Members are expected to attend: monthly conference calls, local Section Events and the Annual Meeting/Conference.
The Board establishes policy for the PAEP and the Managing Director assists the Board in implementing all of the programs and practices of the Association. The Managing Director, as well as the Conference Coordinator are responsible to the Board.
The Board also meets in January for an Annual Planning Retreat where the Association Officers are elected and installed. As a voluntary association, there is no reimbursement for meeting, travel expenses or the other costs associated with being on the Board of Directors.
Between Board meetings, the Board of Directors is represented by the four Association Officers. The Association Officers meet at the discretion of the PAEP President, as necessary.
This is a transition year for the Board of Directors and in the fall we will be electing 7 Board Members to various terms of office: 3 three-year terms, 3 two-year terms and 1 one-year term. So if you are interested in becoming a member of the PAEP Board this is a great opportunity for you.
If you would like to become a Member of the Board (or retain your current position on the Board) please complete the attached PAEP Board Self Nomination Form 2015 and return it to our Elections Committee by 6:00 PM on Friday October 16, 2015. Forms completed after that date and time may be considered, at the discretion of the Elections Committee. Please Email Form to us at info@paep.org. Make that commitment today!
In addition to the Board of Directors, we are always looking for help to plan and run Section Events or for help on committees, such as our Conference and Scholarship Committees. Please let us know how else you would like to participate in the Association.
Glyphosate Herbicide in Drinking Water Roundup
“Glyphosate is an herbicide that is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It is an ingredient in Roundup, a widely used herbicide, as well as more than 700 other products for sale in the United States. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide used on many food and non-food crops as well as non-crop areas such as roadsides. When applied at lower rates, it serves as a plant growth regulator. The most common uses include control of broadleaf weeds and grasses hay/pasture, soybeans, field corn; ornamental, lawns, turf, forest plantings, greenhouses, and rights-of-way.
Some people who drink water containing glyphosate well in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for many years could experience problems with their kidneys or reproductive difficulties. This health effects language is not intended to catalog all possible health effects for glyphosate. Rather, it is intended to inform consumers of some of the possible health effects associated with glyphosate in drinking water when the rule was finalized. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur. These non-enforceable health goals, based solely on possible health risks and exposure over a lifetime with an adequate margin of safety, are called maximum contaminant level goals (MCLG). Contaminants are any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substances or matter in water.
The MCLG for glyphosate is 0.7 mg/L or 700 ppb. EPA has set this level of protection based on the best available science to prevent potential health problems. EPA has set an enforceable regulation for glyphosate, called a maximum contaminant level (MCL), at 0.7 mg/L or 700 ppb. MCLs are set as close to the health goals as possible, considering cost, benefits and the ability of public water systems to detect and remove contaminants using suitable treatment technologies. In this case, the MCL equals the MCLG, because analytical methods or treatment technology do not pose any limitation.
The Phase V Rule, the regulation for glyphosate, became effective in 1994. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to periodically review the national primary drinking water regulation for each contaminant and revise the regulation, if appropriate. EPA reviewed glyphosate as part of the Six Year Review and determined that the 0.7 mg/L or 700 ppb MCLG and 0.7 mg/L or 700 ppb MCL for glyphosate are still protective of human health.” (EPA 2015)
While the United States classified glyphosate as non-carcinogenic when it was last reviewed in 1993, the World Health Organization published a study in March 2015 that indicates glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. Since the new study was released, there have been many questions asked regarding the safety of glyphosate. According to The Ecologist (June 12, 2015), several countries have banned or restricted use of the weed killer, including France, Columbia, Sri Lanka and El Salvador. In addition, many garden centers across the globe are pulling products that contain glyphosate off their shelves as a precautionary measure to protect customers. However, Roundup remains a staple herbicide in the United States.
Testing for glyphosate previously may have been cost prohibitive for many homeowners. We have partnered with a national testing laboratory to provide a cost-effective alternative that also includes trace metals, volatile organics, and other organic chemicals. For more information, please visit our Testing Testing and Evalatuion Protal but National Testing Laboratories (NTL) now offers a lower-cost test for detecting glyphosate in drinking water. Typical analysis by EPA-approved methods can cost $200 to $400, but the new package offers a much lower price to both water treatment professionals and homeowners.
B.F. Environmental Partners with Keystone Clean Water Team to Share Environmental Data
WILKES-BARRE, PA—September 25, 2015—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today that it will begin making detailed environmental risk reports available to consumers through its partnership with Keystone Clean Water Team, a Pennsylvania-based non-profit. The new program has been launched. The program provides detailed information regarding existing and historic environmental hazards in communities across the country.
“A great deal of environmental risk data is available today but little if any of it is being made available to consumers,” said Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants. “By working with the Keystone Clean Water Team, we’re able to share this information with homeowners so that they will know what dangers are lurking in their neighborhoods and have some idea about what they can do about them.”
As part of the program, B.F. Environmental works with a national environmental database search company to identify possible sources of environmental contamination and then augments that data with information from its proprietary information sources, including its Know Your H2O? app and its online Water Research Center. The reports available to consumers provide a snapshot of the current and historic environmental concerns and hazards that might impact a property as well as a review of select criminal activity.
“The combination of the mobile app, customized reports, research reports, and water testing services will help citizens identify the environmental hazards present in their communities and help them address concerns they have about their city water, well water, or local stream water quality,” Oram said. “We are very proud to link these programs to help identify the little known hazards that affect consumers, identify the possible causes for water quality issues and provide assistance in diagnosing problems.” “If you act quickly you can request a free report- We are offering 500+ free reports – Learn More Here“.
About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.
Get Your Community Hazard Report
Download the Free Phone Apps
Know Your H20? Drinking Water Diagnostic
Baseline Water Testing App – Pennsylvania
Flint Michigan Officials Drinking Water We Have Problems
Flint Officials Are No Longer Saying the Water Is Fine
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/08/us/reassurances-end-in-flint-after-months-of-concern.html?_r=0
By MONICA DAVEY
OCT. 7, 2015
“FLINT, Mich. — All along, through months of complaints from residents of this city about the peculiar colors and odors they said were coming from their faucets, the overriding message from the authorities here was that the water would be just fine.
Yes, there had been a boil order when fecal coliform bacteria turned up in some neighborhoods last year. And yes, the extra chlorine that was pumped in to solve that problem seemed to create another one — increased levels of a different contaminant.
Still, the guidance from Flint officials about the temporary water supply they switched to in 2014 — partly to save money — sounded reassuring. In a notice sent to residents in July, city officials declared: “This is not an emergency. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours.”
The soothing talk has vanished. In recent weeks, testing has shown increased levels of lead in the blood of some Flint children — and health officials pointed to the water as a possible source.
First, the city advised residents to run their water for five minutes before using it, to use only cold water for drinking and cooking, and to install lead-removing water filters. Then county officials issued an emergency advisory recommending that people not drink Flint’s water unless it is tested for lead or filtered.
And last Friday, after corroborating that lead levels had risen in some children, state officials called for the water to be tested at all Flint public schools and for stepped-up efforts to replace lead service lines; they also promised $1 million to provide filters.
Officials met here on Wednesday afternoon, and talks were underway, officials said, for additional solutions that could come as early as Thursday. Gov. Rick Snyder said on Twitter late Wednesday that he planned to make an announcement about the situation on Thursday morning.
Private groups have raced to donate bottled water to schools, where the water fountains are now shut off, as well as filters to families who cannot afford them. Saying “we’re just in a heck of a bind,” Robert J. Pickell, the Genesee County sheriff, began serving bottled water and food that need not be cooked in water to hundreds of inmates in the county jail. Some residents have begun washing their children and pets with bottled water.
And Flint’s mayor, Dayne Walling, who had attended a 2014 event to celebrate the switch to the new water supply, called for returning to the city’s old water supply and urged state officials to provide millions of dollars to help pay for it.
The contaminated water was just the latest blow to Flint, an economically battered city that has struggled for years with factory closings, job losses and population decline.”
Comments
- This can be a problem associated with bacterial regrowth, Microbiologically induced corrosion, corrosive water, and a plumbing problem.
- The primary recommendations get a comprehensive water quality test of the first flush and flushed water sample.
- Always flush the water line prior to use and use cold water and not hot water.
- Base decisions on facts not fear.
- Special Informational Water Screening Testing – Get your water screened for water contamination including lead – unflushed and flushed water samples tested for 30 parameters including corrosion potential for only $ 175.00. Email
JKLM ENERGY, LLC Surfactant Release Potter County Chemical Spill
Initial Press Release (Partial) – Chemical Spill – Potter County, PA (Please like and share with others)
“JKLM ENERGY, LLC INITIATES RESPONSE TO RELEASE OF SURFACTANT AT REESE HOLLOW DRILLING LOCATION IN SWEDEN TOWNSHIP, POTTER COUNTY WEXFORD, Pa (Sept.24) – JKLM Energy, LLC (JKLM) today released information on the company’s ongoing efforts to respond to an incident in which a surfactant solution used in the drilling and completion of natural gas wells is believed to have migrated into shallow subsurface and ground water during initial drilling activities at the Reese Hollow 118 Pad located off Burrows Road in Sweden Township, Potter County, Pa. Surfactants are also referred to as “foaming agents” or “soap.” The migration was discovered following the use of the surfactant to free a broken drill bit piece in the well at 570 feet below ground on September 18th.“
“Local residents with questions may contact Dean Boorum, JKLM’s community liaison, at (814) 598-3960. The company is also establishing a website (www.northhollowresponse.com) to provide regular updates as the groundwater investigation and response process continues.”
Link to Information Portal
Link to Press Release –
“JKLM ENERGY, LLC TO PROVIDE DAILY UPDATES TO COMMUNITY ON PROJECT WEBSITE No Isopropanol Present in Five of Six Initial Well Water Samples Closest to Drilling Location WEXFORD, Pa (Sept.25) – JKLM Energy, LLC today announced plans to issue daily updates to the public regarding the release of drilling chemicals at its Sweden Township, Potter County wellpad. These updates, along with previous press releases and related information will be available at www.northhollowresponse.com, beginning at 4:00 PM today. As of September 24, 2015 JKLM Energy, LLC received lab results from six water sources that had potential groundwater contamination. These results included four of the five private water wells with foamy characteristics for the presence of isopropanol, the chemical of principal concern in the incident, which was not detected in those four wells. The material was also not detected in a sample collected from a spring located in the area of the investigation. The private well with foam closest to the drill site contained 15 ppm (parts per million) isopropanol, which is at the Act 2 standard for aquifers serving residential uses, the threshold for state drinking water standards. These sampling results are consistent with the belief that the aquifer would continue to disperse and degrade the isopropanol as it is transported through the aquifer by means of normal water flow.”
Local Bradford County News Report
Another News Report
Another Report
JKLM ENERGY PROJECT UPDATE, OCTOBER 1
Total number of water samples (water wells, springs and surface water sources) analyzed to date (93), and those found with the presence of methylene blue activated substances (MBAS), isopropanol (IPA) and acetone, a constituent that is expected to be found as isopropanol breaks down in the environment. In a correction from yesterday’s update, a total of five samples have been returned with levels of MBAS above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s non-health secondary standard of 0.5 parts per million (ppm). 5 samples above MBAS standard and 1 above isopropanol standard.
Learn More about Foaming Agents in Well Water
Video –Potter County’s water sources contaminated (9/25/2015) – Must Watch – Solid Information. (53 gallons of chemical used – final concentration or 0.25 % or 2500 mg/L after initial dilution). (Clarity requested- did it say it moved 8000 feet in 1 day?)
dep-notice-of-violation-jklm-energy (9/30/2015)
Our Comments
Testing Should include general water quality, MBAS, isopropanol, and acetone. When isopropanol breaks down in the environment, this is a possible daughter. This would suggest running a full VOC can with TICs to pick up daughters. Therefore, the equivalent of a Tier II may be advisable. The breakdown of isopropanol to acetone was based on feedback and expert information from B.F. Environmental Consultants and Quantum Laboratories.
Drinking Water Standard for foaming agents or MBAS – methyl blue activated substances or surfactants is 0.5 mg/L – potential aesthetic problems.
“Methylene blue active substances (MBAS) are anionic surfactants that can be detected by colorometric or color reaction methods. An MBAS assay is a type of analysis that makes use of a substance called methylene blue in order to detect the existence of foaming agents, detergents as well as other anionic substances in water under testing. With the MBAS assay method, undesirable components in water samples can be detected appropriately. This prevents water corrosion or contamination.”
Acetone – Drinking Water Standard – No formal Standard, but there is a clean up standard of 33 mg/L, but New Jersey has a standard of 6 mg/L. (Also Acetone can be naturally occurring). If evaluating acetone, it would be advisable to collect preserved and unpreserved samples and analyze samples as soon as possible. In some cases, the preservation method may create some acetone.
MSDS Sheet – sec-PROPYL ALCOHOL, ISOPROPANOL, PROPAN-2-OL, IPA – ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
Another MSDS Sheet (another source)
More MSDS Sheets – F-485 and Rock Drill Oil 150 (We could not determine the specific one so we are using the “Gulf” as an example)
National Drinking Water Database – Forming Agents
Recommended Baseline Testing – Get The App (FREE)
Informational Course On Fracking and other Energy Courses – The Process
Actions:
- If you have any testing done as part of this action, please consider releasing this data to the Citizen Groundwater and Surface Water Database. Fill out the attached form and mail the data to the following address:
Mr. Brian Oram, PG
Keystone Clean Water Team
15 Hillcrest Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
Please note- if you have baseline testing done already you may have some information on the level of surfactants in the water if you had a MBAS test done. - Informational Screening Testing – Get your water screened for water contamination including isopropanol – Informational Screening Water Kit (Not Certified) Covers about 200 parameters, plus a review of any predrilling data – Only $ 275.00. Email
- Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.
B.F. Environmental Builds Expertise into New Water Quality Mobile App – Know Your H20?
B.F. Environmental Builds Expertise into New Water Quality Mobile App
Company experts have developed a new tool that will help families stay healthy
WILKES-BARRE, PA—September 22, 2015—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today the launch of a new mobile app that will make it possible for homeowners to get answers about the quality of their drinking water. Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants, developed this new diagnostic tool, called “Know Your H2O?”
“Consumers have fully embraced mobile technologies. If we want to help them, we’re going to have to make our information available to them through their IOS and Android devices,” Oram said. “This new app will put actionable information about water quality into the hands of homeowners all across the country. I’m very proud of this new product.”
Know Your H2O? relies heavily upon the massive online water quality resource the company has made available through the launch of its Water Research Center website. The first version of the software helps consumers diagnose potential water quality problems by exploring aesthetic problems, physical problems, health concerns, or specific problems in their homes. The app is supported by additional content that is directly linked to the Water Research Center.
“This tool helps consumers diagnose problems, but then goes beyond that to provide recommendations for further testing or corrective action,” Oram said. “The app is based on a holistic approach and is guided by concerns about our water, homes, and health. It is a comprehensive tool that can be used by any homeowner, building inspector, water quality professional, or water treatment professional to diagnose a problem and determine next steps.”
For more information about the mobile app or to download your own free copy, visit: Drinking Water Diagnostics
About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.
B.F. Environmental Partners with Nonprofit to Share Environmental Data
B.F. Environmental Partners with Nonprofit to Share Environmental Data
This partnership allows consumers to know about environmental dangers near their homes
WILKES-BARRE, PA—September 25, 2015—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today that it will begin making detailed environmental risk reports available to consumers through its partnership with Keystone Clean Water Team, a Pennsylvania-based non-profit. The new program has been launched. The program provides detailed information regarding existing and historic environmental hazards in communities across the country.
“A great deal of environmental risk data is available today but little if any of it is being made available to consumers,” said Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants. “By working with the Keystone Clean Water Team, we’re able to share this information with homeowners so that they will know what dangers are lurking in their neighborhoods and have some idea about what they can do about them.”
As part of the program, B.F. Environmental works with a national environmental database search company to identify possible sources of environmental contamination and then augments that data with information from its proprietary information sources, including its Know Your H2O? app and its online Water Research Center. The reports available to consumers provide a snapshot of the current and historic environmental concerns and hazards that might impact a property as well as a review of select criminal activity.
“The combination of the mobile app, customized reports, research reports, and water testing services will help citizens identify the environmental hazards present in their communities and help them address concerns they have about their city water, well water, or local stream water quality,” Oram said. “We are very proud to link these programs to help identify the little known hazards that affect consumers, identify the possible causes for water quality issues and provide assistance in diagnosing problems.” Learn More at Keystone Clean Water Team?
About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.
Visualizing Earth Systems – Earth Science Week in October
Alexandria, VA – Science teachers and students can go online today to use a new educational resource of the Earth Science Week website, the “Visualizing Earth Systems” page, which features instructive visualizations of Earth science phenomena.
Educators know the power of compelling visualizations, those that graphically depict data in ways that help students grasp challenging concepts. Now Earth science teachers have a collection of such visualizations, right at their fingertips at http://www.earthsciweek.org/visualizations.
Supporting the Earth Science Week 2015 theme of “Visualizing Earth Systems,” this new page on the program website links educators and students to dozens of recommended visualizations dealing with energy, climate, minerals, water, hazards, and other topics. In addition, the page offers links to overviews of these topics provided by AGI’s Critical Issues Program at http://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues.
Users are invited to help improve the page by sharing their favorite Earth science visualizations. Please submit the URLs for favorite online geosciences visualizations to info@earthsciweek.org. Help strengthen Earth science education by sharing effective resources with fellow educators!
Reaching over 50 million people annually, AGI leads Earth Science Week in cooperation with the geoscience community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth.
To view the visualizations page, please visit: http://www.earthsciweek.org/citizenscience/index.html.
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Earth Science Week 2015 will be celebrated October 11-17. To learn more, please visit www.earthsciweek.org. To order your Toolkits, please visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/materials. You may also call AGI Publications to place your order at 703-379-2480.
Suggestions
Get Your Drinking Water Tested
Learn About the Hazards in Your Community
Take an Online Course