Elevated lead levels found in Lehigh
EPA probing degree of contamination at former farm site in the county.
By Arlene Martínez Of The Morning Call
November 10, 2008
Though it’s been years since Lehigh was a top apple-producing county in Pennsylvania, officials suspect pesticide use at former fruit farms is the cause for elevated lead levels in at least 47 homes in North Whitehall Township.
The affected area is the Schnecksville/Orefield area, about 1.5 square miles on either side of Route 309. All the properties sit on what used to be Mohr Orchards and neighboring fruit producers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency learned of problems in the area earlier this year when tests during roadwork revealed elevated levels of arsenic. The agency took hundreds of samples on roughly 1,345 acres.
Lead also was found in levels ranging from untraceable all the way up to 604 parts per billion – 15 parts per billion is EPA’s benchmark for taking action (though it set it at 11 parts per billion at this particular site).
The contaminated water is on homes with private wells, said state Department of Environmental Protection regional spokesman Mark Carmon.
”The public water supplies have been checked and there are no problems with that,” he said.
EPA is working with DEP and the state Department of Health to test additional sites and determine the impact of the elevated lead levels.
EPA gave the 47 homeowners bottled water and told them only to drink that. It’s advising pregnant women in those homes to wash dishes with bottled water but said the water was fine for washing clothes and bathing.
Testing in the area will continue for both lead and arsenic.
EPA Encourages Water Conservation
Water usage has gained national attention with current flooding and drought conditions in over half of the United States.
PHILADELPHIA (September 10, 2008)
Contact: David Sternberg, 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov
Water is a precious resource that is taken for granted until its availability becomes limited, and the growing demand for water and increasing population can create water shortages.
Across the country a typical family of four spends about $850 on water and sewer costs per year, so reducing water use can also save money. A typical family of four can save $210 per year by changing over to water-efficient appliances and fixtures, and by adopting other water saving practices.
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Carbon plans recycling event
Carbon County is hosting a Special Recycling Event at the Lower Towamensing Township Municipal Building on Hahn’s Dairy Road, Palmerton, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 30.
Anything electronic will be accepted at no charge to the county or residents. Televisions have been added this year, however, there is a charge of $5 each.
Acceptable materials that will be received at no charge include: VCRs, DVD players, radios, stereo equipment, computers, mainframe and telecom equipment, application equipment, test equipment, circuit boards of any kind, fax machines, and also new this year the Carbon County Department of Solid Waste will collect air conditioners and humidfiers.
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DEP TO GATHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT STATE WATER PLAN
Department to Host 6 Regional Meetings This Month
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvanians will have a chance to provide input on how the commonwealth manages its vast water resources during a series of public meetings to be held across the state this month. The Department of Environmental Protection, along with members of six regional water resources committees, will accept testimony on the draft state water plan that is being developed in accordance with the Water Resources Planning Act.
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Two 500-Year Floods Within 15 Years: What are the Odds?
Heavy rainfall across the Midwest has caused major flooding, which has been described as a “500-year flood.” So what does that mean? This term is based on the annual likelihood of the degree of flooding. A 500-year flood magnitude has a 0.2 percent chance — or 1 in 500 — of being exceeded in any one year. A 100-year flood magnitude has a 1 percent chance — or 1 in 100 — of being exceeded in the same place, and so on. These statistics are not dependent on what happened last year, 15 years ago or even 100 years ago. Instead, they are calculated by taking annual peak flow values from the network of USGS streamgages and feeding that data into highly developed probability models. Streamgages provide long-term stream flow data that scientists need to better understand floods and define flood-prone areas. For more information about Midwest flooding, visit http://www.usgs.gov/homepage/science_features/flooding_june08.asp. To listen to an interview with USGS scientist Robert Holmes on this topic, visit http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ID=81. For more information, contact Heidi Koontz at 303-202-4763 or hkoontz@usgs.gov.
EEC Hosts Program on Rain Gardens
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 23, 2008
“EEC Hosts Program on Rain Gardens”
The Carbon County Environmental Education Center will host a program on the use of rain gardens and rainwater collection on Friday, June 27th, at 7:00 pm.
Cindy Kerschner, a member of the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians, will show participants how to use gardening techniques to slow or stop the effects of erosion and runoff on their property. She will also demonstrate how to construct a simple rainwater collection system – a “rain barrel” – for very little money.
The Groundwater Guardians are an all-volunteer group dedicated to public education on groundwater and drinking water issues.
The program is free to CCEEC members, and a small donation is requested from non-members. For more information or to register, call (570) 645-8597.
The EEC is located at the west end of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, just outside Jim Thorpe, along the Lentz Trail Highway.
What do you think about your community?
We all have opinions about the community where we live. We like and don’t like some things. We probably would like to see some changes and leave the rest alone.
If you live in Luzerne, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne counties, the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council (PNERCD) wants to know your opinion on what is your community’s biggest need?
PNERCD is a regional, nonprofit organization that has been working since 1980 within northeast Pennsylvania.
There is an online Survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=p0VKf0EMGcuNUe6wMU2rUA_3d_3d
where you can express your feelings about economic development, historic preservation, reclaiming abandoned mine land, watershed management, forest management, land conservation, air quality and alternative energy opportunities.
Your answers will help guide the PNERCD from 2009 through 2014.
The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council is located at the Saint Rose Academy Center in Mayfield, PA (1300 Old Plank Road, Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433) and on the web at http://www.pnercd.org/.
More consumers turning on the tap
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that one effect of the credit crunch and ailing economy is that more consumers are forgoing bottled water and turning back to tap water. It may also have something to do with more awareness of the negative environmental impact of plastic bottles.
I’m not sure how that will impact us here in Carbon County as I haven’t seen the standard of living change all that much over the past year. Most of us aren’t all that comfortable hanging with the high-end bottled water sipping crowd. Even so, as more folks turn back to their tap water in rural areas, more attention will be focused on their private water supply systems.
The first thing they’ll probably notice is that it tastes different. We should be ready to answer their questions when they ask if that means there is something wrong with it.
New EPA Guide to Help Businesses Confront Climate Challenge
Contact: Marilyn Franklin, (202) 564-4355 / franklin.marilyn@epa.gov
EPA is releasing a new resource, A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs, for businesses committed to addressing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. The guide features profiles on 35 EPA climate-change related partnership programs, as well as a handy table so companies can look up programs most appropriate for their industry and business objectives. Each program profile defines the environmental value delivered by the program and the business case for participating, such as cost savings, operational efficiency, reduced business risk, new or expanded markets, enhanced reputation and brand protection.
The guide also describes the benefits of partnering with EPA, such as environmental performance benchmarking, public recognition, professional training and networking, and preparation for regulatory developments. There are currently more than 13,000 firms and other organizations participating in EPA climate-related partnership programs. Through participation, members are investing in energy efficiency, clean energy supply, and other practices and technologies for mitigating climate risks.
EPA developed the guide in consultation with Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR), a nonprofit business association. BSR, which provides practical resources for businesses seeking sustainable solutions, is promoting the guide to its 250 members and other Global 1000 enterprises.
For copies of this guide and for more information about EPA Partnership Programs, visit: http://www.epa.gov/partners
For more information about BSR, visit: http://www.bsr.org
Lead Leaching And Faucet Corrosion In PVC Home Plumbing
ScienceDaily (Jun. 2, 2008) — Scientists in Virginia are reporting that home plumbing systems constructed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipes may be more susceptible to leaching of lead and copper into drinking water than other types of piping — especially when PVC systems include brass fixtures and pipefittings.
Marc Edwards and colleagues point out that more water purification plants in the United States are using chloramine to treat water. At the same time, builders are plumbing more houses with plastic pipe, rather than copper, to cut costs. Past studies have found that ammonia formed in chloramine-treated water can trigger a series of events that corrode brass faucet components and connectors commonly used in PVC plumbing systems. Corrosion of brass (made with copper, zinc and lead) releases those metals into water pipes and makes faucets prone to failure.
In the new study, researchers sampled water from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), copper, lead, and other pipe material under a range of experimental conditions. They found that corrosive conditions were often worst in plastic pipes, which could be expected to cause higher metal leaching of zinc and lead from brass faucets used in homes and buildings.
ScienceDaily 2 June 2008. 4 June 2008 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602091241.htm>.
Journal reference:
Zhang et al. Nitrification in Premise Plumbing: Role of Phosphate, pH and Pipe Corrosion. Environmental Science & Technology, 2008; 0 (0): 0 DOI: 10.1021/es702483d
Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.