Pollutants go down drain

New --Sorry meant regional head of EPA New England not the top dog!.......



So up to 80% or more flow of a stream or river can come from from all of the sewage plant sources. I got a paper and pulp corporation in a lot of trouble back in the summer of 1999 -I ended up bankrupting the corporation. New England was in a historic drought at the time –the Ashuelot river had record breaking low flow conditions –and this plant was turning the river waters milky white. The CEO was defrauding the banks and the stockholders to the tune of 400 million dollars –such that they didn’t have enough money to invest in pollution control. I posed the question to the state of New Hampshire –what percentage of the water coming from Ashuelot River is coming from non natural sources. They started an investigation on the river pollution loads in low flow conditions. They said the pollution load is based on a 10 year average low flow conditions -thus the limits are based on the low flows during that period. The state pollution expert said the current river flow is way below the analyzed worst case low flow. I began asking him about how this facility is characterized in state and federal regulation –I had not a clue how the state and EPA controlled the pollution from any of these facilities. He told me these facilities are controlled from a federal permit process that is periodically renewed. I had to pump him for information–he didn’t volunteer anything!!! So I asked him, when was the last time the Winchester NH American Tissue permit was renewed? He said the permit was many years out of date –they don’t have enough resources for the state to renew the permitted. So I asked him, that these companies could be using all sorts of chemical that wasn’t contained in the out of date permits. So I’d asked him how widespread is this problem in New England –he said you don’t want to know –it’s huge. You understand what was happening here, the government was intentionally withholding resources for the permitting processes –such that the permit holders could pump more pollutants into our river and streams. Shortly after the EPA admitted there was a wide spread permitting problems –there was a tremendous back log of out of date pollution permits throughout NE – and the head of the EPA stepped down.

We had a democrat for a president at the time: President Clinton......

Wonder what the percentage of the water in a river system gets recycled through a water user -say a factory -we had historic high water temps too.


"Bill Zawiski, an aquatic biologist for the Ohio EPA, said PPCP pollution appears to be most severe in streams such as Tinkers Creek that are dominated by sewage plants. As much as 80 percent of the flow of 33-mile Tinkers Creek goes through one of the eight sewage plants in that watershed, Zawiski said."

Posted on Fri, Feb. 04, 2005

Pollutants go down drain

Medicines, household chemicals flow into creeks; Ohio studies effect on fish

By Bob DowningBeacon Journal staff writer


Tinkers Creek is a pretty, tree-lined stream that meanders through southern Cuyahoga and northern Summit and Portage counties. Its water quality is considered good, and it should be a good habitat for wildlife.

So where are all the fish?

Despite improved water quality, the fish population in this Cuyahoga River tributary has not improved in the last 20 years.

Now the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is looking at whether the culprit is a newwater-pollution threat: tiny amounts of thousands of chemicals widely used in medications, beauty aids, cleaners and foods. These substances include caffeine, cotinine (from tobacco products), antibiotics, contraceptives, painkillers, antidepressants, hormones, steroids, chemotherapy drugs, insect repellents, veterinary medicines, soaps, perfumes, plasticizers and fire retardants.

``It's an emerging concern,'' said Steve Tuckerman, a water expert with the EPA. ``We don't know yet if it's a `Hey!' kind of problem or a `Holy s---!' kind of problem. There's a lot of work still to be done. But it's a problem that we're going to be dealing with for a long, long time.''
Trace amounts of chemicals -- known as pharmaceutical and personal care pollutants (PPCPs) -- enter wastewater from toilets, showers and sinks.

Americans spend an estimated $190 billion a year on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Experts say that 50 percent to 90 percent of ingested drugs are excreted from the body in still-potent form.

The antidepressant Prozac, for example, frequently turns up in streams draining high-income suburban communities.

These PPCPs survive in wastewater even after it is treated and disinfected. Sewage plants don't screen for such materials and can remove some but not all of them. State and federal regulations generally don't address their disposal.

`Pandora's box'

The chemicals -- measured in parts per trillion or parts per billion -- are bioactive, meaning they can enter the bioprocesses of living organisms, especially aquatic species.

``It's a real Pandora's box,'' said Michael McGlinchy, director of Akron's Public Utilities Bureau.

``It's a very serious issue, and one that we need to know more about.... It's definitely going to get more attention and study in the coming years. It's a problem we're just learning about.''

Although the chemicals have been in waterways for decades, they are just starting to get serious study from scientists. They are considered ``emerging contaminants'' and the next bigwater-pollution problem.

Scientists have more questions about the presence of the substances in the water supply than answers. They are unable to say how great a threat such chemicals pose at low levels and what threat might be created by combinations of chemicals.

Hormonal changes

But there is special concern about substances that trigger hormonal changes in fish, and about the release of antibiotics into the environment. Some studies have linked environmental exposure to hormones to deformed sex organs in wildlife, sex reversal in some fish species and declining fertility in humans, as well as to cancers and other diseases.

The American Water Works Association, a national trade group based in Denver, says the fact that a substance is found in drinking water does not mean that substance is harmful to humans. The best advice for consumers, said association spokesman Greg Kail, is to avoid flushing leftover drugs down the toilet or dumping them down the drain.

Jeff Trewhitt, spokesman for the national Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, based in Washington, D.C., said pollution from personal care products is not seen as a major issue, although it is causing concern.

Leftover drugs, in their original containers, can safely go into landfills, Trewhitt said.

Ohio sites tested

In 1999-2000, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted the first national look at PPCPs. The agency tested for 95 chemicals in 139 waterways in 30 states. The sites were chosen to include potential hot spots or problem areas. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was tested, along with seven other Ohio waterways.

The report, released in June 2002, offered no conclusions on risk.
Of the sites tested, 80 percent had at least trace amounts of one chemical. Half had five or more chemicals. Thirty-four streams had 10 or more contaminants. Eighty-two of the chemicals were found in at least one sample.

Most common were caffeine, steroids and nonprescription drugs. Those findings mirrored results from similar studies in Canada and Europe.

At least 31 antibiotic and antibacterial compounds were found in the samples. At least 11 compounds were linked to birth control and hormone supplements.
Of the 95 chemicals tested for, 81 are unregulated.

Tinkers Creek

Bill Zawiski, an aquatic biologist for the Ohio EPA, said PPCP pollution appears to be most severe in streams such as Tinkers Creek that are dominated by sewage plants. As much as 80 percent of the flow of 33-mile Tinkers Creek goes through one of the eight sewage plants in that watershed, Zawiski said.

PPCP problems are not found in Yellow Creek and Furnace Run, other Cuyahoga River tributaries in Summit County that are not dominated by sewage plants, he said.
And the EPA is not seeing similar problems in Euclid Creek, an urbanized stream in eastern Cuyahoga County.

Tinkers Creek isn't meeting Ohio's standards for the number of fish in the water and the variety of species. It gets a grade of fair to poor.

Ideally, the stream would get a rating of at least 38 out of 60 possible points for its fish, Zawiski said. In 2000, the stream got a high of 32 points and a low of 21 points in EPA sampling at seven sites.

``Right now, we don't know what's causing the fish problems on Tinkers Creek,'' he said, ``but it's possible that it is (PPCP) chemicals. That's what we're starting to look at.''

There is no evidence of fish changing sex because of hormonal drugs in Tinkers Creek, he said, but some tests probably will be conducted this summer. Such tests are expensive -- $1,000 to $1,500 each -- and the EPA hopes the sewage plants will help pay for them.

Zawiski said the state hopes to complete its investigation of Tinkers Creek in 2006.

``The biggest problem,'' he said, ``is that most people don't realize what goes into the waterways and what kind of impact that's having.''

Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com

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