Coeur d'Alene Press The Panhandle Health District issued a health advisory for Spirit Lake on Wednesday. A health advisory has been issued for Spirit Lake. The Panhandle Health District in collaboration with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued the warning Wednesday for Spirit Lake and Lake Cocolalla, according to a press release. Recent water sampling by DEQ indicates the presence of cyanobacteria, also known as a harmful algae bloom or blue-green algae in Spirit Lake and Lake Cocolalla. The public is urged to use caution when recreating in or near the water, especially where ingestion is a risk, the release said. Cyanobacteria are a natural part of Idaho’s water bodies. When temperatures rise, their populations can bloom and toxic chemical compounds, or…
Idaho Statesman Algae is pictured along the shore of Fernan Lake this month. A public health advisory was issued Thursday for Fernan Lake. The advisory, issued by Panhandle Health District in collaboration with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, states that recent water sampling indicates the presence of cyanobacteria, a harmful algae bloom, in the lake. The agencies are urging the public to use caution when recreating in or near the water, especially where ingestion is a risk. TOP VIDEOS × Cyanobacteria are a natural part of Idaho’s water bodies. When temperatures rise, their populations can bloom and toxic chemical compounds, or cyanotoxins, can be released into the water. Caution should be taken anywhere where the water appears discolored or murky as…
BoiseDev After toxins were found in Lake Cascade last month, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is holding an event for the public to learn more about cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, and water quality monitoring at Lake Cascade. Representatives from a host of agencies, including DEQ, Idaho Fish and Game, Central District Health, and Cascade Medical Center will be on hand to answer questions about health effects and water quality. The open house is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 at the American Legion Hall at 105 E Mill St in Cascade from noon to 6:45 p.m. While toxins were present in Lake Cascade in June, levels didn’t meet the threshold for a health advisory. Exposure to cyanotxins can cause skin irritation and an upset stomach. The toxins can be particularly harmful to…
By Rachel Roberts; Idaho Statesman Photo by Idaho DEQ. Harmful algae blooms can have negative impacts on humans, pets and environments Harmful algal blooms are blooms of species of algae that can have negative impacts on humans, marine and freshwater environments, and coastal economies. Public health officials are asking the public to steer clear of Lake Cascade this weekend. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare cited possible cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in the lake, according to a tweet from the department. Samples are being tested but won’t be available until Monday. “Until then, we recommend people and animals stay out of the water,” the tweet said. Among the largest bodies of water in the state, Lake Cascade is a popular summer recreation area because of its opportunities for fishing,…
Bloomberg Law The EPA will issue four PFAS health advisories for drinking water on Wednesday, the agency’s top water official said. The agency will also propose a new lead and copper rule by the end of 2023, said Radhika Fox, assistant administrator for the Office of Water, speaking Monday at the American Water Works Association annual conference in San Antonio. The PFAS advisories will be based on the best available science regarding the safe lifetime exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for “a range of populations,” Fox said. Fox said the advisories will include monitoring protocols for PFOA and PFOS—two of the most commonly studied PFAS—in drinking water. The EPA’s current health advisory for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, issued in 2016, is 70 parts per trillion. An earlier…
By Jim Lauria; Water Online World Water Day both celebrates clean water and reminds us that 2 billion people live without access to it. Safe drinking water is one of the most fundamental elements of health — healthy water keeps people healthy; sick water makes people sick. Though we have come to understand a lot more about the biology and chemistry that link health and water, even our early ancestors sensed the connection — as Marq De Villiers notes, one of the signs of the Apocalypse in ancient writings is "the bitterness of waters." Taking the metaphor into the very availability of water, Robin Clarke and Jannet King wrote in The Water Atlas, "Thus do the four horses of the Apocalypse — war, famine, pestilence, and death — gallop even faster…
Feb. 2, 12-2 p.m. MST Register Here State Revolving Funds offer numerous ways to support and encourage the implementation of projects aimed at the protection of source waters. Kara Goodwin, US EPA, will open the session with a national overview of SRF-related tools currently available to environmental entities interested in source water protection. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program (DWSRF) funds Source Water Protection through two different optional set-asides: State Program Management (10%) and Local Assistance and Other State Programs (15%). April Byrne, US EPA ORISE Fellow, will showcase recent source water protection project eligibility and spending trends within these two set-asides. Potential increases to the DWSRF capitalization grants in the future would in turn increase opportunities to fund source water protection efforts. Learn how to maximize these two…
By Matthew Daly, AP News WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a “Journey to Justice” tour by Administrator Michael Regan last fall. The agency will conduct unannounced inspections of chemical plants, refineries and other industrial sites suspected of polluting air and water and causing health problems to nearby residents, Regan said. And it will install air monitoring equipment in Louisiana’s “chemical corridor” to enhance enforcement at chemical and plastics plants between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The region contains several hotspots where cancer risks are far above national levels. The EPA also issued a notice to the city of Jackson, Mississippi, saying its…
