#wastewater — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wastewater, aggregated by home.social.
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Greetings, here are the weekly #washingtonstate #kingcounty (that is, #seattle and environs) #COVID #COVID19 #wastewater toots.
A reminder that this King County respiratory disease data comes from Washington State, not the federal government.
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been highlighting the terrible SARS-CoV2 concentration numbers from the West Point (WSPT) sewage treatment plant. Well, things got better, by a lot. The last seven day running average calculation was done on 9/8.
WSPT is one of three King County(-ish) sewersheds in this dataset. You can find overviews, individual sewershed results, and a breakdown of variants for the state wastewater surveillance program, along with other metrics like case counts and hospitalizations for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, at https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/diseases-and-chronic-conditions/communicable-disease-surveillance-data/respiratory-illness-data-dashboard#WasteWater. If you go to the page and click "learn more" in the statewide view tab, you can find out lots of details about how these data are calculated and how to interpret them. The dashboard gets updated every Wednesday (generally). The Department of Health is here on the fediweb, at @WADeptHealth
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#Ontario #wastewater graph updated with September 6 data
- London, Peel, Toronto updated: https://wwater.ca/Ontario
- Also updated: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, QC, SK, YT -
Cyberattack knocks water well offline in Brown City, Michigan #Cyberattack #Michigan #PLC #SCADA #ICS #Iran #WaterUtility #FBI #EPA #Wastewater https://dysruptionhub.com/brown-city-michigan-water-well-cyberattack/
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Cyberattack knocks water well offline in Brown City, Michigan #Cyberattack #Michigan #PLC #SCADA #ICS #Iran #WaterUtility #FBI #EPA #Wastewater https://dysruptionhub.com/brown-city-michigan-water-well-cyberattack/
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Cyberattack knocks water well offline in Brown City, Michigan #Cyberattack #Michigan #PLC #SCADA #ICS #Iran #WaterUtility #FBI #EPA #Wastewater https://dysruptionhub.com/brown-city-michigan-water-well-cyberattack/
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#NYC #COVID #wastewater counts are still available on the New York State run portal, but not in the State open data repository.
In the State portal, #COVIDWastewater data is only available as one of two embedded Tableau charts - a graph or a map. The embed code is available, but it is a permalink to a snapshot of the data in time; it does not always show the most current data.
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-wastewater-surveillance
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The #NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released its July #COVIDWastewater data on August 3. It's now September 14, and there's no sign of the August data.
#Wastewater concentration is one of the most important indicators in the beginning of a #COVID wave.
The samples are tested within a few days of being collected. Something the Department of Environmental Protection or the DOHMH is doing between testing and the public repository is taking way too long.
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Detection And Spatial Modelling Of Trends In UK Rainfall Frequency
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https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2026.2622458 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #extremeweather #rainfall #pluvial #frequency #trends #nonstationarity #extremevalue #model #modeling #monitoring #UnitedKingdom #UK #Britian #England #Scotland #Wales #precipitation #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #drainage #monitoring #planning #resilience #naturalhazards #flooding #flood #water #hydrology # #sewerage #sewage #wastewater #waterways #pollution #spills #releases #stormwater #erosion #massmovement #landslides #engineeringgeology #risk #hazard #climatic #covariates #raingauges #maximums #duration #winter #NorthernEngland #NorthAtlanticOscillation #NAO #index #metrics #annualmaximum #AMAX #seasonalmaximum #SMAX #peaksoverthreshold #POT #statistics #geostatistics #MetOffice #weather #climate -
High tide for #Holtec
#Tritium dumped into #CapeCodBay will wash back onto community shores, says a new report
"The permanently closed Pilgrim nuclear power plant is now owned by Holtec, which wants to dump #RadioactiveWastewater into Cape Cod Bay. While waiting for a permit, so far denied, the company is quietly venting #tritium into the air."
by Linda Pentz Gunter, Posted on December 29, 2024
"Holtec, the company that has purchased a number of permanently closed #nuclear reactors in order to decommission them, has encountered yet another obstacle to its '#dilution is the solution to pollution' plans.
"One of the reactor sites Holtec has taken over is #PilgrimNuclearPlant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the Cape Cod Bay, which closed permanently in 2019. Holtec’s not-so-little problem there is what do with what started out as at least 1.1 million gallons of radioactively contaminated #wastewater stored at the site.
"The company first suggested it would simply release the wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, assuring residents and the immediately alarmed fishing community not to worry because (a) the wastewater isn’t dangerous anyway (b) everyone does this all the time at reactor sites and no one has gotten sick so far and (c) it would quickly disperse into the wider ocean. Holtec chose this disposal method for one reason alone: it is the cheapest.
"The proposal was vigorously fought by citizens, the state, and powerful Massachusetts Democrat, Senator Ed Markey. The state of Massachusetts effectively banned the discharge option, a decision Holtec is contesting.
"That Final Determination to Deny Application to Modify a Massachusetts Permit to Discharge Pollutants to Surface Waters was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection [#MassDEP] Division of Watershed Management on July 18, 2024. A month later, Holtec launched its appeal to reverse the decision, something that could take months or longer to find its way to court.
"In the meantime, help has come from a new quarter in the form of an in-depth study by the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [#WHOI], also, as it happens, based on the Massachusetts shoreline, near Falmouth.
"The study — Model-Based Study of Near-Surface Transport in and around Cape Cod Bay, Its Seasonal Variability, and Response to Wind — found that contrary to Holtec’s claims, the wastewater would not immediately disperse into the ocean, but would linger potentially for months, and wash up on the shores of area communities.
“'We found virtually no out-of-the-Bay transport in winter and fall and slightly larger, but still low, probability of some of the plume exiting the Bay in spring and summer,' said Woods Hole study leader and physical oceanographer, Irina Rypina.
"The radioactively contaminated wastewater stored at Pilgrim is contaminated with what Holtec and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have described as 'four gamma emitters — #Manganese54, #Cobalt60, #Zinc65 and #Cesium137 along with #Tritium, a beta radiation emitter'.
"While the Woods Hole Study did not look at the health outcomes of releasing the radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay — only at the plume pathway — there are plenty of data that demonstrate the harmful effects of these #radioisotopes on human health, especially women and children.
"After acquiring the Pilgrim reactor, Holtec’s President and CEO, Kris Singh, assured surrounding communities that,
'the decommissioning of Pilgrim will replicate the superb record of public health and safety and environmental protection that typified the plant’s 47 years of operations.'But since that acquisition, Markey observed, 'Holtec has fallen woefully short on this commitment.' He noted of the Woods Hole report that 'In light of these recent findings, I urge Holtec to develop a wastewater discharge plan that is informed and guided by scientific fact and community input.'
"Long-time #PilgrimWatch activist, #MaryLampert, welcomed the report’s initial findings and said that 'Holtec dumping Pilgrim’s radiological and chemically #contaminated wastewater into semi-enclosed CapeCod Bay is harmful to human health, the environment, and our marine economy.'
"In a handbook explaining Pilgrim’s decommissioning process on the Pilgrim Watch website, the authors note that 'Cape Cod Bay, #PlymouthBay, #DuxburyBay, and #KingstonBay are all protected #OceanSanctuaries. Cape Cod Bay is a critical habitat for right whales and other endangered or special species. Dumping this #radioactive and chemically contaminated wastewater into them would cause incalculable economic damage and would harm both the environment and public health.'
"Absent a liquid discharge permit, Holtec’s preferred solution since has been to quietly evaporate the wastewater into the air. It has done this, as revealed during a Pilgrim Nuclear Decommissioning Citizen Advisory Panel meeting, by installing submerged electric heaters to increase the plant’s ambient temperature, ostensibly in order to improve worker comfort and expedite the drying of plant components.
"But, as Markey noted in an April 30, 2024 letter to Singh, the consequence of installing the heaters in that location 'is an increased rate of wastewater evaporation above the pace at which it occurs naturally.' That 1.1 million gallons is now down to 880,000 gallons remain, according to Holtec’s own reports.
"As Lampert points out, 'Meteorology studies show 60% of winds blow offshore,' which means at least some of that evaporated wastewater is going to fall into the bay anyway.
"Under Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules, Holtec has four disposal options: liquid discharge, evaporation, storage onsite, and shipping to a licensed facility. None of them are good solutions.
"In August, Holtec filed an appeal against the state’s ban on liquid radioactive discharges, in part claiming that the decision on whether or not to allow the discharge falls under federal not state jurisdiction.
"This, argue some opponents of Holtec’s discharge plans, is a stall and a distraction while it quietly gets on with the gradual evaporation of all the wastewater.
"'They’re using the appeal to buy themselves time,' Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, told radio station WBUR. 'And what they buy themselves, with time, is the ability to continue to induce evaporation of the wastewater, so that ultimately it’s gone, at minimal cost to them.'
"Lampert agrees. 'Holtec can evaporate all the water to meet its schedule to dismantle the reactor building,' she said.
"In October, Lampert, along with other citizens representing the fishing, environmental, real estate and medical communities traveled to Boston to meet with staff in Massachusetts Governor Mary Healy’s office to demand that Healy’s administration call a halt to the evaporation.
"'There are laws on the books already that prohibit #AirbornePollution,' Diane Turco of #CapeDownwinders told the local NPR station after the Boston meeting. “And we’re asking our governor to immediately enforce those laws… She’s been very strong about no dumping in the bay. And we see this as a parallel assault on our communities,' Turco said.
"So far the governor has not taken action."
https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2024/12/29/high-tide-for-holtec/
#HoltecLies #PilgrimNuclear #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoRadioactiveDumping #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #RadioactiveWaterDumping #NewEngland #BeyondNuclearInternational -
More fried equipment? Not surprising! #Japan to resume trial removal of #radioactive #Fukushima nuclear debris amid safety concerns
10/25/2024
Fukushima, Japan - "The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant will resume an operation to remove a sample of #HighlyRadioactive material next week, reports said Friday, after having suspended the effort over a technical snag.
"Extracting the estimated 880 tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris inside the former power station remains the most challenging part of decommissioning the facility, which was hit by a catastrophic tsunami in 2011.
"Radioactivity levels inside are far too high for humans to enter, and last month engineers began inserting an extendable device to try and remove a small sample.
"However, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had to halt the procedure after noticing that remote cameras on the apparatus were not beaming back images to the control center.
"TEPCO on Friday said it would resume the removal on Monday after replacing the cameras with new ones, the Asahi Shimbun daily and other local media reported.
"TEPCO officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports.
Safety of Fukushima #wastewater release in question
"Three of Fukushima's six reactors went into meltdown after a tsunami triggered by Japan's biggest earthquake on record swamped the facility in one of the world's worst atomic accidents.
"Japan last year began releasing into the #PacificOcean some of the 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of contaminated reactor cooling water amassed since the catastrophe."
#FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #FukushimaWastewater #TEPCOLies #PacificLivesMatter #WaterIsLife #RethinkNotRestart #TEPCO
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Tons of dead fish cover major river in #Brazil after alleged dumping of #industrial waste
By ANDRE PENNER and ELÉONORE HUGHES
Updated 3:01 PM EDT, July 18, 2024TANQUA, Brazil (AP) — "Several tons of fish have died along one of the main rivers in Brazil’s #SaoPaulo state after an alleged #IllegalDumping of industrial waste from a #sugar and #ethanol plant, #environmental authorities and prosecutors said Wednesday.
A preliminary analysis estimates that between 10 and 20 tons of fish died on the Piracicaba River in southeastern Brazil, Sao Paulo’s prosecutors said in a statement.
"The initial investigation points to an 'irregular discharge of #wastewater' from the Sao Jose Sugar and Alcohol company plant in the community of #RioDasPedras and it reached a stream that flows into the #PiracicabaRiver, prosecutors said.
"#SaoJose denied any involvement in the deaths of the fish, and said it was cooperating fully with authorities."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-dead-fish-sao-paulo-pollution-5ecbe68b12e457cee242aebb5fdee509# -
[State Of] Colorado To Shield Thousands Of Acres Of Wetlands, Miles Of Streams [After Federal Supreme Court Sackett Decision]
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https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/09/colorado-law-protecting-wetlands-supreme-court/ <-- shared media article
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#water #hydrology #waterquality #waterresources #watersecurity #Colorado #USWest #staterights #supremecourt #Sackett #protection #CleanWaterAct #EPA #permits #permitting #construction #development #roads #impacts #statewaters #wetlands #streams #seasonal #ephemeral #legislation #statehouse #WesternUSA #rain #snowmelt #precipitation #climatechange #oversight #subsurface #groundwater #legal #regulations #waterways #dredge #fill #farming #agriculture #irrigation #wastewater #treatment #pollution #treatment #mitigation -
Good Morning SARS2PAians!!
I apologize for not typing up a thing for you all on Friday, I got caught up in family stuff. I hope you had a GREAT and SAFE weekend!!
:canparrot:__________
VOCsNationally, JN.1 still at a solid >40% of randomly sequenced samples.: https://ibb.co/s9rZzPq
KP.2 is the next variant to watch and has already had some FAST gains in the past few days.
in PA, both JN.1.16 and KP.2 have already been sequenced here. Control the spread of these potentiall troublesome two mutations by employing SOME form of source control!: https://ibb.co/rtKWn48
in NY/NJ, JN.1 and JN.1.4 at the top as usual but KP.2 already at 1.31% of random sequencing.: https://ibb.co/XDTdCJ8
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Lineage NewsWhile other lineages with lab-estimated growth did not seem to contribute to the leaderboard as much as JN.1 continues to do that, its descendant KP.2 is showing extremely fast growth both in lab estimates (with a high confidence level, so this lab data will probably translate more readily into real-world trouble) AND in actual numbers of sequences found.: https://ibb.co/3kyD7Bc
It still has a bonkers high growth advantage rate considering genetics alone and has moved quickly up a couple ranks in actual practice, on the sequencing leaderboard already.
It'll definitely be one to watch.
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WastewaterNationally, COVID levels continue to decline in wastewater. This will only get better once these cold snaps are done! We're still at a point where we're very high compared to previous years, though.: https://ibb.co/DY8LNMB
Previous years comparison: https://ibb.co/pw8WLjH
Regionally, all regions are declining in found SARS2 material in wastewater. We are still at the highest concentration in the Northeast compared to everyone else, though.: https://ibb.co/8sj4BpS
In PA, Chester Co. is SMASHING IT and levels are absolutely tanking for now! But Bucks, Luzerne, and Lackawanna's levels are still a bit above naitonal averages. Use source control to improve this data point!: https://ibb.co/s65h3yG
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CDCThe New Hospital Admits map is showing significant increases in Juniata Co. curving down to Somerset Co and Bedford Co., and also over in Lawrence Co. The rest of the map is pretty good, with overwhelmingly reductions in hospital admits in most counties!: https://ibb.co/sKnLV5X
Staffed Inpatient Beds are showing significant increases in Juniata, Mifflin, Huntingdon and Elk Cos with the rest of our counties stable or slightly decreasing.: https://ibb.co/Yyj4MRr
Quite a lot of ICU bed use increases. From Greene at the southweasternmost corner, all the way diagonally up to Bradford and Susquehanna Cos, increasing levels all the way. Don't be this statistic, folks. Get those XBB/flu/etc. shots.: https://ibb.co/LYkXcKJ
Sadly there have been 1,064 COVID deaths in PA in the last three months and while this number has gone down a bit since last time I posted this, our state remains in the highest category of the 3 month data cycle.: https://ibb.co/8m5SDBY
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Non-SARS2 PathogensWell, if you want to stick around to read this, I'll post this part up last.
While SARS2/COVID continues to steadily decline, the one pathogen that's still at quite a staggeringly high rate is Norovirus, the "24-hour stomach bug".
Levels of this are still EXTREMELY high, and are slow to start going down, as they had around this time last year.: https://ibb.co/Kqny3QJ
PLEASE WASH HANDS with soap and water. Hand sanitizer is not enough. Norovirus is extremely resistant to alcohol and heat sterilization due to a tough "shell" surrounding the virions.
You MUST wah hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds to actively contribute to controlling Norovirus.
Wash fruits and veg before you eat them, even if you don't eat the peel (example: clementines, oranges, and grapefruit.)
Don't serve or prepare food if you are sick!
This thing is just gross. 🤢 Make sure everything's clean before you sit down to eat!
Using source control will make numbers for ALL pathogens go downward so we have a healthy (and not gross) Spring! 💐💐💐
#covid #Covid19 #SARS2PA #CDC #CovidIsNotOver #Pennsylvania #PA #JN1 #Influenza #Norovirus #Noro
#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #VaccinesSaveLives #WashHands #Wastewater #StayHomeIfSick #SourceControl #USESourceControl #COVIDSourceControl
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Update for 3/8/2024!
Good Morning SARS2PAiains!!
I hope you're ready for that time change on Sunday! 🕐🕐🕐
This is a wonderfully short update. I mean, it doesn't look short, but it kinda is. 🤪
There's no new CDC stuff.
There are no new wastewater updates and we are continuing to approach lower levels of previous years as spring gets closer.: https://ibb.co/QfPr8NJ
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Lineage NewsThere's no new immediate variant news as JN.1 is still the only thing all over the place so far.
There are some new varaints being watched as JN.1 (and specifically JN.1.11) seems really capable of producing descendants that worry virologists:
❗️JN.1.16: Concerningly infectious even over very wide areas in China; Lots of this currently being uploaded from what I gather in USA too, already in 9 states.
❗KP.1.1 (which is JN.1.11.1.1.1): this has a potential nuts-level of growth rate going by genetics alone.
❗KP.2 (which is JN.1.11.1.2): seems closely related to JN.1.16 that I was, in my very very unprofessional opinion, concerned about last update.
❗KP.2.1: widespread already in East Asia.
KP.x.y has an extraordinary growth rate only considering mutations but we'll see how any of this checks out in actual biological results.
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NON SARS PATHOGENSThere is still a very high amount of total pathogens all around.: https://ibb.co/3sxWQ3C
Respiratory pathogens are still high according to WastewaterSCAN:
❗SARS2
❗RSV
❗Flu A
❗Flu B
❗Parainfluenza, which has been upgraded to HIGH since last update.
Gastro stuff is still very high too!:
❗Norovirus
❗Rotavirus
Noro is thankfully declining at UPark but still in the very high range.: https://ibb.co/CMSGsjg
If we keep using common sense ways to control it, it prevents DAYS of learning/financial loss and potential hospital visits for dehydration. And...it's just gross to deal with. 🤢
Fpr respiratory illnesses, wear a quality respirator, be aware of social contacts, mask/respirator up in crowds and in low ventilation areas (low ceilings, restrooms, elevators, etc.), keep the air clean, get those COVID and flu shots, and STAY HOME if you are sick!
For the gastro stuff, don't prepare food when sick. Don't depend on gloves for sanitizing either! Wash fruits and veg before you eat them.
Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
❗Hand sanitizer and heat does not work well against Norovirus because the individual virions are very very tough to kill. You MUST wash hands with soap and water.
For all pathogens, cover coughs and sneezes in the elbow crease and not your hands.
We're almost there! :canparrot:
It's Goose flyover season! :cangoose:
We're gonna have a great Spring, and simple, common sense consideration and source control is how we get there! 💐💐💐
#covid #Covid19 #SARS2PA #CDC #CovidIsNotOver #Pennsylvania #PA #JN1 #FluA #FluB #Influenza #Norovirus #Noro #Rotavirus
#JN1Sixteen #JN116
#KP1One #KP11
#KP2
#KP2One #KP21#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #VaccinesSaveLives #WashHands #Wastewater #StayHomeIfSick #SourceControl #USESourceControl #COVIDSourceControl
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#MaineTribes and Leading #Environmental Organizations Join Forces To Oppose Proposed #Mine in Shadow of #Katahdin
Proposed #ZincMine at #PickettMountain being pursued by virtually unknown Canadian company
June 28, 2023
"Two Tribes in Maine today joined forces with leading environmental groups and a national public interest environmental law organization to oppose a proposed mine that would be located in the shadow of #BaxterStatePark and the #KatahdinWoods & Waters National Monument.
"The proposed zinc mine at Pickett Mountain is being pursued by a virtually unknown Canadian company, #WolfdenResources, that has never operated a mine before. A previous version of Wolfden’s request was widely opposed because the region holds enormous cultural and natural significance to #Wabanaki Tribes, outdoor recreation businesses, and Maine people.
"The #HoultonBandOfMaliseets, the #PenobscotNation, and the #NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine [#NRCM], represented by #Earthjustice and #Brann&Isaacson, joined the #ConservationLawFoundation in petitioning to intervene in the review of Wolfden’s permit application to the Land Use Planning Commission (#LUPC) to rezone the area for #industrial uses.
"'The Penobscot Nation strongly opposes the rezoning of this #ecologically important area. We share significant concerns over impacts to the #water quality and f#isheries of the area, which our members rely upon,' said #ChiefKirkFrancis of the Penobscot Nation. 'The West Branch of the #MattawamkeagRiver contains abundant, high-quality, cold-water fish habitat and Designated #CriticalHabitat for #endangered #AtlanticSalmon, identified as necessary for the recovery of Atlantic salmon in the Penobscot River. This mine would impact our traditional territories and forever alter our ability to maintain our relationship to this place.'
"The area Wolfden wants to mine is next to three State Heritage Fish Waters and is a centerpiece of the region’s growing outdoor economy. It contains the headwaters of the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag River, which is sacred to the Penobscot Nation and provides key, federally designated critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon.
"'The Katahdin region’s wild beauty and clean water are extraordinary. One look at this landscape demonstrates that this is no place to put a mine,' said Nick Bennett, staff scientist at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. 'Wolfden’s claims that it will treat #wastewater more effectively than any mining company on earth are not credible. This is too big a risk for #Maine.'
"'The legacy of metallic mineral #mining in Maine is one of empty promises of economic development, acid mine drainage #polluting waters and killing fish, and multi-million dollar c#leanups funded by taxpayers and not the fly-by-night mining companies like Wolfden,' said #SeanMahoney, vice-president and senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation. 'Rezoning this area to allow mining would fail to recognize the cultural and spiritual importance of the land to the #WabanakiTribes and threaten the natural resources and experiences valued by generations of Maine citizens.'
"After withdrawing its initial request because it was riddled with errors, Wolfden submitted a second rezoning petition in January that sparked another review by the LUPC. Comments by Wolfden’s CEO disrespecting Maine tribes and #MininLlaws have prompted outrage from the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and #conservationists. The company has lost tens of millions of dollars over the past decade.
"'This is one of the absolute worst areas to rezone for a mine,' said Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney with Earthjustice. 'The region is known for its vast contiguous forest, pristine streams, high-quality lakes, and aquatic species like wild brook trout and landlocked salmon. Why would we risk that, along with the outdoor economy that depends on it, on a half-baked proposal from an unproven mining company? The Commission must put Maine’s unique natural resources, and the well-being of the people of Maine and Maine’s Wabanaki Tribes, before short-term industry profits.'
"More than 700 hundred Mainers and local businesses, including Bradford Camps, Chandler Lakes Camps and Lodge, and the #MaineWildernessGuidesOrganization, have spoken out against Wolfden’s plans. In May 2022, residents of #Pembroke voted overwhelmingly to ban industrial-scale metallic mineral mining in their town in response to Wolfden’s plans to develop a mine there."
#WaterIsLife #Maine #WabanakiNations #Environment #Mining #CorporateColonialism #NoMining
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Update for 3/1/2024!
Good Morning SARS2PAians! ❄️
Welcome to March, after Leap Day 🐇🐏🐸!
There's no new CDC stuff today.
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VOCsNothing currently new with VOCs, JN.1 all over the place nationally: https://ibb.co/GncBGTR
and in PA of course.: https://ibb.co/yS1wq0c
Scientists are still watching JN.1.11, and even though it's sort of fizzled out itself, its children are now moving progressively faster as it develops.
Faster than its parent, JN.1.11.1 is moving along and is being found in most new sampling.
Along with it, JN.1.11.1.1, which is shortened to KP.1, has great potential to make a dent in its grandparent's leaderboard status.
I'm also seeing a LOT of JN.1.16 both here in Canada by the latest sequencing experts. I'm just going to make a mental note of JN.1.16 because it and also JN.1.11.1 are both moving sorta quickly through Canada and are also found in the NY/NJ area.: https://ibb.co/R3Tmstt
None of these are "major eathshaking variants" but to have something faster NOW will bump numbers back up for Spring and we DO NOT want that!
Nothing all that significant in PA yet. No JN.1.16, JN.1.11, JN.1.11.1, or KP.1.
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WastewaterNationally, SARS2 material found in wastewater is DROPPING again!: https://ibb.co/3RM4DDk
This is great. We are starting to approach the lower levels of previous years.: https://ibb.co/pbHnDDJ
Regionally, all regions are down except for the Midwest which is bumping upwards.: https://ibb.co/MhJmxX4
In PA, all 5 sheds that report to Biobot are droping significantly!!: https://ibb.co/tPhVHWJ
And so are the Harrisburg and UPark areas which report to WastewaterSCAN. This is great for still having winter weather. We're handling it. We're doing something right!: https://ibb.co/5cWQDHh
The State PA Wastewater Dashboard now has many sheds, especially in the East, in the blue, SARS concentration lessening.: https://ibb.co/Wx2Pf2J
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Non-SARS2 WastewaterOK, now for the not-so-great wastewater news: we're getting smashed by non-SARS pathogens like FluA, FluB, and Norovirus (which is the "24-hr stomach bug").
Numbers of FluA and FluB are rising significantly in all sheds that report to WastewaterSCAN.
FluA: https://ibb.co/Xkn6xYL
FluB: https://ibb.co/84wfBH9Especially in UPark with FluB, yikes. Please wear a quality respirator to control this. Not doing so means more learning loss!
UPark is getting hit hard with Norovirus, which is already at HIGH levels and is going vertical there.: https://ibb.co/svpJB1t
C'mon, UPark, get a hold of this so your Spring won't be a mess! 💐
:ms_arrow_right: WASH hands, WASH food you eat and don't prepare food if you are sick to prevent the spread of Noro. It's just gross. Don't spread it!
It's still going to take a bit of work but if we do, we'll be more prepared for a healthier Spring.
And that in both scenarios: if we have a relatively calm COVID Spring with no new crazyfast variant (less likely), and also we won't be fighting pathogens on many different fronts if we DO have a crazyfast variant (more likely).
Stay healthy and have a great March! ❄️💐❄️
#covid #Covid19 #SARS2PA #CDC #CovidIsNotOver #Pennsylvania #PA #JN1 #JN1Eleven #JN1Eleven1 #JN1Sixteen #JN116 #KP1 #FluA #FluB #Influenza #Norovirus #Noro
#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #VaccinesSaveLives #Wastewater #StayHomeIfSick #SourceControl #USESourceControl #COVIDSourceControl
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U[pdate for 2/23/2024!
Good Morning SARS2PAians! ❄️❄️❄️
There's no new CDC stuff for today.
VOCs
JN.1 and its cousins/offspring continues to smash the leaderboard globally and in the US: https://ibb.co/xSW90JK
And here in PA: https://ibb.co/FX4VJgb
Lineage News
JN.1.11 has totally fizzled out (that's the difference between how it looks in a lab compared to actual infectivity) but there is a new variant that is being VERY closely scoured for by geneticists: JN.1.23 (that's JN One Dot Twenty-Three.)
This variant has an absolutely astounding ACE2Binding ability (which means it's easier to "stick" to lungs) + very good escape rate (which means it looks different than anything else before it and the body isn't sure how to react to it).: https://ibb.co/B45zX5B
It is definitely way beyond "uh-oh" at this point.: https://ibb.co/9T5pv5z
It has already been found on 3 continents (South America/Brazil, North America/California, and Asia/India) and also in Canada/Alberta. it's now being tracked on Rajnarayanan's Tableau chart for the US.: https://ibb.co/xMwRyyC
This also has so much binding ability, it has the most potential to even "spend" some of its infectivity on other mutations that will benefit its children, sacrificing it for more severity or more innate infectivity....which would be very bad.
The good news is that this variant has only 2 differences between it and what we're already dealing with. Despite the very good ACE2 binding, XBB.1.5 vaccines and prior infections with JN.1 should hold against it at least a little while.: https://ibb.co/42D30fZ
(Note: don't get infected to prevent infection. That's silly. There's NO sure way to know if you were infected with JN.1 unless you get your case sequenced. Get vaccinated and use source control. That's smart and NOT silly.)
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WastewaterWastewater SARS2 material is rising in the US again. Not a good sign.: https://ibb.co/DGx889k
Regionally, all regions except the West are starting to tick upwards again.: https://ibb.co/dtKpRsK
In PA, the 5 stations that report to Biobot are showing very volatile elves, but Chester, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and MontCo are handling it. :canparrot: GOOD GOING. Source control keeps those numbers down!!!: https://ibb.co/JxZX7YC
BucksCo is on an uptick, now above national averages. Please be cautious and keep working at it for Spring!!! 💐
The PA DoH Wastewater dashboard reflects these rising levels, with levels especially rising in Monroe County. PLEASE USE SOURCE CONTROL. Wear a quality respirator, clean the air with MERV-13 or HEPA filters, and STAY HOME if you are sick!: https://ibb.co/DwtcNgd
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Year-Over-YearWant to remind everyone that this year has the highest national wastewater numbers of all COVID years at this time.: https://ibb.co/WP98zxT
(I changed the color of the 2024 year because the original color used to represent it was...pretty unseeable.)
MORE people are getting infected/reinfected more quickly, and you can see the general trend is for the absolute baseline rising throughout the year.
This is in addition to, on WastewaterSCAN, high levels of other respiratory pathogens like RSV, FluA and FluB and the gastro-disturbing (and just gross) Norovirus.: https://ibb.co/ggyxfBt
Wash hands to prevent especially non SARS pathogens.
🌊👍🌊Wash fruits and veg too before you eat them!
🌊🍎🥒🌊Guys, this is us on our way to a high tide that will never drop IF we don't use source control.
But if we do, we can prevent life, learning, and financial loss going into spring and have a LOVELY and healthy new season soon! 💐
#covid #Covid19 #SARS2PA #CDC #CovidIsNotOver #Pennsylvania #PA #JN1 #JN1TwentyThree #JN123 #Norovirus #Influenza #InfluenzaB #Flu #FluB #WearAMask #CleanTheAir #VaccinesSaveLives #Wastewater #StayHomeIfSick #SourceControl #USESourceControl #COVIDSourceControl
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New #Fukushima #nuclear #wastewater leak heightens international concerns
August 18, 2023
"The latest reported leak of nuclear-contaminated water from the #FukushimaDaiichi nuclear power plant has again heightened international concerns over the competence of Tokyo Electric Power Company (#TEPCO) and the lack of effective regulation from the Japanese government, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
"Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on media reports that TEPCO recently confirmed a leak of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as a result of a crack in the hose used to transport the wastewater.
"The legitimacy and safety of #Japan's ocean discharge plan have long been questioned by the international community, and people in Fukushima have pointed out many times that since the nuclear plant accident, TEPCO's handling of the aftermath has been highly problematic, Wang said.
"People are questioning TEPCO's ability to properly handle the nuclear-contaminated water, Wang added.
"'Can TEPCO handle the wastewater in a safe and responsible way throughout the process? Can it manage the 30-year-long discharge without mistakes and errors? Can it ensure the long-term effectiveness and reliability of the treatment facility? Can it conduct wastewater sampling and monitoring activities in strict compliance with the rules? The international community is very doubtful about that,' Wang said.
"Wang reiterated that the Japanese side should take seriously the legitimate concerns of the international community and the people in Japan, stop pushing through the ocean discharge plan, have full and sincere communication with neighboring countries, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a truly responsible way, and accept rigorous international oversight."
http://en.ce.cn/main/latest/202308/18/t20230818_38678174.shtml
#WaterIsLife #NoNukes #NoMoreNukes #RethinkNotRestart #Nucleare #SaveThePlanet #FukushimaDaiichi #FukushimaWater #NoDumping #NuclearWaste #TEPCOLies #Biden #Kishida #PacificOcean
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There were sharp words & fiery exchanges this week at a #TownHall meeting between #ImperialOil & residents of #FortChipewyan , #Alberta .
It was the #FirstTime the company met with #residents of the #community on the western shore of #LakeAthabasca since #wastewater #seepage was discovered from #TailingsPonds at Imperial Oil Ltd.'s #KearlLake# oilsands site near #FortMcMurray . Fort Chipewyan is downstream from the tailings ponds.
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6789141 -
Meanwhile, in #Alberta:
“#Imperial #Oil’s #Kearl #oilsands facility has been #leaking #wastewater for almost nine months. It’s seeping into #groundwater and bubbling up into the nearby #watershed…”
“A second #leak, reported by the company on Feb. 4, spilled an estimated 5.3 million litres of #industrial #waste #water… into nearby #forest and #wetlands from a storage pond.”
🛢️🐟🦆🦋🪷☠️
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@TimWardCam Too many in my area think the rates are low, despite #wastewater levels showing they're not. You're smart to not go many places if you don't like to wear a #mask. I'm used to them and wear them as needed, just like boots and a winter coat. Dress appropriately and #MaskAppropriatelyForTheConditions.