Water Contamination
March 5, 2010--All fish tested from U.S. streams found contaminated with mercury (Environmental News Network)
In a new study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), every single fish tested from 291 freshwater streams across the United States was found to be contaminated with mercury. "This study shows just how widespread mercury pollution has become in our air, watersheds and many of our fish in freshwater streams," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
March 2, 2010--Alamosa sued over salmonella in drinking water (Denver Post)
Twenty-nine families afflicted by the salmonella outbreak in Alamosa's water supply sued their city government Monday. An investigation by the state Department of Public and Health and Environment concluded that salmonella bacteria from animal feces probably got into the drinking-water supply early in March 2008 and infected the entire water system for the nex
February 23, 2010--Road salt melts snow, but it contaminates groundwater and damages habitats (Washington Post)
We toss more than 20 million tons of sodium chloride on our roadways every winter. That's about 13 times more salt than is used by the entire food processing industry. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water and thus melts street-clogging snow and ice.
February 15, 2010--Unused medications in Colorado could get second life (Denver Post)
Too many doses of medications are being dumped into Colorado's water supply when they could be used to help needy patients in this state and beyond, two lawmakers and a nursing home administrator said Sunday morning on the west steps of the state Capitol.
February 8, 2010--Even if you're careful, drugs can end up in water (Denver Post)
Tiny amounts of discarded drugs have been found in water at three landfills in Maine, confirming suspicions that pharmaceuticals thrown into household trash are ending up in water that drains through waste, according to a survey by the state's environmental agency that's one of only a handful to have looked at the presence of drugs in landfills.
February 7, 2010--Telluride group files legal challenge to Energy Fuels mill water (Montrose Daily Planet)
A Telluride conservation nonprofit filed a legal challenge on January 26 in Montrose District Court to the proposed Energy Fuels (EF) Pinon Ridge yellowcake uranium mill, based on their belief that EF cannot prove they have the capacity to exploit and utilize water beneficially, and that they cannot avoid polluted water discharges from the mill.
January 20, 2010--More states took in expired meds in 2009 (Denver Post)
A steel mailbox-sized bin in the lobby of a police department in northern Utah was full again, crammed with half-full prescription bottles, over-the-counter cold meds and even an odd topical cream from 1983.
January 12, 2010--Common herbicide might affect frogs (Washington Post)
One of the herbicides most widely used to fight a broad range of weeds in cornfields and on other cropland appears to affect the sexual development of frogs when it gets into the waterways in which they live, according to researchers at the University of Ottawa.
December 30, 2009--Scientists begin testing mussels for pollutants (Denver Post)
Regulators are concerned about an array of chemicals and pharmaceuticals—synthetic estrogen used in birth control pills, anti-bacterial agents in hand sanitizers and a flame retardant used on computers, furniture and cars—that can accumulate in the tissue of animals and people.
December 24, 2009--Colo. gets $7.3 million for abandoned coal mines (Vail Daily)
Colorado will get $7.3 million in federal funds to seal abandoned coal mines and restore water and land affected by mining. The grant announced Tuesday is part of a total $369 million going to 28 eligible coal-producing states. The reclamation program is financed through fees on coal production and the grants are based on each state's past and current production.
