News

U.S. to cut funds for water testing at beaches

2/16/12

The EPA plans to cut $10 million in grants it gives annually. Water quality advocates worry that swimmers and surfers will be at even greater risk of illness.

Health testing at beaches in California and across the nation is at risk of being cut under a plan to eliminate federal funds for monitoring whether the water is too contaminated to swim in.

Citing the "difficult financial climate," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in its budget request this week that it would do away with $10 million in grants it gives each year to state and local agencies in coastal and Great Lakes states to test for tainted water.

"While beach monitoring continues to be important to protect human health and especially sensitive individuals," the EPA said in an emailed statement, "states and local governments now have the technical expertise and procedures to continue beach monitoring without federal support."

But state and local officials have struggled to pay for health testing along California's busy coastline in recent years, and water quality advocates worry that swimmers and surfers will be at even greater risk of getting sick if the federal funds evaporate.

The proposed cuts come as the agency is drafting new nationwide beach water quality standards, which have been panned by environmental groups as being even weaker than the 1986 rules they replace.

"It feels like a double whammy to beachgoers," said Kirsten James, water quality director for Santa Monica environmental group Heal the Bay. "The EPA is on multiple levels telling them they are swimming at their own risk every time they go to the beach."

The EPA has paid $111 million for beach water quality testing over the last dozen years through the grant program authorized by Congress in the 2000 BEACH Act. "As a result, the number of monitored beaches has more than tripled to more than 3,600 in 2010," the agency announced last month.

The grants slated for elimination pay for local health and environmental protection agencies to conduct water quality tests and post warning signs or even close the beach when bacteria levels indicate the water is too contaminated.

Swimming in polluted water exposes people to pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes and ear, eye and staph infections.

California is eligible for about $500,000 each year, second only to Florida, and uses the EPA funds to supplement beach water monitoring up and down the coast.

"The cut could reduce the amount of testing unless other funding sources are found," Judie Panneton, a spokeswoman for the state water board, wrote in an email.

State and county budget cuts have in recent years led California beaches to scale back testing, though a law signed last year by Gov. Jerry Brown restored funding at the state level, giving the water board authority to provide up to $1.8 million a year to pay for more consistent testing at hundreds of beaches.

Overfishing costs EU £2.7bn each year

2/10/12

Overfishing of EU fisheries is costing £2.7bn (3.2bn euros) a year and 100,000 jobs, a report has said.

The research, by the UK-based New Economics Foundation, said a third of Britain's fish consumption could be met if stocks were allowed to recover.

Separate research suggests that half of fishermen would not be willing to give up their livelihoods.

Last week, a report said there were reasons to be optimistic that fisheries could recover from past exploitation.

"Overfishing is bad for the economy," said report author Rupert Crilly, environmental economics researcher for the foundation's Ocean2012 initiative.

"With the stroke of pen, European fisheries ministers are wiping out millions of pounds and thousands of jobs each year by allowing overfishing to continue."

The report, Lost at Sea, concluded that the restoring 43 of the continent's fish stocks to their "maximum sustainable yield" (largest annual catch that can be maintained over the long term) would result in an additional 3.5m tonnes of fish reaching markets, "enough to meet the annual demand for almost 160m EU citizens".

It added: "Overfishing is the single most destructive force in the marine environment.

"It has made the fishing industry economically vulnerable and caused coastal communities to crumble. Instead of rebuilding (fish) stocks, the industry has become heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.

Last week, the Prince of Wales launched a report by his think-tank, International Sustainability Unit (ISU), that looked at a way to put fisheries around the globe on a sustainable footing.

The report, Fisheries in Transition, concluded that by regulating the catch in a sensible way, fishermen were able to make more money for less effort, allowing the stock to be safeguarded against exploitation.

"We recognise that there is no 'one size fits all', solution - every fishery is different," said Charlotte Cawthorne, ISU marine programme manager, speaking at the report's launch.

But, she added, three things were essential: scientific understanding of the ecosystem, funding for the transition, and sound management.

A study published this week in the journal Plos One said that half of the fishermen in developing nations would not be willing to give up their livelihoods, regardless of declining catches.

"We found that half of fishermen questioned would not be tempted to seek out a new livelihood, even if their catch declined by 50%," said co-author Dr Tim Daw from the University of East Anglia.

Natural Splendor Bombarded By More Garbage

2/11/12

As dawn’s rosy fingers crept over the Arcata Bottom along Liscom Slough last Friday, Feb 10, they revealed to Ted Halstead the hideous pile of debris above, which included all manner of wretched refuse.

Three things we know:

1. That we have absolutely no idea who did the dumping.

2. That the envelope below was found in the garbage.

3. That the return addressee, Arthur Criner was arrested November 9 in Eureka. Here’s the EPD press release:

“On 11/09/11, at about 3:50 PM, POP investigators spotted a wanted fugitive, Arthur Thomas Criner (age 50 of Eureka), walking near Myrtle and West Ave. Criner had five confirmed warrants for his arrest stemming from five separate cases (misdemeanor and felony). This included a POP drug sales search warrant service on the 1100 block of O Street in June 2011 (Criner was arrested and booked by POP for possession of a controlled substance for sale). Criner was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Jail where he was booked on his warrants alleging the following offenses: burglary, petty theft, driving while license suspended or revoked, unlawful possession of prescription medication, being under the influence of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct (prostitution), resisting/obstructing a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance for sale.”

Later that day, when Ted returned to collect the mess for disposal, a was car parked nearby, with a blonde woman chopping her hair off and throwing it on the ground under the “No Dumping” sign.

“She had a ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ bumper sticker on her car, along with what appeared to be boxes of junk in her car,” Ted said. “She asked me if I lived nearby and why I was picking the trash up. I told her, because I cared and that I thought it was a nice area.”

Draft Coho Recovery Plan Comment Period Extended

The National Marine Fisheries Service has extended the comment deadline for the draft Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Recovery Plan. Comments are due May 4.

HSU, Tribes to Hold Klamath Whale Retrospective Monday

2/9/12

Humboldt State University Zoology Professor Dawn Goley will join with colleagues from the Yurok Tribe and a host of other agencies on Monday, Feb. 13 in a detailed backgrounder on last summer’s Klamath River gray whale saga.

The debriefing will be presented at the Yurok Tribe’s headquarters in Klamath, CA from 6-7:30 p.m. and will address the biological, cultural and veterinary aspects of the multi-agency response.

“For those interested in the details of what happened during the gray whales’ stay, this will be a very informative meeting,” Goley said. “Those who attend will also have an opportunity to meet and talk with the diverse and dedicated team who worked with the cetaceans.”

The Humboldt State University Marine Mammal Education and Research Program, the Yurok Tribe, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Marine Mammal Center partnered in a coordinated response to monitor the health of the whales, encourage them to return to the sea and to maintain their safety and that of observers.

The gray whale cow is believed to have died from complications associated with its extended stay in fresh water. The calf left the river in late July, its fate unknown.

Yurok Tribe Headquarters are located at 190 Klamath Boulevard, just off U.S. Highway 101 in Klamath.