Unlikely Partners: Groundwater Management and Environmental Justice. Peter J. Sullivan Santa Clara University December 2, 2004

Transcription

1 Unlikely Partners: Groundwater Management and Environmental Justice Peter J. Sullivan Santa Clara University December 2, 2004

2 What s The Connection? Open access to clean water is absolutely critical for the wellbeing of individuals, ecosystems, and businesses. Abusing the distribution of water or facilitating its contamination threatens communities at every level.

3 Table Of Contents 1. Groundwater Overview 2. How Groundwater Relates To Environmental Justice 3. Summary and Links to Additional Information

4 What Is Groundwater? Water tables can be located anywhere from one to hundreds of feet below the surface Area where the water fills the aquifer Groundwater is rarely found in large underground lakes or rivers The substrate density determine the rate at which groundwater moves Source: Groundwater.org An aquifer is an underground storage area

5 How Does Groundwater Fit Into The Larger Picture? Clouds dissipate, sending rain and snow back to earth Surface water evaporates, rising into the atmosphere and condensing as clouds Groundwater is recharged by snow melts and precipitation Source: USGS Water is stored in multiple forms

6 Wells Are The Primary Method Of Accessing Groundwater Methods of Well-Digging Wells Can Be Easily Contaminated 1. Improper construction 2. Introduction of hazardous materials (e.g., motorcycles) in or near the well Source: USGS, Groundwater.org

7 Groundwater Facts National Facts 1. Of all the earth s water that s usable by humans, 98% is groundwater 2. Nearly 75% of the water that comes into homes goes down the drain 3. Primary source of drinking water for more than half of all the people in the U.S.; nearly 100% for rural populations California Facts 1. Approximately 30-40% of California s total water usage comes from groundwater reserves 2. More than 8,000 public water supplies have been shut down due to contamination since the mid-1980s Source: Quoted on Groundwater.org, original source from USGS, and US EPA; State Water Resources Control Board

8 Central Valley Aquifer System Source: USGS,

9 Aquifer Recharging System Source: USGS,

10 Aquifer Depth/Thickness Source: USGS,

11 California s Groundwater Contamination The areas in red represent those reserves with the highest risk of contamination Source:

12 Sources Of Groundwater Contamination 1 1. Airborne pollution/ acid rain Landfill creep 3. Petrochemical storage seepage Toxic chemical storage seepage 5. Pesticide runoff 6. Residential septic seepage Source: Groundwater.org

13 But Contamination Is Only Part Of The Problem. Think About It 1 faucet leaking at one drip per second wastes 5 Gallons per day 150 Gallons per month 1,800 Gallons per year Source: Groundwater.org

14 Table of Contents 1. Groundwater Overview 2. How Groundwater Relates To Environmental Justice 3. Summary and Links to Additional Information

15 Water Has A Strong Tradition In Christian Imagery In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. *** And God said let there be a dome amidst the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. So God made the dome that separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. Source: Genesis 1:1-2, 6-8

16 Old and New Testament Images of Water Old Testament Water predates earth and human creation Moses is delivered via the Nile Water frees Moses from the Egyptians Water as a purifying agent for animal sacrifice New Testament Matthew: John the Baptist, baptizing in the River Mark: Water as signifier; find the man carrying the water bucket Luke: Washing of feet John: Cana feast; Jesus and the Samaritan woman s new water

17 Fast Forward: Columbia River Bishop s Letter 1. Pastoral letter issued in 2001 on the feast of the Baptism of Jesus 2. Letter reflects a growing concern among the Church for the environment 3. Adapting recent Papal messages to a local resource management issue, the Bishops: a. Addressed current river conditions b. Assessed past religious significance c. Shared a new vision for Columbia d. Proposed an ethic of stewardship

18 Ideas Of Social Justice Raised In The Columbia Letter Are Applicable To Groundwater 1. Distributive Justice a. Water as a common good; belonging to all yet none b. Water crosses political and cultural boundaries 2. Subsidiarity a. Recognition of the effectiveness of local minority knowledge and other, often neglected groups 3. Recognition of Economic Interests a. No condemnation of businesses or industries 4. Living Water a. No circumventing the fact that communities are dependent on water

19 But Groundwater Remains A Special Challenge Physical boundaries are less clear for groundwater than a surface river, thus requiring an even greater level of inclusion and commitment from varying parties. Moreover, contaminated groundwater locations are much more difficult to clean than surface water sites.

20 Table Of Contents 1. Groundwater Overview 2. How Groundwater Relates To Environmental Justice 3. Summary and Links to Additional Information

21 Summary 1. Groundwater quality and safety are of utmost importance in California as a whole and in the Central Valley in particular 2. In their letter, the Bishops showed that broad-based Catholic social teaching can be applied to local conservation issues

22 For More Information 1. California State Water Resources Control Board ( 2. The Groundwater Foundation ( 3. EPA Groundwater Quality Reporting (