The GRAND. For the Neosho and Spring Rivers, Grand Lake o the Cherokees, and Hudson Lake Watersheds. A Project of LEAD Agency, Inc.

Transcription

1 The GRAND For the Neosho and Spring Rivers, Grand Lake o the Cherokees, and Hudson Lake Watersheds A Project of LEAD Agency, Inc.

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8 The Spirit of Environmental Justice On February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12,898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations. The Executive Order required federal agencies to consider disparate impacts of their decisions on environmental justice communities (Communities of color and/or low income) EPA and federally funded state environmental agencies are obligated by this framework not to allow the permitting of additional facilities that could add further toxic burdens on designated environmental justice communities. Agencies are also committed to ensure that these communities are prioritized for toxic site cleanups and that they share as partners with the agencies in decisionmaking. Federal agencies (including EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Defense, Department of Energy) developed environmental justice protocols for interacting with citizen groups and tribal governments. But there is no real enforcement mechanism in the Executive Order and the federal government s steps to address environmental justice were largely window dressing.

9 In 1995, Congress failed to reauthorize the Superfund tax. The funds previously collected from polluters are now exhausted and it literally takes an act of Congress for appropriation of funds for each Superfund toxic site. Under these conditions, attempts by Congress members to allocate funds to cleanup sites in their districts are seen by others as pork barrel spending; therefore, these efforts often fail. Environmental justice groups are also urging the Congress to codify the Environmental Justice Executive Order 12,898 so it will stand as the law of the land. In 2007, the United Church of Christ released a follow up report, Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty The authors found that, environmental injustice in minority communities is as much or more prevalent today than 20 years ago. And that, disproportionately large numbers of people of color still live in hazardous waste host communities, and that people of color are not equally protected by environmental law.

10 Since the Tar Creek Site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in the 1983, There has never been a health study or a doorto door survey conducted by a state or federal agency in the area to try and determine what the prevailing illnesses are and whether these illnesses may relate to exposures to the host of toxic heavy metals found in the waste materials and mine water of the Superfund Site.

11 Metals of Primary Concern: Lead, arsenic, cadmium, manganese, iron and zinc. According to ATSDR TOX Profiles, 2003: Lead: long term low level exposure (10 micrograms/deciliter and above) can result in pre term birth, decreased IQ and growth in children, increased blood pressure in middle aged males, impaired learning and reduced birth weight. Cadmium: Long term low level ( mg/kg/day) exposure produces renal or kidney damage and increased blood pressure, lung disease, diabetes, weak bones and cancer. Arsenic: Long term low level exposure ( ug/kg/day) causes skin or lung cancer, systemic effects and skin lesions. Iron: Chronic ingestion of high levels causes diabetes, liver disease, myocardial infarction, myocardiopathy and heart attack. Manganese: Exposure is associated with Parkinson s Disease, ADHD and nervous system problems. Zinc: At high levels can cause latent liver dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis, lower levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol).

12 RESULTS: 562 Households Surveyed miscarriages (24%), Parkinson s disease (7%), heart disease (40%), hypertension (58%), cancer (38%), diabetes (43%) and kidney disease (11%). Non osteoarthritis related arthritis diseases (39%). It appears that our surveyed population is sicker than the general population of Oklahoma or the country; however, that will have to be determined by the experts we hope to work with on interpreting this information, especially as we improve our methods with experience.

13 It is interesting to us that we obtained a racial mix of respondents that is pretty close to the general population; In addition, the households interviewed appeared to be predominantly long term residents of the area. Lowest quadrant had mean of 22 years. We are also concerned with the percentage of those across the communities with asthma (35%), learning disabilities (14%) and ADHD (14%).

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18 Metals. Nutrients. Synergy In a study produced by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) in 1990 as the result of an EPA funded Clean Lakes Project (Phase I), sediment and water samples from Grand Lake and its tributaries (Spring River, Neosho River, and Elk River) were sampled for potential toxicity resulting from sediment metals accumulation and the degree of potential nutrient problems in the lake. As a result, the study found that, The upstream portion of Grand Lake is impacted by heavy metal contamination from the abandoned lead zinc mines, and although heavy metals would continue to be accumulated in sediments of Grand Lake, the metals appear to be chemically bound to the sediments Therefore,..Contamination appears to be confined to sediments in the upper reaches of the lake and does not pose an immediate threat to the overall quality of water in Grand Lake.

19 The Report warns, however, that, Under extreme conditions, continued metals transport from upstream tributaries and/or increased eutrophication might decrease ph from the currently measures low of 6.8 units to a critically low ph of 6.0. Dissolution of metals from the sediment would potentially become a serious problem in Grand Lake under conditions of low ph. Regarding eutophication at Grand Lake, the Report found that.the entire lake was influenced by eutrophication processes occurring in the upper end of the lake. As a result, the lake is rapidly accelerating into eutrophic conditions and decreasing water quality. Moreover, recent studies suggest that lead may be suspended in water at a ph of 8.4 and higher.

20 Clean Coal is a Dirty Lie

21 38,200 heart attacks and an additional number of strokes each year. In a 1997 study by the World Health Organization and the World Resources Institute, it was estimated that 700,000 avoidable deaths worldwide will occur annually due to particulate matter pollution by 2020.

22 Remove all topsoil Remove all overburden (Earth) Black Warrior Minerals

23 CCC members on the Navajo Reservation showed their visitors the air pollution from the coal burning Four Corners power plant in the background.

24 Another Perspective

25 And the clean up

26 Oklahoma Water Quality Standards Beneficial Use Categories for Grand Lake Watershed Public and Private Water Supply Cool Water Aquatic Community Fish & Wildlife Propagation Agriculture Class I Irrigation Primary Body Contact Recreation Aesthetics

27 Summary of Grand Lake Watershed Beneficial Use for Specific Segments: Grand Lake: Classified as eutrophic (nutrient rich conditions). Most productive areas are Honey Creek and Neosho/Spring River areas. Fish & Wildlife Propagation (FWP) beneficial use category not supported due to high turbidity (spring and winter are highest times) Honey Creek: Primary Body Contact Recreation (PBCR) beneficial use category is not supported due to high bacteria counts, and high levels of nutrients (nitrate/nitrite). Elk River: Primary Body Contact Recreation (PBCR) beneficial use category is not supported due to high bacteria counts. Honey Creek: Primary Body Contact Recreation (PBCR) beneficial use category is not supported due to high bacteria counts and high levels of nutrients (nitrate/nitrite). Spring River: Cool Water Aquatic Community Fish and Wildlife (CWWAC) beneficial use category is not supported due to metals and turbidity. Primary Bodyt contact Recreation (PBCR) beneficial use category is not supported due to high bacteria counts. Neosho River: All beneficial use categories supported. However, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) issued fish consumption advisory for Neosho and Spring River due to lead in all species of fish.

28 ODEQ Fish Consumption Advisories: Lead Advisory Original: Eat no more that Six 8 oz fish meals per month. Fillets only, of all species caught from the Neosho and Spring Rivers guide issued with specific values by species Mercury Advisory Pregnant women and women of childbearing age and children under 15 years of age one fish meal per week

29 Mercury Emissions From Coal Fired Power Plants Background: Prior to the Bush Administration, from 2000 to the 2008, EPA studies estimated that up to 14% of mercury emitted by coal burning power plants deposited within 30 miles of a coal fired power plant (U.S. EPA, 199, Study of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions from Electric Utility Steam Generating Units final report to congress Feb. 1998).

30 Recent modeling results from the Great Lakes Approximately 48% of the mercury depositing in Lake Michigan came from sources within 60 miles of the lake coal combustion in the U.S. found to be the predominant source contributing to mercury deposition in the region Cohen, M. Artz, R, et.al, 2004 Modeling the atmospheric transport and deposition of mercury to the Great Lakes, Environmental research, in press.

31 Other studies show that at least five years is required for fish to become safe for human consumption, once mercury sources are greatly reduced (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, The Everglades Mercury TMDL Pilot Study: Final Report. 2003). Presently, 45 states have issued state wide fish consumption warnings due to mercury pollution of all water bodies in the states. Those that have only watershed specific warnings or have no warnings, have not conducted or completed state wide studies.

32 Let s Look Again RESULTS: 562 Households Surveyed miscarriages (24%), Parkinson s disease (7%), heart disease (40%), hypertension (58%), cancer (38%), diabetes (43%) and kidney disease (11%). Non osteoarthritis related arthritis diseases (39%). It appears that our surveyed population is sicker than the general population of Oklahoma or the country; However, that will have to be determined by the experts we hope to work with on interpreting this information, especially as we improve our methods with experience.

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35 Earl L. Hatley