#pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area

[jthurlow]

48 Years Ago: "Summary of Progress"- Final Report on the Special Project to Prevent Eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee

48 Years Ago: Summary of Progress… A look into Florida State Archives Leading up to 2024’s “100 year anniversary of the St. Lucie Canal,” Ed and I visited the State Archives of Florida in Tallahassee. We had called ahead and the archivist had set all aside having to do with the “Final Report on the Special Project to Prevent Eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee.” This very important document,…

[hudsonespie]

Wastewater Pumped into Tampa Bay Could Harm Marine Environment

Millions of gallons of water laced with fertilizer ingredients are being pumped into Florida’s Tampa Bay from a leaking reservoir at an abandoned phosphate plant at Piney Point. As the water spreads into the bay, it carries phosphorus and nitrogen – nutrients that under the right conditions can fuel dangerous algae blooms that can suffocate sea grass beds and kill fish, dolphins and manatees.

It’s the kind of risk no one wants to see, but officials believed the other options were worse.

About 300 homes sit downstream from the 480-million-gallon reservoir, which began leaking in late March 2021. State officials determined that pumping out the water was the only way to prevent the reservoir’s walls from collapsing. They decided the safest location for all that water would be out through Port Manatee and into the bay.

Florida’s coast is dotted with fragile marine sanctuaries and sea grass beds that help nurture the state’s thriving marine and tourism economy. Those near Port Manatee now face a risk of algal blooms over the next few weeks. Once algae blooms get started, little can be done to clean them up.

The phosphate mining industry around Tampa is just one source of nutrients that can fuel dangerous algae blooms, which I study as a marine biologist. The sugarcane industry, cattle ranches, dairy farms and citrus groves all release nutrients that often flow into rivers and eventually into bays and the ocean. Sewage is another problem – Miami and Fort Lauderdale, for example, have old sewage treatment systems with frequent pipe breaks that leak sewage into canals and coastal waters.

All can fuel harmful algal blooms that harm marine life and people. Overall, blooms are getting worse locally and globally.

Red tide in recent years has killed large numbers of Florida’s manatees, a threatened species. David Hinkel/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The problem with algae blooms

Just down the coast from Port Manatee, the next three counties to the south have had algae blooms in recent weeks, including red tide, which produces a neurotoxin that feels like pepper spray if you breathe it in. Karenia brevis, a dinoflagellate, is the organism in red tide and produces the toxin.

This part of Florida’s Gulf Coast is a hot spot for red tide, often fueled by agricultural runoff. A persistent red tide in 2017 and 2018 killed at least 177 manatees and left a trail of dead fish along the coast and into Tampa Bay. If the coastal currents carry today’s red tide father north and into Tampa Bay, the toxic algae could thrive on the nutrients from Piney Point.

A map shows red tide reports just south of Tampa Bay. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Even blooms that are not toxic are still dangerous to ecosystems. They cloud the water, cutting off light and killing the plants below. A large enough bloom can also reduce oxygen in the water. A lack of oxygen can kill off everything in the water, including the fish.

This part of Florida has extensive sea grass meadows, about 2.2 million acres in all, which are important habitat for lots of species and serve as nurseries for shrimp, crabs and fish. Scientists have argued that sea grass is also a major carbon sink – the grass sucks up carbon and pumps it down into the sediments.

Once the nutrients are in a large body of water, there isn’t much that can be done to stop algae growth. Killing the algae would only release the nutrients again, putting the bay back where it started. Algae blooms can remain a problem for years, finally declining when a predator population develops to eats them, a viral disease spreads through the bloom or strong currents and mixing disperse the bloom.

Agriculture runoff poses risks to marine life

The phosphate mining industry around Tampa is a large source of nutrient-rich waste. On average, more than five tons of phosphogypsum waste are produced for every ton of phosphoric acid created for fertilizer. In Florida, that adds up to over 1 billion tons of radioactive waste material that can’t be used, so it’s stacked up and turned into reservoirs like the one now leaking at Piney Point.

The reservoirs are obvious in satellite photos of the region, and they can be highly acidic. To get the phosphate out of the minerals, the industry uses sulfuric acid, and it leaves behind a highly acid wastewater. There have been at least two cases where it ate through the limestone below a reservoir, creating huge sinkholes hundreds of feet deep and draining wastewater into the aquifer.

Since saltwater had previously been pumped into the Piney Point reservoir, acidity is less of an issue. That’s because the seawater would buffer the pH. There is some radioactivity, but only slightly above regulatory standards, according to state Department of Environmental Protection, and probably not much of a health hazard.

But the nutrients are a risk. In 2004, water releases from the Piney Point reservoir contributed to an algae bloom in Bishop Harbor, just south of the current release site. In 2011, it released over 170 million gallons into Bishop Harbor again after a liner broke.

Another significant source of algae-feeding nutrients is agriculture, particularly cattle ranching and the sugarcane industry. Nutrient runoff from cattle ranches and dairy farms north of Lake Okeechobee end up in the lake. South of the lake, much of the northern third of the Everglades was converted to sugarcane farms, and those fields back-pumped runoff into the lake for decades until the state started cracking down in the 1980s. Their legacy nutrients are still in the lake.

The nutrient-rich water in the lake then pours down the Caloosahatchee River and into the Gulf of Mexico near Fort Myers, south of Tampa. That’s likely feeding the current red tide off the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River.

When water from the Everglades region’s agriculture is pumped south instead, huge blooms tend to appear in Florida Bay at the southern tip of the state. Some scientists believe it may be damaging coral reefs there, though there’s debate about it. During times that flow of water from the farms increased, reefs throughout the Florida Keys have been harmed. Those reefs have become overgrown with algae.

With the current red tide, the coastal currents have carried it north as far as Sarasota already. If they carry it farther north, it will run into the Piney Point area.

Larry Brand is a professor in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/wastewater-pumped-into-tampa-bay-could-harm-marine-environment via http://www.rssmix.com/

[jakehglover]

Toxic Algae and Red Tide — The Steep Cost of Factory Farms

By Dr. Mercola

Florida is well-known for its aquatic wildlife — a natural resource that is now being rapidly decimated by the influence of factory farms and chemical agriculture, combined with the unpredictable forces of nature.

Over the past 10 months, scores of manatees, dolphins, turtles, eels, crabs and other marine animals have washed ashore, dead, killed by toxic Karenia brevis algae — known as red tide — which now covers the east and west coasts.

Lake Okeechobee, which is the source of the problem, is also choked by another algal organism — blue-green cyanobacteria. Both the red tide organism and cyanobacteria are fed by excess nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen from agricultural fertilizers.

These toxic algae also pose a threat to human health. Exposure through inhalation may trigger respiratory distress; topically it may cause skin rashes, while accidental ingestion can lead to vomiting and kidney failure. As reported by One Green Planet:1

"[T]oxic algae is spreading through the coastal waters of South Florida, causing what is known as a 'red tide' to form, and it is killing wildlife at alarming rates due to lack of oxygen. The explosion of wildlife-killing algae in the area is largely a result of agricultural runoff linked to the Big Sugar industry."

Largest, Longest Red Tide in Decades

Hundreds of dead manatees and even a massive whale shark have washed ashore since October 2017, when the red tide began. Turtles have been hardest hit, including Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, which are on the critically endangered list. As noted by Bob Wasno, a marine biologist with Florida Gulf Coast University:2

"Back in 1994 we had an outbreak and it killed 196 manatees. Everybody was just completely outraged. They yelled and jumped up and down and said 'This is not going to happen again.' Here we are 24 years later and this is worse than ever."

In 2016, the Florida algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee drew attention after persisting from May through midsummer, covering 33 square miles and spreading to the coasts.3 A state of emergency was declared in three of the hardest-hit counties on the Atlantic coast, as well as one county on the Gulf coast.

That was nothing, though, compared to what we're facing now. The red tide, which covers an estimated 100 miles of coastline and stretches miles offshore, has persisted for 10 months and still shows no signs of abating.

What's Happening in Lake Okeechobee?

As noted in the featured video, the waters of Lake Okeechobee originally drained south into the Everglades, "one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth." Over time, however, swampland was transformed into farmland. Then, in 1928, a massive hurricane hit the area, causing Lake Okeechobee to overflow, with floodwaters spreading across hundreds of miles.

Some 2,500 residents were killed in the storm surge. To prevent a repeat of this deadly event, the Herbert Hoover dike was built around the lake. Instead of draining south, the lake now drains to the east and west coasts via man-made canals.

As Okeechobee no longer fed water into the Everglades, more swampland dried up, and the sugar industry moved in. Meanwhile, cattle ranches and dairy farms congregated to the north of the lake.4 Together, these industries have created a perfect storm in Lake Okeechobee.

Phosphorous-rich manure is leaching from the factory farms in the north, while fertilizer-rich water gets pumped into the lake from the south, and it is these fertilizer chemicals, primarily phosphorus but also nitrogen, that feed the toxic algae in the lake.

Another relatively surprising source of phosphorus is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most widely used herbicide in conventional farming.

According to University of Miami scientists Larry Brand and Angela Compton, K. brevis blooms were thirteenfold to eighteenfold more abundant along the southwest Florida coast between 1994 and 2002 compared to 1954 to 1963, and the reason for this was human-released nutrients such as fertilizer runoff.5

Lake Okeechobee Destroyed by Industrial Farming Practices

A major problem with the sugar cane fields is that they still use the old system of back-pumping excess water from the fields into Lake Okeechobee. According to Martin County district data, an estimated 8.7 billion gallons of nutrient-rich water from the sugar fields in the south were back-pumped last year.6

The back-pumping, combined with two serious storms, Harvey and Irma, created a situation where an unusual concentration of cyanobacteria formed in the lake, starting around October 2017. The water from Lake Okeechobee, thick with algae, then flows through the canals to the ocean on the east and west coasts, slowly spreading outward.

In the video above, you can clearly see it — the lake water looks like coffee compared to the clear blue ocean water. While red tide is a natural occurrence, it would typically occur much farther offshore. With the toxic runoff from Lake Okeechobee, however, the red tide hugs the shoreline, killing all marine life in its path.

As noted by Heather Barron, head veterinarian at Florida's Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, "Anything that can leave has, and anything that couldn't has died."7 According to National Geographic:8

"Background K. brevis concentrations usually fall below 1,000 cells per liter. Yet in recent counts, many sites tip the scales at over 10 million cells per liter, says Richard Bartleson, a biologist at Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who has been monitoring the bloom's intensity.

In select spots, he's seen counts up to 140 million cells per liter. Animals accidentally ingest the algae while feeding, which makes them 'almost comatose,' says Gretchen Lovewell, program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory's Stranding Investigations Program … But most, she says, are already dead."

The concentration of nutrients in the water also allows the red tide to persist far longer than normal. It’s been 10 months, and it still shows no signs of abating. Part of the solution would be to reestablish water flow from Okeechobee to the Everglades.

For this to happen, the state would have to buy at least part of the land back from the sugar industry. As of yet, this has not happened, and environmental activists cite "lack of political will" as a primary reason for this failure.

Algae Blooms Traced Back to Sewage Sludge

Aside from synthetic fertilizers, manure and glyphosate, there's yet another nutrient source that appears to play a role in toxic algal blooms: sewage sludge, also known as biosolids. This human waste is frequently used as a "natural" fertilizer.

A July 15, 2018, article9 in the Florida Times-Union reported a breakout of algae bloom at the head of St. Johns River — a typically pristine area — may have been caused by the sludge runoff:

"'We're seeing green algae throughout the headwaters,' said St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman, who told state officials this spring that algae-feeding phosphorus and nitrogen might be seeping into the lake from a minimally cleaned variety of sewage sludge that's spread over nearby ranch land."

While the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has shied away from blaming sludge, it, along with St. Johns River Water Management District, has agreed to study the problem, and has placed a six-month temporary ban on the use of biosolids at a 3,000-acre ranch west of the lake.

According to the article, "County commissioners started discussing a six-month moratorium for the entire county last month, but have moved cautiously to avoid any legal landmines." According to researchers, there's been a significant increase in the use of sludge in the area, starting in 2013.

Since 2012, the amount of phosphorous added to the upper basin has more than doubled. In 2016 alone, 70,000 tons of sewer sludge were allowed to be disposed in the river’s upper basin.

According to Edith Widder, biochemist and founder of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association, "there's pretty clear evidence of biosolids" in the St. Johns watershed. The problem with biosolids has been clearly detailed by David Lewis, Ph.D., whom I interviewed in 2015.

Chemicals known to be problematic in the part per billion or trillion in water and air are concentrated millions of times higher in sewage sludge which, when applied to farmland, deposit these toxins into the soil. Rain and irrigation runoff then transport the toxins into waterways and groundwater.

What's more, biosolids are not counted toward fertilizer use. This loophole can give the false appearance that agricultural fertilizers aren't as big a problem as you might think.

Farmers may proudly claim they've cut down on fertilizers, when in fact they've just switched to biosolids, which aren't counted, yet deposit even more toxins and result in the same kind of environmental devastation, including algal blooms in waterways.

Petition Calls for Action

A White House petition has now been created, urging the federal government to call on Congress to clean up Lake Okeechobee and take steps to prevent future algae blooms. According to the petition:

"Lake Okeechobee is covered in cyanobacteria, polluting our waterways to the East via St. Lucie River and West via Caloosahatchee River … We are seeing an influx of red tide on our beaches killing countless amounts of fish, turtles, birds, marine plants and other life.

These animals survive on the delicate balance that is being disrupted by human and chemical interference whether it be agriculture, runoff or dumping. Many persons living on canals and waterways are becoming severely ill.

Our politicians are not making the everglades restoration as part of Florida legacy amendment 1, a priority as per legislation passed in 2014. Our economy relies on tourism, fishing and many water related industries. Please save our waters!"

It needs 100,000 signatures in order to receive a response from the White House. If you'd like to add your name to the petition, you may do so here.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

Agricultural Changes Are Necessary to Stop Toxic Algal 'Plagues'

Florida is not alone in its struggle. Not only are many of the world's lakes at risk due to agricultural chemicals feeding harmful blue-green algae, but at the bottom of the Mississippi River lies the largest dead zone on the planet. As reported by MPR News:10

"This particular dead zone at the Mississippi's mouth is a swath of ocean, big as New Jersey at its peak, that's choked for oxygen. There, native plants die. Marine animals move away, or die …

All Midwestern states drain into the Mississippi. Those states have intensive agriculture, too, which uses huge amounts of fertilizer … Nitrogen and phosphorus wash into the watershed during rains … Once in waterways, the nutrients become pollutants …

At the bottom of the Mississippi, all the excess nutrients wind up in the same spot and dump into the Gulf of Mexico. There, they form algae blooms, which demand oxygen from the Gulf's waters. The blooms grow and spread quickly, leaving native wildlife with less oxygen.

Climate change exacerbates the problem as warming ocean temps make it easier for algae to grow — and take up more oxygen in the water. What's left is a dead zone."

That our agriculture is causing such enormous environmental devastation is inexcusable. There's no reason for this insanity, as there are solid, proven ways to farm without synthetic fertilizers and other toxic chemicals, including glyphosate.

On an individual level, you can help by buying food from organic, or better yet biodynamic, farmers who rely on natural methods and soil-regenerative techniques, such as no-till, cover crops, composting and livestock integration.

This will naturally help you to eat better too, since typically only real whole foods are grown this way, while most processed foods are the product of destructive industrial nitrogen fertilizer-laden and glyphosate-heavy agriculture.

Biochar Bank Could Be an Important Part of the Solution

While we certainly need major industry changes, getting main offenders like Big Sugar to change its ways is not going to happen easily, or quickly. Still, there are things that could be implemented fairly rapidly that could make a big difference.

One such technology is described in the Virginia Tech paper “Denitrifying Bioreactors: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water Quality,”11 which essentially involves installing biochar filtration to catch runoff from agricultural sites and catch excess nutrients before they’re released from the lake.

If water were released more slowly over time instead of allowing for the rapid discharge of contaminated water into the canals that lead to the coastal waters, it could be treated with a biochar filtration system. Around the lake, the biochar would work as a water filter to recapture the fertilizers before the water enters the ocean. These biochar borders or banks could also be set up around major agricultural sites to soak up runoff nutrients. As noted in this paper:

“Research has shown that successful nitrogen removal can be obtained in these field scale systems for up to 15 years even with fluctuating in influent nitrate concentrations and flow rates.

This tolerance to variable in influent enables application of DNBRs [denitrifying bioreactors] to treat a wide range of non-point source pollution, such as that created by agriculture, where conventional wastewater treatment is cost-prohibitive. Some of the greatest potential for DNBR use is in agricultural settings, where nitrogen loss to groundwater is the dominant pathway.”

Stay Out of the Water During Algae Bloom

It's important to note that if you see signs warning of harmful algae blooms, stay out of the water and keep your pets out too. Even if there are no signs present, avoid entering water that smells bad, looks discolored or has foam, scum or algae mats on the surface.

If you suspect there could be a problem, you're better off safe than sorry, and be aware that algae toxins can be present in the water even if there's no visible algae on the surface.

In addition, avoid consuming any water that could be contaminated with algae toxins, even if the water has been boiled. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),12 "Boiling water does not remove algal toxins and can increase the amount of toxin in the water by concentrating it," so you'll need to find an alternative source of water if an advisory is issued in your area.

Lastly, if you live in Florida, either on a boat or near the water, you can volunteer to perform water testing to establish better data and monitoring. To learn more, see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Volunteer Monitoring Program page.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/08/21/toxic-algae-and-red-tide.aspx

[paullassiterca]

Industrial Agriculture Poisoning Wells and Streams

Animal waste and fertilizer runoff are two of the largest contributors to water pollution and contamination. Rising productivity on industrial factory farms is single-handedly impairing drinking water supplies across the country, polluting with key culprits like nitrogen, phosphate, insecticides and pesticides.

In the Midwest, Iowa is the leader in U.S. corn and soy production and a major producer of hogs, eggs, cattle and chickens raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).1

Over 55 percent of the rivers and streams in the state fall short of federal water quality standards and in the greater Des Moines area, the water filtration system that cost more than $4 million to install in 1991, now costs $7,000 a day to run.2

According to environmental journalist Mark Shapiro,3 water prices have risen 10 percent each year to cover the rising cost of filtration, and the system still can’t keep up with a nitrogen in the water supply.

While awaiting the installation of a new filtration system, people in the state have been plagued with an increased risk of cancer4 and birth defects,5 believed to be linked to the nitrogen-contaminated drinking water.

The plight of rural residents dependent on groundwater without city water options was recently covered by the Wall Street Journal, which reported that6 “One in seven Americans drinks from private wells, which are being polluted by contaminants from manure and fertilizer.”

Groundwater Contamination Rising Across America

The high levels of productivity in America’s food system supply has taken a significant toll on the environment. The industry was not designed to protect the very earth it depends upon. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agriculture is the leading cause of poor water quality.7

The National Water Quality Assessment8 showed pollution from agriculture was the leading source of impairment to water quality, the third largest source of impairment to lakes and the second largest source of impairment to wetlands.

These agricultural activities generally occur in the absence of a conservation plan and are generated from poorly located or managed CAFOs, overgrazing, plowing, and the improper application of fertilizer, according to the EPA.9

These factors affecting groundwater and poorly managed soil can be changed using regenerative farming practices. Unfortunately, the damage caused by industrial farming and CAFOs to water supplies across America is significant, and will take time to recover from.

America’s Polluted Water a Direct Result of Industrial Farming

David Cwiertny, director of the University of Iowa’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, says,10 “The worst-kept secret is how vulnerable private wells are to agricultural runoff.”

New York Times national correspondent Jack Healy calls rural America’s polluted water,11 “Their Own Private Flint.” He reported on groundwater contamination in Wisconsin where residents now refuse to drink the water, won’t brush their teeth and dread taking showers.

These fears and frustrations are the result of budget cuts for environmental enforcement, inspections and weakened pollution rules. Among some of the factors producing contaminants are larger industrial factory farms producing larger cows, shifting crop mixes and increasing amounts of waste products.

In Iowa the legislature dismissed bills to block new large-scale hog operations,12 while in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, a judge allowed Kinnard Farms to expand based on the condition they take steps to prevent contamination, already at high levels based on their current rate of production.13

Spreading Manure Over Thousands of Acres Contributes to Runoff

Groundwater contamination is nearly always the result of human activity and is difficult and expensive to clean up. The depth of groundwater from the surface varies from place to place and is affected by factors such as the depth of the topsoil and cracks found in the bedrock. The EPA recommends testing well water every year for Coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels.14

EPA testing in Kewaunee found nearly 30 percent of private wells contained bacteria or elevated levels of nitrates. Groundwater is impacted by runoff from fields largely exempted from federal regulation.

This has impacted not only rural water supplies. Close to 500 public water systems have exceeded federal nitrate limits according to EPA data — a 13 percent increase from two decades earlier.15 Scientists believe groundwater contamination could be cut by reducing fertilizer use and reducing the spread of manure across vulnerable fields.

Unfortunately, dairy farmers continue to expand large industrial operations. As noted by Kevin Masarik, groundwater specialist from the University of Wisconsin,16 “it’s unclear where all that manure is going to go, and do we have the tools and oversight in place to make sure it’s done in a good way?”

In Wisconsin, a state-funded report found over 6 percent of the private wells exceeded federal health standards for nitrates.17 In 2016, farmers founded Peninsula Pride Farms to address complaints about dairy farm impact. Among those residents it helped was Erika Balza, who two years earlier had turned on her bathroom faucet only to be met by muddy brown water that smelled like manure.18

Tests revealed her well was contaminated with E. coli and other bacteria. With the help of state funds, they drilled a new well and 18 months later it also tested positive for Coliform bacteria and elevated nitrate levels.19

Results of a published study in 2008 recognized the necessity for a whole approach to treat the impact on the water system as well as drainage and physical modifications to water catchment. According to the author,20 “The implications for the management of agriculture are far more profound than is currently widely realized.”

Agricultural Runoff Spawning Toxic Algae Growth and More

In an effort to get a better sense of how agricultural runoff is affecting water quality, the EPA and U.S. Geological Survey tested 100 streams between Ohio and Nebraska, looking for pesticides and nutrients used in farming. Tests were conducted looking for mercury, livestock hormones and pesticides, including the weed killer glyphosate.21

The results of the study found there are no pristine streams left as the minimum number of pesticides detected in the water at any site reached 28. During the three-month sampling period an average of 54 pesticides were found at each site.

Streams with higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus found in fertilizer and animal wastes were more likely to have degraded invertebrates and fish communities. Nitrate accounted for the most total nitrogen and was an important stressor identified for fish.22

The devastation in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, that became visible in late 2017 is a representation of the type of damage nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich manure leaking from factory farms can trigger in groundwater. Following a massive hurricane killing nearly 2,500 residents in 1928,23 a dike was built around the lake causing the water to drain east and west via man-made canals and drying up the Everglades.

A combination of phosphorus-rich manure from factory farms and fertilizer-rich water from sugar fields pumped into the lake from the south created a toxic algae bloom that threatens the life in the lake.24

These challenges are not unique. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), blue-green algae has been present for millions of years, with algal blooms dating back to the 12th century. However, the agency notes,25 “[I]t is possible that the frequency and duration of blooms are increasing in some Wisconsin waters as a result of increased nutrient concentrations.”

This problem has been happening all over the U.S., particularly in agricultural areas where the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers is prolific, as it fuels blue-green algae growth. Another source of phosphorus driving the toxic algae growth to unprecedented levels is glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup.

Health Risks Associated With Nitrates and Coliform Bacteria

Blasting well water with chlorine to reduce the growth of hazardous microorganisms, as some rural residents have done,26 creates additional health hazards — but there is no easy fix for nitrate contamination. Without a backup city water supply option, many have turned to buying bottled water in an effort to save their health.

To protect residents from infections caused by fecal bacteria contamination, water treatment plants disinfect the water with chlorine and other chemicals. However, those react with organic matter to produce extremely toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which also carry dangerous long-term health hazards.

DBPs may increase your risk of developing bladder cancer and have been associated with liver, kidney and intestinal tumors in animal studies.27 Pregnant women run an increased risk of miscarriage and giving birth to babies with cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects or low birth weight.

Private well water in Iowa was tested in 2016 by Iowa Watch,28 a nonprofit news organization. They estimate 288,000 residents rely on water from private wells. The study tested 28 wells throughout southwest Iowa and found nitrate levels as high as 168 parts per million (ppm) with 11 of the 28 wells registering levels at or above 45 ppm.

The department of public health tested more than 1,700 private wells and found 19 percent at or above the legal limit of 10 ppm. The standard set for nitrate in drinking water was determined nearly 25 years ago to protect infants against methaemoglobinemia, which decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, commonly caused by nitrate in drinking water.29

While the standard has not been reviewed since, recent studies from the National Cancer Institute find nitrate levels at 5 ppm increases the risk of colon, thyroid, ovarian and kidney cancers.30

Regenerative Farming Practices Help Reduce Environmental Impact

As noted, the implications for management have been far more profound than was widely recognized in 2008.31 Using regenerative farming principles can change the outlook for groundwater pollution and reduce the use of heavy pesticides and insecticides.

In my previous article, “How Regenerative Farming Methods Can Restore Ecology and Rebuild Communities,” Will Harris shares how he converted his farm from a conventional farm to a regenerative farm that today has a positive cash flow and supports three families.

The farm no longer uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides and Harris does not till the soil. Organic matter has gone from 0.5 percent to more than 5 percent in 15 years, which is a significant improvement. His farm also boasts the largest bald eagle population in Georgia, a clear indication of the biological health of the farm.

Harris has proven organic and regenerative farming can be done on a large scale that may produce meat with clear, large differences in nutritional content, including higher levels of omega-3 and essential minerals and antioxidants.32

Consider supporting your local organic and regenerative farmers by purchasing their goods at local farmers markets or purchasing your meat and dairy products directly from your local farm. A growing number of homeowners are also converting their yards into edible landscaping using organic and regenerative methods.

If you live in an apartment or have a small yard, consider container growing for some of your produce to reduce the amount you purchase at the grocery store. Certifications to look for, denoting the highest quality foods, grown according to regenerative principles, include Demeter (biodynamic certification) and the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/06/industrial-agriculture-causes-water-pollution.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/182598782126

[jerrytackettca]

Industrial Agriculture Poisoning Wells and Streams

Animal waste and fertilizer runoff are two of the largest contributors to water pollution and contamination. Rising productivity on industrial factory farms is single-handedly impairing drinking water supplies across the country, polluting with key culprits like nitrogen, phosphate, insecticides and pesticides.

In the Midwest, Iowa is the leader in U.S. corn and soy production and a major producer of hogs, eggs, cattle and chickens raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).1

Over 55 percent of the rivers and streams in the state fall short of federal water quality standards and in the greater Des Moines area, the water filtration system that cost more than $4 million to install in 1991, now costs $7,000 a day to run.2

According to environmental journalist Mark Shapiro,3 water prices have risen 10 percent each year to cover the rising cost of filtration, and the system still can't keep up with a nitrogen in the water supply.

While awaiting the installation of a new filtration system, people in the state have been plagued with an increased risk of cancer4 and birth defects,5 believed to be linked to the nitrogen-contaminated drinking water.

The plight of rural residents dependent on groundwater without city water options was recently covered by the Wall Street Journal, which reported that6 "One in seven Americans drinks from private wells, which are being polluted by contaminants from manure and fertilizer."

Groundwater Contamination Rising Across America

The high levels of productivity in America's food system supply has taken a significant toll on the environment. The industry was not designed to protect the very earth it depends upon. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agriculture is the leading cause of poor water quality.7

The National Water Quality Assessment8 showed pollution from agriculture was the leading source of impairment to water quality, the third largest source of impairment to lakes and the second largest source of impairment to wetlands.

These agricultural activities generally occur in the absence of a conservation plan and are generated from poorly located or managed CAFOs, overgrazing, plowing, and the improper application of fertilizer, according to the EPA.9

These factors affecting groundwater and poorly managed soil can be changed using regenerative farming practices. Unfortunately, the damage caused by industrial farming and CAFOs to water supplies across America is significant, and will take time to recover from.

America's Polluted Water a Direct Result of Industrial Farming

David Cwiertny, director of the University of Iowa's Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, says,10 "The worst-kept secret is how vulnerable private wells are to agricultural runoff."

New York Times national correspondent Jack Healy calls rural America's polluted water,11 "Their Own Private Flint." He reported on groundwater contamination in Wisconsin where residents now refuse to drink the water, won't brush their teeth and dread taking showers.

These fears and frustrations are the result of budget cuts for environmental enforcement, inspections and weakened pollution rules. Among some of the factors producing contaminants are larger industrial factory farms producing larger cows, shifting crop mixes and increasing amounts of waste products.

In Iowa the legislature dismissed bills to block new large-scale hog operations,12 while in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, a judge allowed Kinnard Farms to expand based on the condition they take steps to prevent contamination, already at high levels based on their current rate of production.13

Spreading Manure Over Thousands of Acres Contributes to Runoff

Groundwater contamination is nearly always the result of human activity and is difficult and expensive to clean up. The depth of groundwater from the surface varies from place to place and is affected by factors such as the depth of the topsoil and cracks found in the bedrock. The EPA recommends testing well water every year for Coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels.14

EPA testing in Kewaunee found nearly 30 percent of private wells contained bacteria or elevated levels of nitrates. Groundwater is impacted by runoff from fields largely exempted from federal regulation.

This has impacted not only rural water supplies. Close to 500 public water systems have exceeded federal nitrate limits according to EPA data — a 13 percent increase from two decades earlier.15 Scientists believe groundwater contamination could be cut by reducing fertilizer use and reducing the spread of manure across vulnerable fields.

Unfortunately, dairy farmers continue to expand large industrial operations. As noted by Kevin Masarik, groundwater specialist from the University of Wisconsin,16 "it's unclear where all that manure is going to go, and do we have the tools and oversight in place to make sure it's done in a good way?"

In Wisconsin, a state-funded report found over 6 percent of the private wells exceeded federal health standards for nitrates.17 In 2016, farmers founded Peninsula Pride Farms to address complaints about dairy farm impact. Among those residents it helped was Erika Balza, who two years earlier had turned on her bathroom faucet only to be met by muddy brown water that smelled like manure.18

Tests revealed her well was contaminated with E. coli and other bacteria. With the help of state funds, they drilled a new well and 18 months later it also tested positive for Coliform bacteria and elevated nitrate levels.19

Results of a published study in 2008 recognized the necessity for a whole approach to treat the impact on the water system as well as drainage and physical modifications to water catchment. According to the author,20 "The implications for the management of agriculture are far more profound than is currently widely realized."

Agricultural Runoff Spawning Toxic Algae Growth and More

In an effort to get a better sense of how agricultural runoff is affecting water quality, the EPA and U.S. Geological Survey tested 100 streams between Ohio and Nebraska, looking for pesticides and nutrients used in farming. Tests were conducted looking for mercury, livestock hormones and pesticides, including the weed killer glyphosate.21

The results of the study found there are no pristine streams left as the minimum number of pesticides detected in the water at any site reached 28. During the three-month sampling period an average of 54 pesticides were found at each site.

Streams with higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus found in fertilizer and animal wastes were more likely to have degraded invertebrates and fish communities. Nitrate accounted for the most total nitrogen and was an important stressor identified for fish.22

The devastation in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, that became visible in late 2017 is a representation of the type of damage nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich manure leaking from factory farms can trigger in groundwater. Following a massive hurricane killing nearly 2,500 residents in 1928,23 a dike was built around the lake causing the water to drain east and west via man-made canals and drying up the Everglades.

A combination of phosphorus-rich manure from factory farms and fertilizer-rich water from sugar fields pumped into the lake from the south created a toxic algae bloom that threatens the life in the lake.24

These challenges are not unique. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), blue-green algae has been present for millions of years, with algal blooms dating back to the 12th century. However, the agency notes,25 "[I]t is possible that the frequency and duration of blooms are increasing in some Wisconsin waters as a result of increased nutrient concentrations."

This problem has been happening all over the U.S., particularly in agricultural areas where the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers is prolific, as it fuels blue-green algae growth. Another source of phosphorus driving the toxic algae growth to unprecedented levels is glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup.

Health Risks Associated With Nitrates and Coliform Bacteria

Blasting well water with chlorine to reduce the growth of hazardous microorganisms, as some rural residents have done,26 creates additional health hazards — but there is no easy fix for nitrate contamination. Without a backup city water supply option, many have turned to buying bottled water in an effort to save their health.

To protect residents from infections caused by fecal bacteria contamination, water treatment plants disinfect the water with chlorine and other chemicals. However, those react with organic matter to produce extremely toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which also carry dangerous long-term health hazards.

DBPs may increase your risk of developing bladder cancer and have been associated with liver, kidney and intestinal tumors in animal studies.27 Pregnant women run an increased risk of miscarriage and giving birth to babies with cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects or low birth weight.

Private well water in Iowa was tested in 2016 by Iowa Watch,28 a nonprofit news organization. They estimate 288,000 residents rely on water from private wells. The study tested 28 wells throughout southwest Iowa and found nitrate levels as high as 168 parts per million (ppm) with 11 of the 28 wells registering levels at or above 45 ppm.

The department of public health tested more than 1,700 private wells and found 19 percent at or above the legal limit of 10 ppm. The standard set for nitrate in drinking water was determined nearly 25 years ago to protect infants against methaemoglobinemia, which decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, commonly caused by nitrate in drinking water.29

While the standard has not been reviewed since, recent studies from the National Cancer Institute find nitrate levels at 5 ppm increases the risk of colon, thyroid, ovarian and kidney cancers.30

Regenerative Farming Practices Help Reduce Environmental Impact

As noted, the implications for management have been far more profound than was widely recognized in 2008.31 Using regenerative farming principles can change the outlook for groundwater pollution and reduce the use of heavy pesticides and insecticides.

In my previous article, "How Regenerative Farming Methods Can Restore Ecology and Rebuild Communities," Will Harris shares how he converted his farm from a conventional farm to a regenerative farm that today has a positive cash flow and supports three families.

The farm no longer uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides and Harris does not till the soil. Organic matter has gone from 0.5 percent to more than 5 percent in 15 years, which is a significant improvement. His farm also boasts the largest bald eagle population in Georgia, a clear indication of the biological health of the farm.

Harris has proven organic and regenerative farming can be done on a large scale that may produce meat with clear, large differences in nutritional content, including higher levels of omega-3 and essential minerals and antioxidants.32

Consider supporting your local organic and regenerative farmers by purchasing their goods at local farmers markets or purchasing your meat and dairy products directly from your local farm. A growing number of homeowners are also converting their yards into edible landscaping using organic and regenerative methods.

If you live in an apartment or have a small yard, consider container growing for some of your produce to reduce the amount you purchase at the grocery store. Certifications to look for, denoting the highest quality foods, grown according to regenerative principles, include Demeter (biodynamic certification) and the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/06/industrial-agriculture-causes-water-pollution.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/industrial-agriculture-poisoning-wells-and-streams

[sherristockman]

Toxic Algae and Red Tide — The Steep Cost of Factory Farms Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Florida is well-known for its aquatic wildlife — a natural resource that is now being rapidly decimated by the influence of factory farms and chemical agriculture, combined with the unpredictable forces of nature. Over the past 10 months, scores of manatees, dolphins, turtles, eels, crabs and other marine animals have washed ashore, dead, killed by toxic Karenia brevis algae — known as red tide — which now covers the east and west coasts. Lake Okeechobee, which is the source of the problem, is also choked by another algal organism — blue-green cyanobacteria. Both the red tide organism and cyanobacteria are fed by excess nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen from agricultural fertilizers. These toxic algae also pose a threat to human health. Exposure through inhalation may trigger respiratory distress; topically it may cause skin rashes, while accidental ingestion can lead to vomiting and kidney failure. As reported by One Green Planet:1 "[T]oxic algae is spreading through the coastal waters of South Florida, causing what is known as a 'red tide' to form, and it is killing wildlife at alarming rates due to lack of oxygen. The explosion of wildlife-killing algae in the area is largely a result of agricultural runoff linked to the Big Sugar industry." Largest, Longest Red Tide in Decades Hundreds of dead manatees and even a massive whale shark have washed ashore since October 2017, when the red tide began. Turtles have been hardest hit, including Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, which are on the critically endangered list. As noted by Bob Wasno, a marine biologist with Florida Gulf Coast University:2 "Back in 1994 we had an outbreak and it killed 196 manatees. Everybody was just completely outraged. They yelled and jumped up and down and said 'This is not going to happen again.' Here we are 24 years later and this is worse than ever." In 2016, the Florida algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee drew attention after persisting from May through midsummer, covering 33 square miles and spreading to the coasts.3 A state of emergency was declared in three of the hardest-hit counties on the Atlantic coast, as well as one county on the Gulf coast. That was nothing, though, compared to what we're facing now. The red tide, which covers an estimated 100 miles of coastline and stretches miles offshore, has persisted for 10 months and still shows no signs of abating. What's Happening in Lake Okeechobee? As noted in the featured video, the waters of Lake Okeechobee originally drained south into the Everglades, "one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth." Over time, however, swampland was transformed into farmland. Then, in 1928, a massive hurricane hit the area, causing Lake Okeechobee to overflow, with floodwaters spreading across hundreds of miles. Some 2,500 residents were killed in the storm surge. To prevent a repeat of this deadly event, the Herbert Hoover dike was built around the lake. Instead of draining south, the lake now drains to the east and west coasts via man-made canals. As Okeechobee no longer fed water into the Everglades, more swampland dried up, and the sugar industry moved in. Meanwhile, cattle ranches and dairy farms congregated to the north of the lake.4 Together, these industries have created a perfect storm in Lake Okeechobee. Phosphorous-rich manure is leaching from the factory farms in the north, while fertilizer-rich water gets pumped into the lake from the south, and it is these fertilizer chemicals, primarily phosphorus but also nitrogen, that feed the toxic algae in the lake. Another relatively surprising source of phosphorus is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most widely used herbicide in conventional farming. According to University of Miami scientists Larry Brand and Angela Compton, K. brevis blooms were thirteenfold to eighteenfold more abundant along the southwest Florida coast between 1994 and 2002 compared to 1954 to 1963, and the reason for this was human-released nutrients such as fertilizer runoff.5 Lake Okeechobee Destroyed by Industrial Farming Practices A major problem with the sugar cane fields is that they still use the old system of back-pumping excess water from the fields into Lake Okeechobee. According to Martin County district data, an estimated 8.7 billion gallons of nutrient-rich water from the sugar fields in the south were back-pumped last year.6 The back-pumping, combined with two serious storms, Harvey and Irma, created a situation where an unusual concentration of cyanobacteria formed in the lake, starting around October 2017. The water from Lake Okeechobee, thick with algae, then flows through the canals to the ocean on the east and west coasts, slowly spreading outward. In the video above, you can clearly see it — the lake water looks like coffee compared to the clear blue ocean water. While red tide is a natural occurrence, it would typically occur much farther offshore. With the toxic runoff from Lake Okeechobee, however, the red tide hugs the shoreline, killing all marine life in its path. As noted by Heather Barron, head veterinarian at Florida's Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, "Anything that can leave has, and anything that couldn't has died."7 According to National Geographic:8 "Background K. brevis concentrations usually fall below 1,000 cells per liter. Yet in recent counts, many sites tip the scales at over 10 million cells per liter, says Richard Bartleson, a biologist at Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, who has been monitoring the bloom's intensity. In select spots, he's seen counts up to 140 million cells per liter. Animals accidentally ingest the algae while feeding, which makes them 'almost comatose,' says Gretchen Lovewell, program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory's Stranding Investigations Program … But most, she says, are already dead." The concentration of nutrients in the water also allows the red tide to persist far longer than normal. It’s been 10 months, and it still shows no signs of abating. Part of the solution would be to reestablish water flow from Okeechobee to the Everglades. For this to happen, the state would have to buy at least part of the land back from the sugar industry. As of yet, this has not happened, and environmental activists cite "lack of political will" as a primary reason for this failure. Algae Blooms Traced Back to Sewage Sludge Aside from synthetic fertilizers, manure and glyphosate, there's yet another nutrient source that appears to play a role in toxic algal blooms: sewage sludge, also known as biosolids. This human waste is frequently used as a "natural" fertilizer. A July 15, 2018, article9 in the Florida Times-Union reported a breakout of algae bloom at the head of St. Johns River — a typically pristine area — may have been caused by the sludge runoff: "'We're seeing green algae throughout the headwaters,' said St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman, who told state officials this spring that algae-feeding phosphorus and nitrogen might be seeping into the lake from a minimally cleaned variety of sewage sludge that's spread over nearby ranch land." While the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has shied away from blaming sludge, it, along with St. Johns River Water Management District, has agreed to study the problem, and has placed a six-month temporary ban on the use of biosolids at a 3,000-acre ranch west of the lake. According to the article, "County commissioners started discussing a six-month moratorium for the entire county last month, but have moved cautiously to avoid any legal landmines." According to researchers, there's been a significant increase in the use of sludge in the area, starting in 2013. Since 2012, the amount of phosphorous added to the upper basin has more than doubled. In 2016 alone, 70,000 tons of sewer sludge were allowed to be disposed in the river’s upper basin. According to Edith Widder, biochemist and founder of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association, "there's pretty clear evidence of biosolids" in the St. Johns watershed. The problem with biosolids has been clearly detailed by David Lewis, Ph.D., whom I interviewed in 2015. Chemicals known to be problematic in the part per billion or trillion in water and air are concentrated millions of times higher in sewage sludge which, when applied to farmland, deposit these toxins into the soil. Rain and irrigation runoff then transport the toxins into waterways and groundwater. What's more, biosolids are not counted toward fertilizer use. This loophole can give the false appearance that agricultural fertilizers aren't as big a problem as you might think. Farmers may proudly claim they've cut down on fertilizers, when in fact they've just switched to biosolids, which aren't counted, yet deposit even more toxins and result in the same kind of environmental devastation, including algal blooms in waterways. Petition Calls for Action A White House petition has now been created, urging the federal government to call on Congress to clean up Lake Okeechobee and take steps to prevent future algae blooms. According to the petition: "Lake Okeechobee is covered in cyanobacteria, polluting our waterways to the East via St. Lucie River and West via Caloosahatchee River … We are seeing an influx of red tide on our beaches killing countless amounts of fish, turtles, birds, marine plants and other life. These animals survive on the delicate balance that is being disrupted by human and chemical interference whether it be agriculture, runoff or dumping. Many persons living on canals and waterways are becoming severely ill. Our politicians are not making the everglades restoration as part of Florida legacy amendment 1, a priority as per legislation passed in 2014. Our economy relies on tourism, fishing and many water related industries. Please save our waters!" It needs 100,000 signatures in order to receive a response from the White House. If you'd like to add your name to the petition, you may do so here. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< Agricultural Changes Are Necessary to Stop Toxic Algal 'Plagues' Florida is not alone in its struggle. Not only are many of the world's lakes at risk due to agricultural chemicals feeding harmful blue-green algae, but at the bottom of the Mississippi River lies the largest dead zone on the planet. As reported by MPR News:10 "This particular dead zone at the Mississippi's mouth is a swath of ocean, big as New Jersey at its peak, that's choked for oxygen. There, native plants die. Marine animals move away, or die … All Midwestern states drain into the Mississippi. Those states have intensive agriculture, too, which uses huge amounts of fertilizer … Nitrogen and phosphorus wash into the watershed during rains … Once in waterways, the nutrients become pollutants … At the bottom of the Mississippi, all the excess nutrients wind up in the same spot and dump into the Gulf of Mexico. There, they form algae blooms, which demand oxygen from the Gulf's waters. The blooms grow and spread quickly, leaving native wildlife with less oxygen. Climate change exacerbates the problem as warming ocean temps make it easier for algae to grow — and take up more oxygen in the water. What's left is a dead zone." That our agriculture is causing such enormous environmental devastation is inexcusable. There's no reason for this insanity, as there are solid, proven ways to farm without synthetic fertilizers and other toxic chemicals, including glyphosate. On an individual level, you can help by buying food from organic, or better yet biodynamic, farmers who rely on natural methods and soil-regenerative techniques, such as no-till, cover crops, composting and livestock integration. This will naturally help you to eat better too, since typically only real whole foods are grown this way, while most processed foods are the product of destructive industrial nitrogen fertilizer-laden and glyphosate-heavy agriculture. Biochar Bank Could Be an Important Part of the Solution While we certainly need major industry changes, getting main offenders like Big Sugar to change its ways is not going to happen easily, or quickly. Still, there are things that could be implemented fairly rapidly that could make a big difference. One such technology is described in the Virginia Tech paper “Denitrifying Bioreactors: An Emerging Best Management Practice to Improve Water Quality,”11 which essentially involves installing biochar filtration to catch runoff from agricultural sites and catch excess nutrients before they’re released from the lake. If water were released more slowly over time instead of allowing for the rapid discharge of contaminated water into the canals that lead to the coastal waters, it could be treated with a biochar filtration system. Around the lake, the biochar would work as a water filter to recapture the fertilizers before the water enters the ocean. These biochar borders or banks could also be set up around major agricultural sites to soak up runoff nutrients. As noted in this paper: “Research has shown that successful nitrogen removal can be obtained in these field scale systems for up to 15 years even with fluctuating in influent nitrate concentrations and flow rates. This tolerance to variable in influent enables application of DNBRs [denitrifying bioreactors] to treat a wide range of non-point source pollution, such as that created by agriculture, where conventional wastewater treatment is cost-prohibitive. Some of the greatest potential for DNBR use is in agricultural settings, where nitrogen loss to groundwater is the dominant pathway.” Stay Out of the Water During Algae Bloom It's important to note that if you see signs warning of harmful algae blooms, stay out of the water and keep your pets out too. Even if there are no signs present, avoid entering water that smells bad, looks discolored or has foam, scum or algae mats on the surface. If you suspect there could be a problem, you're better off safe than sorry, and be aware that algae toxins can be present in the water even if there's no visible algae on the surface. In addition, avoid consuming any water that could be contaminated with algae toxins, even if the water has been boiled. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),12 "Boiling water does not remove algal toxins and can increase the amount of toxin in the water by concentrating it," so you'll need to find an alternative source of water if an advisory is issued in your area. Lastly, if you live in Florida, either on a boat or near the water, you can volunteer to perform water testing to establish better data and monitoring. To learn more, see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Volunteer Monitoring Program page.

[jthurlow]

Finding II. ~Relevant to Management Determination for the Everglades Agricultural Area, Draft Copy, 1975

Toxic Lake Okeechobee, June 11, 2023 , Ed Lippisch Today I share Finding II. of “Conclusions of the Special Project to Prevent the Eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee Relevant to Management Determination for the Everglades Agricultural Area,” Draft Copy, 1975. This information was gathered by my husband and I at the State Library and Archives of Florida in Tallahassee.  I recently I posted Finding…

[jakehglover]

Industrial Agriculture Poisoning Wells and Streams

Animal waste and fertilizer runoff are two of the largest contributors to water pollution and contamination. Rising productivity on industrial factory farms is single-handedly impairing drinking water supplies across the country, polluting with key culprits like nitrogen, phosphate, insecticides and pesticides.

In the Midwest, Iowa is the leader in U.S. corn and soy production and a major producer of hogs, eggs, cattle and chickens raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).1

Over 55 percent of the rivers and streams in the state fall short of federal water quality standards and in the greater Des Moines area, the water filtration system that cost more than $4 million to install in 1991, now costs $7,000 a day to run.2

According to environmental journalist Mark Shapiro,3 water prices have risen 10 percent each year to cover the rising cost of filtration, and the system still can't keep up with a nitrogen in the water supply.

While awaiting the installation of a new filtration system, people in the state have been plagued with an increased risk of cancer4 and birth defects,5 believed to be linked to the nitrogen-contaminated drinking water.

The plight of rural residents dependent on groundwater without city water options was recently covered by the Wall Street Journal, which reported that6 "One in seven Americans drinks from private wells, which are being polluted by contaminants from manure and fertilizer."

Groundwater Contamination Rising Across America

The high levels of productivity in America's food system supply has taken a significant toll on the environment. The industry was not designed to protect the very earth it depends upon. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agriculture is the leading cause of poor water quality.7

The National Water Quality Assessment8 showed pollution from agriculture was the leading source of impairment to water quality, the third largest source of impairment to lakes and the second largest source of impairment to wetlands.

These agricultural activities generally occur in the absence of a conservation plan and are generated from poorly located or managed CAFOs, overgrazing, plowing, and the improper application of fertilizer, according to the EPA.9

These factors affecting groundwater and poorly managed soil can be changed using regenerative farming practices. Unfortunately, the damage caused by industrial farming and CAFOs to water supplies across America is significant, and will take time to recover from.

America's Polluted Water a Direct Result of Industrial Farming

David Cwiertny, director of the University of Iowa's Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, says,10 "The worst-kept secret is how vulnerable private wells are to agricultural runoff."

New York Times national correspondent Jack Healy calls rural America's polluted water,11 "Their Own Private Flint." He reported on groundwater contamination in Wisconsin where residents now refuse to drink the water, won't brush their teeth and dread taking showers.

These fears and frustrations are the result of budget cuts for environmental enforcement, inspections and weakened pollution rules. Among some of the factors producing contaminants are larger industrial factory farms producing larger cows, shifting crop mixes and increasing amounts of waste products.

In Iowa the legislature dismissed bills to block new large-scale hog operations,12 while in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, a judge allowed Kinnard Farms to expand based on the condition they take steps to prevent contamination, already at high levels based on their current rate of production.13

Spreading Manure Over Thousands of Acres Contributes to Runoff

Groundwater contamination is nearly always the result of human activity and is difficult and expensive to clean up. The depth of groundwater from the surface varies from place to place and is affected by factors such as the depth of the topsoil and cracks found in the bedrock. The EPA recommends testing well water every year for Coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels.14

EPA testing in Kewaunee found nearly 30 percent of private wells contained bacteria or elevated levels of nitrates. Groundwater is impacted by runoff from fields largely exempted from federal regulation.

This has impacted not only rural water supplies. Close to 500 public water systems have exceeded federal nitrate limits according to EPA data — a 13 percent increase from two decades earlier.15 Scientists believe groundwater contamination could be cut by reducing fertilizer use and reducing the spread of manure across vulnerable fields.

Unfortunately, dairy farmers continue to expand large industrial operations. As noted by Kevin Masarik, groundwater specialist from the University of Wisconsin,16 "it's unclear where all that manure is going to go, and do we have the tools and oversight in place to make sure it's done in a good way?"

In Wisconsin, a state-funded report found over 6 percent of the private wells exceeded federal health standards for nitrates.17 In 2016, farmers founded Peninsula Pride Farms to address complaints about dairy farm impact. Among those residents it helped was Erika Balza, who two years earlier had turned on her bathroom faucet only to be met by muddy brown water that smelled like manure.18

Tests revealed her well was contaminated with E. coli and other bacteria. With the help of state funds, they drilled a new well and 18 months later it also tested positive for Coliform bacteria and elevated nitrate levels.19

Results of a published study in 2008 recognized the necessity for a whole approach to treat the impact on the water system as well as drainage and physical modifications to water catchment. According to the author,20 "The implications for the management of agriculture are far more profound than is currently widely realized."

Agricultural Runoff Spawning Toxic Algae Growth and More

In an effort to get a better sense of how agricultural runoff is affecting water quality, the EPA and U.S. Geological Survey tested 100 streams between Ohio and Nebraska, looking for pesticides and nutrients used in farming. Tests were conducted looking for mercury, livestock hormones and pesticides, including the weed killer glyphosate.21

The results of the study found there are no pristine streams left as the minimum number of pesticides detected in the water at any site reached 28. During the three-month sampling period an average of 54 pesticides were found at each site.

Streams with higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus found in fertilizer and animal wastes were more likely to have degraded invertebrates and fish communities. Nitrate accounted for the most total nitrogen and was an important stressor identified for fish.22

The devastation in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, that became visible in late 2017 is a representation of the type of damage nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich manure leaking from factory farms can trigger in groundwater. Following a massive hurricane killing nearly 2,500 residents in 1928,23 a dike was built around the lake causing the water to drain east and west via man-made canals and drying up the Everglades.

A combination of phosphorus-rich manure from factory farms and fertilizer-rich water from sugar fields pumped into the lake from the south created a toxic algae bloom that threatens the life in the lake.24

These challenges are not unique. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), blue-green algae has been present for millions of years, with algal blooms dating back to the 12th century. However, the agency notes,25 "[I]t is possible that the frequency and duration of blooms are increasing in some Wisconsin waters as a result of increased nutrient concentrations."

This problem has been happening all over the U.S., particularly in agricultural areas where the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers is prolific, as it fuels blue-green algae growth. Another source of phosphorus driving the toxic algae growth to unprecedented levels is glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup.

Health Risks Associated With Nitrates and Coliform Bacteria

Blasting well water with chlorine to reduce the growth of hazardous microorganisms, as some rural residents have done,26 creates additional health hazards — but there is no easy fix for nitrate contamination. Without a backup city water supply option, many have turned to buying bottled water in an effort to save their health.

To protect residents from infections caused by fecal bacteria contamination, water treatment plants disinfect the water with chlorine and other chemicals. However, those react with organic matter to produce extremely toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which also carry dangerous long-term health hazards.

DBPs may increase your risk of developing bladder cancer and have been associated with liver, kidney and intestinal tumors in animal studies.27 Pregnant women run an increased risk of miscarriage and giving birth to babies with cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects or low birth weight.

Private well water in Iowa was tested in 2016 by Iowa Watch,28 a nonprofit news organization. They estimate 288,000 residents rely on water from private wells. The study tested 28 wells throughout southwest Iowa and found nitrate levels as high as 168 parts per million (ppm) with 11 of the 28 wells registering levels at or above 45 ppm.

The department of public health tested more than 1,700 private wells and found 19 percent at or above the legal limit of 10 ppm. The standard set for nitrate in drinking water was determined nearly 25 years ago to protect infants against methaemoglobinemia, which decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, commonly caused by nitrate in drinking water.29

While the standard has not been reviewed since, recent studies from the National Cancer Institute find nitrate levels at 5 ppm increases the risk of colon, thyroid, ovarian and kidney cancers.30

Regenerative Farming Practices Help Reduce Environmental Impact

As noted, the implications for management have been far more profound than was widely recognized in 2008.31 Using regenerative farming principles can change the outlook for groundwater pollution and reduce the use of heavy pesticides and insecticides.

In my previous article, "How Regenerative Farming Methods Can Restore Ecology and Rebuild Communities," Will Harris shares how he converted his farm from a conventional farm to a regenerative farm that today has a positive cash flow and supports three families.

The farm no longer uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides and Harris does not till the soil. Organic matter has gone from 0.5 percent to more than 5 percent in 15 years, which is a significant improvement. His farm also boasts the largest bald eagle population in Georgia, a clear indication of the biological health of the farm.

Harris has proven organic and regenerative farming can be done on a large scale that may produce meat with clear, large differences in nutritional content, including higher levels of omega-3 and essential minerals and antioxidants.32

Consider supporting your local organic and regenerative farmers by purchasing their goods at local farmers markets or purchasing your meat and dairy products directly from your local farm. A growing number of homeowners are also converting their yards into edible landscaping using organic and regenerative methods.

If you live in an apartment or have a small yard, consider container growing for some of your produce to reduce the amount you purchase at the grocery store. Certifications to look for, denoting the highest quality foods, grown according to regenerative principles, include Demeter (biodynamic certification) and the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/06/industrial-agriculture-causes-water-pollution.aspx