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A great second source of news links of environmental interest covering the entire Hill Country is with our friends at Hill Country Alliance found HERE. " (The) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has proposed loosening its water quality standards." FULL STORY "The Lake Travis Community Coalition could include officials from Jonestown, Lago Vista, Point Venture, Lakeway and Spicewood among others. In addition, Haverlah said she has reached out to property owners’ associations in unincorporated areas around the lakes." FULL STORY Austin American Statesman: (TCEQ) rejects request to repeal discharge ban (Nov. 19, 2009) "The state environmental office Wednesday denied a request to repeal a ban on the discharge of treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes.." FULL STORY "a group of local elected officials and business leaders announced this morning that they stand opposed to a petition by the cities of Leander and Granite Shoals to lift the ban on discharging treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes." FULL STORY "The City of Austin, the Lower Colorado River Authority, environmentalists and business interests on the lakes appear likely to oppose the petition on water quality grounds.." FULL ARTICLE "The city of Leander believes the effluent from its wastewater plant is clean enough to be allowed into Lake Travis. Others, notably the Protect Lake Travis Association and the Highland Lakes Group, are adamantly opposed" FULL Article AP Article: Tons of Released Drugs Taint US Water (April 19, 2009 Excerpt: " ..Last year, the AP reported that trace amounts of a wide range of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in American drinking water supplies. Including recent findings in Dallas, Cleveland and Maryland's Prince George's and Montgomery counties, pharmaceuticals have been detected in the drinking water of at least 51 million Americans. Most cities and water providers still do not test. Some scientists say that wherever researchers look, they will find pharma-tainted water. Consumers are considered the biggest contributors to the contamination. We consume drugs, then excrete what our bodies don't absorb. Other times, we flush unused drugs down toilets... Researchers have found that even extremely diluted concentrations of drugs harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species. Also, researchers report that human cells fail to grow normally in the laboratory when exposed to trace concentrations of certain drugs. Some scientists say they are increasingly concerned that the consumption of combinations of many drugs, even in small amounts, could harm humans over decades." FULL ARTICLE Note: Wastewater plant discharges are a source of these contaminants getting into our waterways- the plants are not designed for or required to deal with these contaminants. (8/20/2009 Guest Editorial in the North Lake Travis Log) "There are better solutions to dealing with the byproducts of sewage treatment than discharging them into the lakes that we depend on for safe drinking water supply, recreation, tourism and quality of life." FULL ARTICLE |
