Michigan has its fair share of environmental issues. Among the state’s biggest issue concerns water quality. Pollution is enormous within the Great Lakes, as can be seen in Lake Michigan and several rivers such as the Kalamazoo and Grand River. The contamination of water includes such things as sewage, dumping of toxic chemicals, garbage, and mercury emissions from power plants and factories. According to Brandon Howell of Mlive Michigan news, who discusses the issues of mercury, “Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that harms growing children and pollutes our environment” (2). Factors like toxins and sewage, pose a threat to the wildlife that depend on the lakes and rivers. Poor water quality could very well possibly be related to poor economic conditions that the state is currently suffering from right now. The quality of water is a major problem in Michigan that should be brought to attention so that citizens can understand the pollution risk factors if they want to contribute to the solution of cleaner water.
Currently, the Grand River is experiencing problems with toxic chemicals that continue to kill off fish and other underwater wildlife. The majority of these chemicals are released by the Eckert Power Plant located within Moores River Park. Mark Nixon, The Communications Director for The Board of Water and Light, explains that the plant releases enormous amounts of “mercury, sulfur and nitrogen compounds” (15). The Board of Water and Light is working on trying to make the river cleaner in addition to reducing emissions of these harmful chemicals while in the process of moving towards natural gas over coal. An editor for the Physicians of Social Responsibility in the article “Coal Ash” explains that the use of coal is danger...
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...al Responsibility, n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
Hasemyer, David. "EPA Worries Dilbit Still a Threat to Kalamazoo River, More Than 2 Years After Spill." InsideClimate News. Energy Foundation, 13 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.
Holliday, Darryl. "Lake Michigan beaches among worst in nation, study finds." Lake Country News-Sun. Chicago Sun-Times, 29 June 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
Howell, Brandon. "Lansing Board of Water & Light plant ranked eighth-worst in Michigan airborne mercury emissions." Mlive. N.p., 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.
Lawrence, Eric D. "More of Oil-Tainted Kalamazoo River Open for Recreation." Detroit Free Press: A.6. Jun 22 2012. Detroit Free Press. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
Nixon, Mark. "BWL to build a $182 million electric-steam generation facility in Reo Town." Lansing Board of Water & Light. Lansing Board of Water & Light, 16 July 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
The water crisis in Flint Michigan began as early as was as April of 2014. The crisis is concerning a small town called Flint, located at the bottom right of michigan were the majority of the population is African American. The issue began when the town 's water supply witch in past use to come from the detroit river water supply was switched over to the Flint river water supply. People soon began to complain about the taste, smell, and color of the tap water, and of symptoms such as hair loss and rashes from bathing in the water. Even though there were many signs that the water was indeed contaminated, such as when a General Motors plant in Flint stopped using municipal water in October of 2014, claiming that it corroded car parts, the government officials stated that the water was not a threat to the public 's health and safety. However it was later revealed that the water was in fact unhealthy, and contained too much lead. The issue was brought to the eyes of the public when Lee Anne Walters, a Flint resident. This mother of four had seen her family suffer from various alarming symptoms, including abdominal pains, hair loss, and rashes; she also has a son who showed signs of developmental problems. She decided to switch her family to bottled water, and the symptoms abated. Finally, in February of 2015, she demanded that the city test the tap water. A federal investigation was launched and the results came back shocking. The water was extremely toxic containing 400 parts per billion of lead. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is no safe level of lead in drinking water, but the maximum allowed by law is 15 parts per billion. Virginia Tech professor and engineer Marc Edwards, an expert on municipal w...
Leo, Roger. “Still Paying Price for Exxon Spill; Some Species Continue to Suffer.”Worcester Telegram & Gazette [Worester, MA.] 30 April 2000: D9
Most of the rivers are the one being used by large communities like drinking water supply and for the farmers in their produce. The State of Department put together a commission of knowledgeable people and carried out an investigation about the risk and consequences of this project. Some of the conclusion about the spills were, for example, that: “A million of gallons of tar soil war poured into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan… 40 miles of this river still are contaminated to this day”. Another example of spills affecting communities, is the one in 2013, caused by a twenty foot crack in a pipeline, causing a huge spill of oil, damaging the residential neighborhoods and the Lake Conway in Arkansas. This spills and oil “accidents” are affecting not only the lives of people but also the wildlife, the ecosystems and the quality of air and water
What we have seen in late January has proved that the city of Phoenix needs one more water treatment facility. The tax revenue that will be lost if a water crisis every happen again will pay for the building of the new facility. The water department has known of this problem for years but has chosen not to rectify the hazard. City officials chalked up the high levels of sediment in the water to Mother Nature, but they acknowledge that a series of decisions by water officials could have worsened the problem. (Villa, Fehr-Snyder, 1) The water department knew and Frank Fairbanks knew that maintenance was required on rotating bases, on each facility and chooses to take two offline during the “winter” or “rainy months”.
This is an important topic. It affects the overall health of the population surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, as we eat from it quite often and it can be used as a water source. The chemicals being released into the water are from coal-burning factories and runoff, which can be helped, but it’s almost impractical in this day and age to spend the amount of money required to do so without the technology that can guarantee a fix.
Texas, with its abundances of natural resources, is facing a new demon, one that doesn’t even seem possible, a shortage of water. Water, without it nothing can survive. Texas is the second largest state for landmass in the nation and ninth for water square miles. Within the borders of Texas are more than 100 lakes, 14 major rivers, and 23 aquifers, so why has water become such an important issue for the state? Politicians and conservationists all agree that without a new working water plan, the state could be facing one of the most damaging environmental disasters they have ever seen. The issues that shape the states positions are population growth, current drought conditions, and who actually owns the water.
One of Kalamazoo’s biggest concerns is the groundwater. While we have plenty of it, we are concerned of the spills and leaks that contaminate it. There are many landfill and power plants that work closely within the community and serve as large threats. For example, there is a landfill on West KL and a paper mill on Patterson street. If you have ever passed this paper mill, then you know how badly the Kalamazoo river smells because of it. In general, within Michigan we are concerned with the nuclear power plants that live so closely to the great lakes, if not right on top of them. We drink the water and sell it to other states, while there have been numerous reports about leaks from the plants. Lastly Michigan used to be a booming industrial
Then the documentary tackles Puget Sound. The Duwamish River is the largest hot spot in the nation. In 2001, the Duwamish River was classified as a “Super Fund” site. This is given to a site that will receive federal assistance for clean up. But yet, it may be too late. Puget Sound in contaminated with PCP, lead and mercury. The threat comes from the giant industrial polluters of old and from chemicals in consumers’ face creams, deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners that find their way into sewers, storm drains, eventually into America’s waterways and drinking water.
'Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives(in) it. ' (Azeem 1). In Canada, most people live in the southern part along with many agricultural and industrial activities causing the worst cases of water pollution. Water pollution is caused by population growth and industrialization, but can be prevented if proper controls are taken into consideration to help reduce the discharge of waste materials. Water pollution has been a huge disadvantaging concern for humans as well as wildlife for over many decades, but can actually be prevented if attempted. Preventing waste materials from being dumped into lakes and rivers, controlling
... environmental quality leading health indicators are air quality index exceeding 100 and children of ages 3 to 11 exposed to secondhand smoke. Poor water quality can lead to gastrointestinal illness, neurological problems and cancer. Poor air quality can cause cardiovascular disease, cancers, and asthma. Certain chemicals found in homes and workplaces can contribute to severe poisonings and other toxic serious effects.
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has had an extremely negative effect on the surrounding wildlife and ecosystem. The oil spread across the gulf contaminating any living organism that came into direct or indirect contact with it. The oil cuts off the ability of oxygen from the air to move into the water which directly harms fish and other marine wildlife that require that oxygen. The dispersant that the BP is using to try and break up the oil moves the slick into the entire water column which contaminates the ocean floor which would most likely not have seen any damage if it wasn’t for the use of these dispersants. More than 400 species that live in the Gulf Islands and marshlands are at risk and as of November 2 s...
The April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will forever change the way Americans view deepwater oil drilling. No one could have foreseen that BP’s well would spew into the Gulf waters for over 80 days before it was successfully capped. Over the years, many articles have been written about the disaster, and many different viewpoints given in the articles. This essay discusses the oil spill’s effect on Gulf coast animal and plant life, plus whether the government is implementing effective legislation regarding the spill.
There is a global shortage of drinking water. A person might wonder how this can be if seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Most of the Earth’s water is unsuitable for human consuption. Ocean water is salt water, which makes up 97.5% of all water on the planet. Freshwater is only 3.5% of all the water on Earth. Drinking water is sourced from bodies of freshwater.
Water Pollution is a current issue that has serious consequences; it progresses everyday in our lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.
Miller, Debra A. Will the World Run out of Fresh Water? Detroit: Greenhaven, 2007. Print.