First coal ash, now arsenic

[NJmike PE]

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/arsenic-flowing-nc-river-hit-coal-ash-disaster-175254843--abc-news-health.html

 

[knight1fox3]

...avoid recreational contact with water and sediment in the Dan River in North Carolina downstream of the Duke Power-Eden spill site.

:facepalm:

 

[NJmike PE]

Time to send EG down there to krak skulls

 

[Master slacker]

 

[engineergurl]

Time to send EG down there to krak skulls

Eden is actually only about 150 miles away from where I live... I can make it a short trip

 

[mudpuppy]

"Because the Duke Power-Eden coal ash spill is located in North Carolina's portion of the Dan River, a potential hazard exists immediately downstream of the release," health officials said in a statement,

WTF does that mean? If it wasn't in North Carolina it wouldn't be a hazard? "Those folks downstream in Virginia can handle more arsenic than people in North Carolina"?

 

[knight1fox3]

^ LOL. I wondered the same thing.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

"Because the Duke Power-Eden coal ash spill is located in North Carolina's portion of the Dan River, a potential hazard exists immediately downstream of the release," health officials said in a statement,

WTF does that mean? If it wasn't in North Carolina it wouldn't be a hazard? "Those folks downstream in Virginia can handle more arsenic than people in North Carolina"?

They've evolved to handle it. Those NC sissies, not so much.

 

[engineergurl]

"Because the Duke Power-Eden coal ash spill is located in North Carolina's portion of the Dan River, a potential hazard exists immediately downstream of the release," health officials said in a statement,

WTF does that mean? If it wasn't in North Carolina it wouldn't be a hazard? "Those folks downstream in Virginia can handle more arsenic than people in North Carolina"?

I would have to look into it, but the regulations for Arsenic contamination may (or may not be different between the two states)... the article says that it was releasing at 14 times the established limit... we are talking 0.14mg/L (I think) with the environmental factors between upstream and downstream... (don't forget, all that coal ash sediment altering the rivers chemical characteristics already)...how many tributaries are there between the two points... what other environmental/chemical factors are impacting the dilution rate... it very well may be okay in Virginia downstream and not okay in North Carolina... just depends on what is happening in between

EDIT- those numbers are based on FED regs... if NC chose to enforce a lower tolerance level, then that would factor in too

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^I thought they had to enforce fed levels or tighter?

 

[engineergurl]

^I thought they had to enforce fed levels or tighter?

correct... a lower acceptable level would be more strict

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^Oh, I gotcha now.

 

[engineergurl]

I'm actually thinking that people are skewing information and what nots... based on the EPA website (had to see what the current regs were)

EPA has set the arsenic standard for drinking water at .010 parts per million (10 parts per billion) to protect consumers served by public water systems from the effects of long-term, chronic exposure to arsenic. Water systems must comply with this standard by January 23, 2006, providing additional protection to an estimated 13 million Americans.

the thing is that is for DRINKING WATER...

Erin Culbert, a Duke spokesperson, said the highest arsenic level in samples taken from the river Monday was 35.3 parts per billion – below the state surface water standard of 50 ppb. The highest test results for samples filtered to indicate levels that would be expected after water is treated for drinking were 3.43 ppb, well below the 10 ppb drinking water standard, she said.


http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-coal-ash-water-20140206,0,4265633.story#ixzz2ttZBFhsU

The SURFACE WATER standard is different see?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^ Newsman's creed: Never let facts stand in the way of a good story.