Post by Admin on Aug 10, 2019 16:30:57 GMT
Where does pollution in Oregon Bays come from? We begin with Oregon's iconic logging practices as documented in the mini documentary, Behind the Emerald Curtain" by Pacific Rivers.
Click on to view our opinion on Just How Toxic Is The Herbicide Used In The Yaquina Basin? Is the high level dependence of Herbicides killing the Coastal Economy by poisoning our clams and oysters?
Shellfish bio-accumulate Herbicides and Pesticides that work their up through the food chain; so what makes you sick today may kill you tomorrow. Law firms are on television ever hour of every day pounding the airways advertising for clients to represent by suing the chemical companies who are flooding Oregon's environment with their vile products.
The sources of pollution in Oregon's Bays originates from the things we do every minute of every day. Home owners, ranchers, farmers and loggers are just as complicit as others in the application of herbicide and pesticides on their property. These poisons are formulated to be labor saving devices that in solutions eventually end up poisoning our watersheds in the place we call "Oregon".
To put a face on who is responsible for this you only have to look as far as your elected representatives beginning with Governor Brown acceptance of 20 million plus dollars in campaign contributions and the Oregon's Coastal Caucus led by Coos Bay State Representative Caddy McKeown who took 15,000 dollars and by Coos County Commissioner Sweet took 50,000 dollars from LNG advocates at Jordan Cove. They all held their hand out to take the money. Refer to our version on corruption in our opinion on this website, "Oregon Government- Polluted by Money-Parts 1 Thru 4". Just who do our elected representatives work for???
The focus of our elected representatives should be on preventing the pollution of Oregon's State Waters, which include every drop of water from the highest mountain peaks of the Cascades to the border of our Territorial seas.
Oregon's bays are the magic mirrors on the wall. They reflect every thing that is dumped into Oregon's lakes rivers and streams. Pollution of Oregon's bays begins every time you flush the toilet. This single event starts series of events to process and eliminate our waste. The process is dynamic changing raw sewage to treated effluent that is discharged into all of Oregon's State Waters.
Discharging treated effluent into Oregon's State Waters in combination with disposal of biosluge into upland grass dominated pastureland is the root cause and source of the pollution that has and is degrading the water quality of Oregon's State waters.
There are Different Classes of Biosolids. The difference between Class A and Class B biosluge is dramatic. The information by Lystek - Leaders in Biosolids & Organics Management offers the best explanation of the differences.
"The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 40 CFR Rule categorizing biosolids as Class A, Class A EQ, (Exceptional Quality) or Class B. The difference has to do with the level of pathogens and the ability of the material to meet/exceed Vector Attraction Reduction requirements.
What Are Class A Biosolids?
In Class A biosolids, pathogens must be reduced to virtually non-detectable levels and the material must also comply with strict standards regarding metals, odors and vector attraction reduction (VAR) as specified in the US EPA, Part 503 Rule. VAR refers to processing which makes the biosolids less attractive to vectors, which have the potential for transmitting diseases directly to humans or can play a role in the life cycle of a pathogen, as a host.
Examples of vectors are flies, mosquitoes, rodents, birds, etc. Various processes can be utilized to achieve Class A designation such as anaerobic digestion, lime stabilization, composting and thermal hydrolysis. This designation means the material meets U.S. EPA guidelines for land application with no restrictions. Thus, Class A biosolids can be legally used as fertilizer on farms, vegetable gardens, and can be sold to home owners as compost or fertilizer.
The term Class A EQ (Exceptional Quality) is used to describe a biosolids product that not only meet, but exceed, all Class A pathogen reduction metals and VAR requirements.
What Are Class B Biosolids?
Class B biosolids are treated but contain higher levels of detectable pathogens than Class A biosolids. The use of Class B biosolids and may require a permit from the EPA with conditions on land application, crop harvesting and public access. In terms of nutritional value, however, Class B and Class A biosolids are similar as they both contain important nutrients and organic matter. The biosluge byproduct discharged by Class By sewage plants contain toxic metals that we believe to source of the rising levels of these contaminates shown below. Click on the image twice to enlarge for viewing.
Due to pathogens, odors and the ability to achieve higher VAR standards with advanced technology, there is a distinct shift away from Class B use and toward Class A and Class A EQ treatment solutions."
This opinion and practice is not practiced in Oregon. In Oregon the DEQ promotes the use of Class B bio sludge to be used as fertilizer. The practice is common in the fertilization of the pastureland located adjacent to the Siletz River. In addition there are a number of biosludge waste disposal site located in the Coos Bay watershed; some of which are located adjacent to the estuaries of Coos Bay.
The CDAO asked of and was denied permission to film the biosludge waste disposal sites operated by the City of North Bend. Our objective was to create a photo/video clip array of the disposition of the biosludge through time to study the contribution the erosion makes to the elevated levels of fecal bacteria.
The CDAO asked the OHA their opinion of consuming shellfish taken from the mixing zones associated with the sewage outfalls common to Oregon's Bays. "We have another question. What is OHA position with people harvesting shellfish in sewer plant affluent mixing zones. Is this safe? What children doing this? Please advise. This question is being asked by our members."
David Farrer a Toxicologist for the Oregon Health Authority responded with the folling"
"Shellfish harvesting in mixing zones for wastewater treatment effluent – Provided that wastewater treatment is occurring as it is designed to, harvesting shellfish in effluent mixing zones would not be expected to pose health risks beyond those expected when collecting shellfish anywhere else. On occasion, malfunctions at wastewater treatment plants result in raw sewage spilling into marine estuaries. When these malfunctions occur, the treatment facilities are required to post signs notifying anyone in the area about the malfunction. OHA does not recommend harvesting shellfish in areas where these signs have been posted."
The discharge of wastewater fecal coliform bacteria at levels that often exceeds the threshold limit of acceptability at Coos Bay sewage plants.
David Farrer is correct about the occasional failure of sewage wastewater treatment plants; however, his assumption about the placement of yellow warning signs is a fairytale. The effective placement of the signs are at the whimsy of the wind, weather and people who remove them.
The recent sewage spill at the Lincoln City sewage plant a Class B facility occurred on a Thursday when the intake pipe ruptured at Schooner Creek dumping 2.1 million gallons of raw sewage into Siletz Bay. The yellow warning signs were posted at most but not all of the public entrances to the bay some five days after the spill began.
The CDAO contacted State Representative Gomberg and the appropriate State Agencies suggesting that the State test the level of fecal coliform bacteria and other contaminates. Our email follows
Sewage Spill Siletz Bay
WILLIAM LACKNER
Mon 10/1/2018 1:59 PM
To: Rep.DavidGomberg;, Julie Tasnady advisor to Governor, Curt Melcher, Director ODFW, State Senator, Arnie Roblan, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley; Rep.CaddyMcKeown; ODFW Commission; Ed Dreistadt; Eric Johnson; Caren Braby; Richard Whitman Director DEQ; Steven S Rumrill Lori Pillsbury; Elise Granek;
Dear Representative Gomberg, on the 18th of September a major sewage spill occurred in Schooner Creek just to the east of Siletz Bay. The detail of events are unclear but the results are well known. Siletz Bay was contaminated with approximately two million one hundred thousand gallons of raw sewage.
This occurrence is not only a huge disaster for the ecology of Siletz Bay. It is threat to the economy of Lincoln City area.
We are asking the State to test the sediment and marine organisms for elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria and the contaminates usually associated with exposure to raw sewage and the marine environment.
We need to know when it is safe to consume clams, crabs and fish taken from Siletz Bay. We are especially interested in the near term verses the long term outlook for harvesting these marine species from Siletz Bay.
Thank you for your consideration, Bill Lackner for the members of the Clam Diggers Association of Oregon.
Ten weeks we received a response from the DEQ apologizing for taking so long to answer our request. It is obvious that the DEQ needs to work on their public relationship skills. They have none.
The posting of signs warning visitors to sewage spill sites is problematical. So we the members of the CDAO petitioned the State to initiate a Sewage Spill Hotline modeled of the Shellfish Hotline. When the meeting began some of the State Agencies supported the concept of a Sewage Spill Hotline but by the time the meeting ended the State refused our request forcing recreational activist to depend on the posting of yellow sighs to warn use of sewage spills.
The solution to fixing the problems created by disposing Class B biosludge and wastewater into the environment is to upgrade all sewage processing plants to Class A facilities. This is what occurs when you elect Class B personalities to function at a Class A level.
City of Coos Bay Biosolids Report 2013
Oregon DEQ Fines Coos Bay For Sludge Overflow
The CDAO filed objection to the Coo County Planning Commission for granting the City of North Bend a permit to discharge bio-sludge into emergent wetland identified as the historical burial site for members of Coos Tribe.
Oregon's out dated, overworked and inefficient Sewage Processing plants and failing septic-systems are responsible for the ever increasing level of pollution common not only Oregon's Bays but also to rising levels of contamination, water temperature and turbidity in all of Oregon's State Waters.
Inadequate sewage processing plant and failing septic-systems are responsible for an ever increasing nutrient load that is responsible for increasing algae blooms in Oregon rivers and lakes that often include high levels of the blue/green algae that can take the lives of your pets and loved ones. The growth of blue/green algae is so sever in the South Umpqua River that the Oregon Health Authority has issued a permanent advisory warning people to stay out of the South Umpqua River. Faced by same permanent closure in 2018 we had to ask, " Are we losing the South Umpqua River?" Only time will tell.
Click on to view our opinion on Just How Toxic Is The Herbicide Used In The Yaquina Basin? Is the high level dependence of Herbicides killing the Coastal Economy by poisoning our clams and oysters?
Shellfish bio-accumulate Herbicides and Pesticides that work their up through the food chain; so what makes you sick today may kill you tomorrow. Law firms are on television ever hour of every day pounding the airways advertising for clients to represent by suing the chemical companies who are flooding Oregon's environment with their vile products.
The sources of pollution in Oregon's Bays originates from the things we do every minute of every day. Home owners, ranchers, farmers and loggers are just as complicit as others in the application of herbicide and pesticides on their property. These poisons are formulated to be labor saving devices that in solutions eventually end up poisoning our watersheds in the place we call "Oregon".
To put a face on who is responsible for this you only have to look as far as your elected representatives beginning with Governor Brown acceptance of 20 million plus dollars in campaign contributions and the Oregon's Coastal Caucus led by Coos Bay State Representative Caddy McKeown who took 15,000 dollars and by Coos County Commissioner Sweet took 50,000 dollars from LNG advocates at Jordan Cove. They all held their hand out to take the money. Refer to our version on corruption in our opinion on this website, "Oregon Government- Polluted by Money-Parts 1 Thru 4". Just who do our elected representatives work for???
The focus of our elected representatives should be on preventing the pollution of Oregon's State Waters, which include every drop of water from the highest mountain peaks of the Cascades to the border of our Territorial seas.
Oregon's bays are the magic mirrors on the wall. They reflect every thing that is dumped into Oregon's lakes rivers and streams. Pollution of Oregon's bays begins every time you flush the toilet. This single event starts series of events to process and eliminate our waste. The process is dynamic changing raw sewage to treated effluent that is discharged into all of Oregon's State Waters.
Discharging treated effluent into Oregon's State Waters in combination with disposal of biosluge into upland grass dominated pastureland is the root cause and source of the pollution that has and is degrading the water quality of Oregon's State waters.
There are Different Classes of Biosolids. The difference between Class A and Class B biosluge is dramatic. The information by Lystek - Leaders in Biosolids & Organics Management offers the best explanation of the differences.
"The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 40 CFR Rule categorizing biosolids as Class A, Class A EQ, (Exceptional Quality) or Class B. The difference has to do with the level of pathogens and the ability of the material to meet/exceed Vector Attraction Reduction requirements.
What Are Class A Biosolids?
In Class A biosolids, pathogens must be reduced to virtually non-detectable levels and the material must also comply with strict standards regarding metals, odors and vector attraction reduction (VAR) as specified in the US EPA, Part 503 Rule. VAR refers to processing which makes the biosolids less attractive to vectors, which have the potential for transmitting diseases directly to humans or can play a role in the life cycle of a pathogen, as a host.
Examples of vectors are flies, mosquitoes, rodents, birds, etc. Various processes can be utilized to achieve Class A designation such as anaerobic digestion, lime stabilization, composting and thermal hydrolysis. This designation means the material meets U.S. EPA guidelines for land application with no restrictions. Thus, Class A biosolids can be legally used as fertilizer on farms, vegetable gardens, and can be sold to home owners as compost or fertilizer.
The term Class A EQ (Exceptional Quality) is used to describe a biosolids product that not only meet, but exceed, all Class A pathogen reduction metals and VAR requirements.
What Are Class B Biosolids?
Class B biosolids are treated but contain higher levels of detectable pathogens than Class A biosolids. The use of Class B biosolids and may require a permit from the EPA with conditions on land application, crop harvesting and public access. In terms of nutritional value, however, Class B and Class A biosolids are similar as they both contain important nutrients and organic matter. The biosluge byproduct discharged by Class By sewage plants contain toxic metals that we believe to source of the rising levels of these contaminates shown below. Click on the image twice to enlarge for viewing.
Due to pathogens, odors and the ability to achieve higher VAR standards with advanced technology, there is a distinct shift away from Class B use and toward Class A and Class A EQ treatment solutions."
This opinion and practice is not practiced in Oregon. In Oregon the DEQ promotes the use of Class B bio sludge to be used as fertilizer. The practice is common in the fertilization of the pastureland located adjacent to the Siletz River. In addition there are a number of biosludge waste disposal site located in the Coos Bay watershed; some of which are located adjacent to the estuaries of Coos Bay.
The CDAO asked of and was denied permission to film the biosludge waste disposal sites operated by the City of North Bend. Our objective was to create a photo/video clip array of the disposition of the biosludge through time to study the contribution the erosion makes to the elevated levels of fecal bacteria.
The CDAO asked the OHA their opinion of consuming shellfish taken from the mixing zones associated with the sewage outfalls common to Oregon's Bays. "We have another question. What is OHA position with people harvesting shellfish in sewer plant affluent mixing zones. Is this safe? What children doing this? Please advise. This question is being asked by our members."
David Farrer a Toxicologist for the Oregon Health Authority responded with the folling"
"Shellfish harvesting in mixing zones for wastewater treatment effluent – Provided that wastewater treatment is occurring as it is designed to, harvesting shellfish in effluent mixing zones would not be expected to pose health risks beyond those expected when collecting shellfish anywhere else. On occasion, malfunctions at wastewater treatment plants result in raw sewage spilling into marine estuaries. When these malfunctions occur, the treatment facilities are required to post signs notifying anyone in the area about the malfunction. OHA does not recommend harvesting shellfish in areas where these signs have been posted."
The discharge of wastewater fecal coliform bacteria at levels that often exceeds the threshold limit of acceptability at Coos Bay sewage plants.
David Farrer is correct about the occasional failure of sewage wastewater treatment plants; however, his assumption about the placement of yellow warning signs is a fairytale. The effective placement of the signs are at the whimsy of the wind, weather and people who remove them.
The recent sewage spill at the Lincoln City sewage plant a Class B facility occurred on a Thursday when the intake pipe ruptured at Schooner Creek dumping 2.1 million gallons of raw sewage into Siletz Bay. The yellow warning signs were posted at most but not all of the public entrances to the bay some five days after the spill began.
The CDAO contacted State Representative Gomberg and the appropriate State Agencies suggesting that the State test the level of fecal coliform bacteria and other contaminates. Our email follows
Sewage Spill Siletz Bay
WILLIAM LACKNER
Mon 10/1/2018 1:59 PM
To: Rep.DavidGomberg;, Julie Tasnady advisor to Governor, Curt Melcher, Director ODFW, State Senator, Arnie Roblan, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley; Rep.CaddyMcKeown; ODFW Commission; Ed Dreistadt; Eric Johnson; Caren Braby; Richard Whitman Director DEQ; Steven S Rumrill Lori Pillsbury; Elise Granek;
Dear Representative Gomberg, on the 18th of September a major sewage spill occurred in Schooner Creek just to the east of Siletz Bay. The detail of events are unclear but the results are well known. Siletz Bay was contaminated with approximately two million one hundred thousand gallons of raw sewage.
This occurrence is not only a huge disaster for the ecology of Siletz Bay. It is threat to the economy of Lincoln City area.
We are asking the State to test the sediment and marine organisms for elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria and the contaminates usually associated with exposure to raw sewage and the marine environment.
We need to know when it is safe to consume clams, crabs and fish taken from Siletz Bay. We are especially interested in the near term verses the long term outlook for harvesting these marine species from Siletz Bay.
Thank you for your consideration, Bill Lackner for the members of the Clam Diggers Association of Oregon.
Ten weeks we received a response from the DEQ apologizing for taking so long to answer our request. It is obvious that the DEQ needs to work on their public relationship skills. They have none.
The posting of signs warning visitors to sewage spill sites is problematical. So we the members of the CDAO petitioned the State to initiate a Sewage Spill Hotline modeled of the Shellfish Hotline. When the meeting began some of the State Agencies supported the concept of a Sewage Spill Hotline but by the time the meeting ended the State refused our request forcing recreational activist to depend on the posting of yellow sighs to warn use of sewage spills.
The solution to fixing the problems created by disposing Class B biosludge and wastewater into the environment is to upgrade all sewage processing plants to Class A facilities. This is what occurs when you elect Class B personalities to function at a Class A level.
City of Coos Bay Biosolids Report 2013
Oregon DEQ Fines Coos Bay For Sludge Overflow
The CDAO filed objection to the Coo County Planning Commission for granting the City of North Bend a permit to discharge bio-sludge into emergent wetland identified as the historical burial site for members of Coos Tribe.
Oregon's out dated, overworked and inefficient Sewage Processing plants and failing septic-systems are responsible for the ever increasing level of pollution common not only Oregon's Bays but also to rising levels of contamination, water temperature and turbidity in all of Oregon's State Waters.
Inadequate sewage processing plant and failing septic-systems are responsible for an ever increasing nutrient load that is responsible for increasing algae blooms in Oregon rivers and lakes that often include high levels of the blue/green algae that can take the lives of your pets and loved ones. The growth of blue/green algae is so sever in the South Umpqua River that the Oregon Health Authority has issued a permanent advisory warning people to stay out of the South Umpqua River. Faced by same permanent closure in 2018 we had to ask, " Are we losing the South Umpqua River?" Only time will tell.
