EPA: California waters show widespread pollution ("problem worse than we thought it was.")

SFGate.com ^ | 10/16/11 | Pete Fimrite

[NormsRevenge]

Those bracing dips in the local lake or river may not be as healthy as they were cracked up to be judging by a new list of polluted waterways released last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Recent tests have found more toxic material, bacteria and pollution in California rivers, streams, bays and lakes than has ever been documented before, according to the federal agency. The study shows a 170 percent increase in the number of waterways showing toxicity in 2010 compared with 2006, the last time the study was done. Less than half of the state's lakes, bays and estuaries are meeting water quality standards. "Unfortunately, the grade is not getting better. It's getting worse. At the moment it is a failing grade," said Jared Blumenfeld, the administrator for the EPA's Pacific Southwest region. ..

...

The list was compiled using 22,000 data submissions from counties, cities and the various regional water quality control boards. That's substantially more information than was available in 2006, Blumenfeld said. The sheer amount of data is probably one reason for the increase, ..

The study showed that EPA water quality standards are not being met on 1.6 million acres of California's 3 million acres of lakes, bays, wetlands and estuaries. Federally mandated cleanup plans have not been submitted for 1.4 million acres, according to the report.

The EPA study also showed that 30,000 of the state's 215,000 miles of shoreline, streams and rivers do not meet the water quality goals. Cleanup plans still need to be prepared for 20,000 of those miles, according to the report.

Pesticides and bacteria were the most common pollutants found in the waterways followed by metals and too many nutrients, mostly from runoff.

[texmexis best]

It is very likely that the epa has come up with new standards that are much tighter than before. It is a pattern that they have used for decades.

[DarkWaters]

Who wants to bet that they'll use this as an excuse to shut down even more farms. The smelt was such a successful excuse for them the last time, they have to find something that makes it worse.

[painter]

Sterilize all the rivers?= kills all the fish!

[MasterGunner01]

I wonder what would happen if all the other states surrounding CA stopped selling WATER to these morons. Let the CA politicians figure that out . . . NOT.