Monday, April 23, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
China has 20 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world
China Quick Facts
Poverty
More than 400 million people were lifted above the $1 dollar a day poverty level in the last 20 years. Between 1981-2001 poverty fell by 422 million.
China is still home to 18 percent of the world’s poor.
About 150 million people in China live on less than $1 a day.
China's income inequality has risen from 28 percent in 1981 to 41 percent today (according to the Gini index).
Poverty reduction efforts, first initiated in 1980, have reduced the number of poor in the rural western province of Gansu by 18.5 million as of 2000 (more than 60 percent of the population).
Growth
Real GDP grew a stronger than expected: 9.5 percent in the first half of 2005.
GDP growth is projected to be 9 percent in 2005 and about 8 percent in 2006.
As Asia’s fastest growing economy over the past 20 years, China saw a 6-fold increase in GDP from 1984 through 2004.
In 1985 average income in China was $280; in 2005 the average income is $1,290.
China and the Global Economy
China achieved 12 percent of the world economy on purchasing power parity basis in 2004 (second to the United States).
China contributed one-third of global economic growth in 2004.
In 2004, China accounted for half of global growth in metals demand, and one-third global growth in oil demand.
China's economy has a high energy intensity. The country uses 20-100 percent more energy than OECD countries for many industrial processes. Automobile standards lag behind European standards by ten years. And China has 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities, largely due to high coal use and motorization.
Foreign exchange reserves exceed $700 billion (second to Japan), and are growing at about $200 billion a year.
About 40 percent of China’s exports go to the United States.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:318950,00.html
Poverty
More than 400 million people were lifted above the $1 dollar a day poverty level in the last 20 years. Between 1981-2001 poverty fell by 422 million.
China is still home to 18 percent of the world’s poor.
About 150 million people in China live on less than $1 a day.
China's income inequality has risen from 28 percent in 1981 to 41 percent today (according to the Gini index).
Poverty reduction efforts, first initiated in 1980, have reduced the number of poor in the rural western province of Gansu by 18.5 million as of 2000 (more than 60 percent of the population).
Growth
Real GDP grew a stronger than expected: 9.5 percent in the first half of 2005.
GDP growth is projected to be 9 percent in 2005 and about 8 percent in 2006.
As Asia’s fastest growing economy over the past 20 years, China saw a 6-fold increase in GDP from 1984 through 2004.
In 1985 average income in China was $280; in 2005 the average income is $1,290.
China and the Global Economy
China achieved 12 percent of the world economy on purchasing power parity basis in 2004 (second to the United States).
China contributed one-third of global economic growth in 2004.
In 2004, China accounted for half of global growth in metals demand, and one-third global growth in oil demand.
China's economy has a high energy intensity. The country uses 20-100 percent more energy than OECD countries for many industrial processes. Automobile standards lag behind European standards by ten years. And China has 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities, largely due to high coal use and motorization.
Foreign exchange reserves exceed $700 billion (second to Japan), and are growing at about $200 billion a year.
About 40 percent of China’s exports go to the United States.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20680895~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:318950,00.html
Bottled water comes from the tap
'Think Outside the Bottle' Campaign Challenges Pepsi at Annual Shareholders' Meeting
PLANO, Texas, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, corporate accountability
advocates are challenging Pepsi executives at the corporation's annual
shareholders' meeting. Corporate Accountability International's "Think
Outside the Bottle" campaign challenges the misleading marketing of the
three largest bottled water corporations -- Pepsi and its competitors Coke
and Nestle. Through extensive media coverage in national and major regional
outlets, the campaign message has reached millions of people in the past
six weeks as over one thousand people in twenty cities across the U.S. have
taken the Tap Water Challenge. As Pepsi attempts to compensate for weak
soft drink sales by expanding its bottled water market, the corporation
faces growing resistance.
Across the U.S., people have been shocked to learn Pepsi's popular
Aquafina water brand actually uses tap water as its source. Avid Aquafina
drinkers are among the 50% of all Americans who drink bottled water. One in
six people in the U.S. drink only bottled water instead of drinking water
from the tap, even though gallon for gallon it can cost more than gasoline.
According to Corporate Accountability International, this trend is driven
by misleading advertising.
Protests at Coke's shareholders' meeting two weeks ago demonstrated
people's increasing concern about corporations buying and selling water.
"As global pressure on Coke grows we're highlighting that Pepsi is another
heavyweight player. Pepsi promotes Aquafina water as pure, safe, healthy
and superior to tap water, even though bottled water is less regulated than
tap water, and sometimes less safe," says Corporate Accountability
International Associate Campaigns Director Gigi Kellett.
"This is about more than price gouging. Our human right to water is at
stake," says Polaris Institute Water Program Director Karl Flecker.
According to the United Nations, two out of three people will not have
access to water in less than two decades. "Problems of water scarcity and
access loom larger as a profit-driven industry increasingly controls our
water supplies," continues Flecker.
Supplying water is currently a $400 billion a year business, 30% larger
than the pharmaceutical industry. "Think Outside the Bottle" highlights
bottled water as the most visible example of increasing corporate control
of water. Even though bottled water accounts for a fraction of the total
volume of water used for consumption, sanitation, and manufacturing, people
spent $100 billion on bottled water in 2005. That's three times more than
the amount of money necessary to reach the U.N.'s Millennium Development
Goal of halving the number of people without access to water by 2015, and
seven times more than the international community has committed to hitting
that goal.
Inside today's meeting, Pepsi executives are being challenged directly
for selling people a bill of goods, positioning bottled water as healthy,
when in reality it threatens people's health and the environment, and
undermines local democratic control over a common resource. Corporate
Accountability International is delivering thousands of postcards generated
from religious congregations, community activists and student groups over
the last several months.
Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a
membership organization that protects people by waging and winning
campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around
the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations-like Nestle,
General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria-to stop abusive actions. For more
information visit http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SPIFOD.story&STORY=/www/story/05-03-2006/0004353587&EDATE=WED+May+03+2006,+11:00+AM
PLANO, Texas, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, corporate accountability
advocates are challenging Pepsi executives at the corporation's annual
shareholders' meeting. Corporate Accountability International's "Think
Outside the Bottle" campaign challenges the misleading marketing of the
three largest bottled water corporations -- Pepsi and its competitors Coke
and Nestle. Through extensive media coverage in national and major regional
outlets, the campaign message has reached millions of people in the past
six weeks as over one thousand people in twenty cities across the U.S. have
taken the Tap Water Challenge. As Pepsi attempts to compensate for weak
soft drink sales by expanding its bottled water market, the corporation
faces growing resistance.
Across the U.S., people have been shocked to learn Pepsi's popular
Aquafina water brand actually uses tap water as its source. Avid Aquafina
drinkers are among the 50% of all Americans who drink bottled water. One in
six people in the U.S. drink only bottled water instead of drinking water
from the tap, even though gallon for gallon it can cost more than gasoline.
According to Corporate Accountability International, this trend is driven
by misleading advertising.
Protests at Coke's shareholders' meeting two weeks ago demonstrated
people's increasing concern about corporations buying and selling water.
"As global pressure on Coke grows we're highlighting that Pepsi is another
heavyweight player. Pepsi promotes Aquafina water as pure, safe, healthy
and superior to tap water, even though bottled water is less regulated than
tap water, and sometimes less safe," says Corporate Accountability
International Associate Campaigns Director Gigi Kellett.
"This is about more than price gouging. Our human right to water is at
stake," says Polaris Institute Water Program Director Karl Flecker.
According to the United Nations, two out of three people will not have
access to water in less than two decades. "Problems of water scarcity and
access loom larger as a profit-driven industry increasingly controls our
water supplies," continues Flecker.
Supplying water is currently a $400 billion a year business, 30% larger
than the pharmaceutical industry. "Think Outside the Bottle" highlights
bottled water as the most visible example of increasing corporate control
of water. Even though bottled water accounts for a fraction of the total
volume of water used for consumption, sanitation, and manufacturing, people
spent $100 billion on bottled water in 2005. That's three times more than
the amount of money necessary to reach the U.N.'s Millennium Development
Goal of halving the number of people without access to water by 2015, and
seven times more than the international community has committed to hitting
that goal.
Inside today's meeting, Pepsi executives are being challenged directly
for selling people a bill of goods, positioning bottled water as healthy,
when in reality it threatens people's health and the environment, and
undermines local democratic control over a common resource. Corporate
Accountability International is delivering thousands of postcards generated
from religious congregations, community activists and student groups over
the last several months.
Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a
membership organization that protects people by waging and winning
campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around
the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations-like Nestle,
General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria-to stop abusive actions. For more
information visit http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SPIFOD.story&STORY=/www/story/05-03-2006/0004353587&EDATE=WED+May+03+2006,+11:00+AM
EPA Fines New York City for Drinking Water Violations
Release date: 05/01/2006
Contact Information:
(NEW YORK, NY) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that New York City must pay a fine of $27,500 for failing to meet drinking water standards in a portion of the Catskill/Delaware water supply. The city is required to maintain strict water quality standards, including those related to turbidity, a measure of water clarity and an important indicator of water quality. During the past year, the city’s Catskill/Delaware water has failed or nearly failed turbidity standards on four separate occasions.“While New York City has done a good job in protecting the Catskill/Delaware watershed, it must step up its efforts to control turbidity,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “In order to preserve a high degree of water quality, the city must demonstrate greater care than demonstrated in this case. Part of the rationale for New York City receiving a federal waiver from the requirement to filter is that it would maintain water quality standards. We will ensure that the city remains vigilant and proactive in the protection of this vital watershed.”Turbidity occurs when clay, sand, algae, microbes and other substances suspend in water. Higher turbidity levels can lead to increased water temperature and reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen, a key component of aquatic life and water quality. Although turbidity is not a direct indicator of health risk, there is a relationship between turbidity and the ability of chlorine to kill harmful microorganisms. The particles that cause turbidity may capture and hide, or mask, contaminants, which are harmful to human health, and may reduce the effectiveness of disinfection. The Catskill/Delaware watershed is prone to turbidity due to its underlying geology and, therefore, warrants careful attention in order to maintain high water quality standards.All drinking water taken from surface water sources must, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, be filtered to remove microbial contaminants. The law allows EPA to grant a waiver from this requirement to water suppliers if they demonstrate that they have an effective watershed control program and that their water meets strict quality standards.EPA can, at any time, require the city to filter its system if the Agency determines that the quality of the drinking water is threatened. The city appears to be adequately protecting the Catskill/Delaware drinking water source for the time being. The city is under a filtration avoidance determination (FAD) issued in 2002 for New York City’s Catskill/Delaware system, which allows it not to filter drinking water from this system. EPA does not expect to make any filtration decisions until the current FAD expires in 2007.Additional information on New York City's watershed and water supply: epa.gov/region02/water/nycshed
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/7c02ca8c86062a0f85257018004118a6/067b0007225ca3a7852571610064781a!OpenDocument
Contact Information:
(NEW YORK, NY) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that New York City must pay a fine of $27,500 for failing to meet drinking water standards in a portion of the Catskill/Delaware water supply. The city is required to maintain strict water quality standards, including those related to turbidity, a measure of water clarity and an important indicator of water quality. During the past year, the city’s Catskill/Delaware water has failed or nearly failed turbidity standards on four separate occasions.“While New York City has done a good job in protecting the Catskill/Delaware watershed, it must step up its efforts to control turbidity,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “In order to preserve a high degree of water quality, the city must demonstrate greater care than demonstrated in this case. Part of the rationale for New York City receiving a federal waiver from the requirement to filter is that it would maintain water quality standards. We will ensure that the city remains vigilant and proactive in the protection of this vital watershed.”Turbidity occurs when clay, sand, algae, microbes and other substances suspend in water. Higher turbidity levels can lead to increased water temperature and reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen, a key component of aquatic life and water quality. Although turbidity is not a direct indicator of health risk, there is a relationship between turbidity and the ability of chlorine to kill harmful microorganisms. The particles that cause turbidity may capture and hide, or mask, contaminants, which are harmful to human health, and may reduce the effectiveness of disinfection. The Catskill/Delaware watershed is prone to turbidity due to its underlying geology and, therefore, warrants careful attention in order to maintain high water quality standards.All drinking water taken from surface water sources must, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, be filtered to remove microbial contaminants. The law allows EPA to grant a waiver from this requirement to water suppliers if they demonstrate that they have an effective watershed control program and that their water meets strict quality standards.EPA can, at any time, require the city to filter its system if the Agency determines that the quality of the drinking water is threatened. The city appears to be adequately protecting the Catskill/Delaware drinking water source for the time being. The city is under a filtration avoidance determination (FAD) issued in 2002 for New York City’s Catskill/Delaware system, which allows it not to filter drinking water from this system. EPA does not expect to make any filtration decisions until the current FAD expires in 2007.Additional information on New York City's watershed and water supply: epa.gov/region02/water/nycshed
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/7c02ca8c86062a0f85257018004118a6/067b0007225ca3a7852571610064781a!OpenDocument
Seattle Public Schools' water trouble
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/268727_water02.html
Arsenic taints water at 5 schoolsDistrictwide testing, bottled supplies pledged
By JESSICA BLANCHARD AND CAROL SMITHP-I REPORTERS
Seattle Public Schools began shutting down drinking fountains throughout the district Monday after tests showed levels of arsenic above safety standards in drinking water at five elementary schools.
Superintendent Raj Manhas pledged to test every source of drinking water in the district and provide bottled water to every school until the cause of the arsenic contamination is discovered and repairs can be completed.
"This is a very aggressive step, but I believe it's the right one to take," he said Monday. "Whatever it takes, we will do. ... We expect the cleanest water in our schools."
Scott Eklund / P-I
Ron English, who manages the district's drinking water, answers questions from the media with Superintendent Raj Manhas.
District officials refused to speculate about the source of the toxin, saying they want to investigate further. Arsenic exposure can cause cancer and heart problems, but district officials said the water was mostly taken from fixtures not in use, and those that were had been running for only a matter of days.
All the contaminated water came from drinking fountains or combination sink/faucet fixtures that had been repaired or replaced recently as part of the district's efforts to reduce the levels of lead in drinking water. Routine water-quality testing on the fixtures in early April revealed arsenic levels exceeding federal standards in 40 of 120 sites tested.
Those tests were flawed because each sample had been taken from water left sitting in pipes for more than a week. So the district retested locations that had registered toxin levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's standard of 10 parts per billion.
Five of the 40 fixtures -- at Gatewood, Leschi, Loyal Heights and Van Asselt elementary schools and Alternative Elementary School No. 2 at Decatur -- tested positive a second time, with arsenic levels ranging from 11 to 18 parts per billion.
A district review of water samples taken earlier this year also turned up elevated arsenic levels in a second fixture at Leschi. Officials plan to recheck samples from other schools as far back as September 2005 for evidence of further contamination.
Only two of the fountains identified in the recent testing had been in use. One, at Van Asselt, had been replaced recently and had been in operation only eight days. Another fountain at Leschi had been turned on inadvertently, and it's unclear whether anyone drank from it during the few days it was running.
var bnum=new Number(Math.floor(99999999 * Math.random())+1);
document.write('');
'); } // -->
');
}
// -->
var bnum=new Number(Math.floor(99999999 * Math.random())+1);
document.write('');
Seattle Public Utilities officials said the arsenic was most likely coming from inside the schools.
"We are confident the arsenic is not coming from Seattle's water supply," said Dave Hilmoe, director of drinking water for Seattle Public Utilities. Regular monitoring of the city's water supply and the water mains outside the schools has shown only traces of arsenic, well below the levels of concern, he said.
The district plans to mail out letters to parents and provide fact sheets at schools about the toxin this week. Arsenic can be lethal at high doses, but long-term low-level exposures can also cause serious health problems, including increased cancer risk, nerve damage, gastrointestinal problems and weakening of the heart muscle.
The acceptable level for arsenic in water was recently lowered, and the levels found in the Seattle schools were less than the old standard of 50 parts per billion, said Jim White, a toxicologist with the Washington State Department of Health.
Arsenic is excreted by the body, so health effects occur when the body is taking in arsenic faster than it can be eliminated. There is some recent evidence that children metabolize it differently and might be more sensitive to it, White said.
But, he said, this amount of contact was unlikely to have caused significant health problems. "At these levels, the risks are pretty darn low, especially if they've only been drinking (from the fixtures) for a couple days."
Public health officials said the district's decision to shut down the drinking water supply and provide bottled water was a good one and that water used for other school functions -- such as washing hands -- should be safe.
"The important thing to do is reduce exposure," said Dorothy Teeter, interim director of Public Health -- Seattle & King County. If parents are concerned, they can always send bottled water from home, she said.
The district expects to get bottled water to each of its 100 schools within the next two weeks.
Testing for arsenic exposure is available, but parents should see their pediatricians before having their children tested, said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, with the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at the University of Washington.
On Monday, Rita Tran said she was unfazed by the water scare. "I am not really worried," she said, as she picked up her daughters, Michelle, 7, and Sandy, 11.
One teacher, who declined to give her name, said the announcement wasn't likely to panic parents.
"Our parents are worried about other things," she said, noting that many of them work two or more jobs. "They're worried about putting food on the table."
But Mark Cooper, a Seattle parent who blew the whistle on widespread lead contamination in the district's pipes two years ago, said parents should be concerned -- and should demand more stringent testing of the drinking water at their schools.
"It's gratifying that (Seattle Public Schools) finally learned what appropriate health measures are," he said -- but the district knew of the problem long before it shut off the drinking water.
"This took them three weeks to do, and they needed prodding to do something."
The district will use money set aside for lead remediation and other water-quality issues to pay the estimated $100,000 to provide bottled water through the summer, said facilities Director Fred Stephens.
The district isn't sure how long it will take to determine the source of the arsenic and make repairs.
Cheryl Chow, vice president of the School Board, said she hoped people would keep the announcement in perspective.
"The superintendent is taking an exceptionally aggressive approach to this," she said. "I think it's very appropriate ... and it's a good message to send to our staff and our families -- that we will be aggressive with our safety efforts."
TIMELINE
Water-quality problems in Seattle Public Schools:
1990: A study of drinking water shows that a third of all fountains and 40 percent of all faucets exceed levels for lead.
1992: Follow-up tests show fountains at 40 schools are still over the lead limit.
1993: A report recommends replacing pipes at four elementary schools and one high school.
December 2003: Sparked by complaints from parents over lead and other metals in drinking water, the School Board decides to provide bottled water to 70 schools.
February 2004: Planning begins to replace pipes at schools. The replacement was first recommended in 1993.
April 2004: The first six schools to have their water tested all exceed limits for lead.
June 2004: The district says it will replace pipes at Fairmount Park and Schmitz Park Elementary schools -- some of the schools first recommended for pipe replacement in 1993.
July 2004: Seventy schools have at least one fountain with levels of lead above the standard.
November 2004: The School Board recommends a tough lead standard. It adopts it a month later.
July 2005: The School Board reduces the scope of pipe repairs as it balances the budget. Tests show about 60 of 250 new drinking fountains don't meet the lead standard.
May 1, 2006: Tests show arsenic levels above the federal standard at five elementary schools. The district will shut down drinking-water systems in all schools and will bring in bottled water.
-- compiled by P-I news researcher Marsha Milroy.
Arsenic taints water at 5 schoolsDistrictwide testing, bottled supplies pledged
By JESSICA BLANCHARD AND CAROL SMITHP-I REPORTERS
Seattle Public Schools began shutting down drinking fountains throughout the district Monday after tests showed levels of arsenic above safety standards in drinking water at five elementary schools.
Superintendent Raj Manhas pledged to test every source of drinking water in the district and provide bottled water to every school until the cause of the arsenic contamination is discovered and repairs can be completed.
"This is a very aggressive step, but I believe it's the right one to take," he said Monday. "Whatever it takes, we will do. ... We expect the cleanest water in our schools."
Scott Eklund / P-I
Ron English, who manages the district's drinking water, answers questions from the media with Superintendent Raj Manhas.
District officials refused to speculate about the source of the toxin, saying they want to investigate further. Arsenic exposure can cause cancer and heart problems, but district officials said the water was mostly taken from fixtures not in use, and those that were had been running for only a matter of days.
All the contaminated water came from drinking fountains or combination sink/faucet fixtures that had been repaired or replaced recently as part of the district's efforts to reduce the levels of lead in drinking water. Routine water-quality testing on the fixtures in early April revealed arsenic levels exceeding federal standards in 40 of 120 sites tested.
Those tests were flawed because each sample had been taken from water left sitting in pipes for more than a week. So the district retested locations that had registered toxin levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's standard of 10 parts per billion.
Five of the 40 fixtures -- at Gatewood, Leschi, Loyal Heights and Van Asselt elementary schools and Alternative Elementary School No. 2 at Decatur -- tested positive a second time, with arsenic levels ranging from 11 to 18 parts per billion.
A district review of water samples taken earlier this year also turned up elevated arsenic levels in a second fixture at Leschi. Officials plan to recheck samples from other schools as far back as September 2005 for evidence of further contamination.
Only two of the fountains identified in the recent testing had been in use. One, at Van Asselt, had been replaced recently and had been in operation only eight days. Another fountain at Leschi had been turned on inadvertently, and it's unclear whether anyone drank from it during the few days it was running.
var bnum=new Number(Math.floor(99999999 * Math.random())+1);
document.write('');
'); } // -->
');
}
// -->
var bnum=new Number(Math.floor(99999999 * Math.random())+1);
document.write('');
Seattle Public Utilities officials said the arsenic was most likely coming from inside the schools.
"We are confident the arsenic is not coming from Seattle's water supply," said Dave Hilmoe, director of drinking water for Seattle Public Utilities. Regular monitoring of the city's water supply and the water mains outside the schools has shown only traces of arsenic, well below the levels of concern, he said.
The district plans to mail out letters to parents and provide fact sheets at schools about the toxin this week. Arsenic can be lethal at high doses, but long-term low-level exposures can also cause serious health problems, including increased cancer risk, nerve damage, gastrointestinal problems and weakening of the heart muscle.
The acceptable level for arsenic in water was recently lowered, and the levels found in the Seattle schools were less than the old standard of 50 parts per billion, said Jim White, a toxicologist with the Washington State Department of Health.
Arsenic is excreted by the body, so health effects occur when the body is taking in arsenic faster than it can be eliminated. There is some recent evidence that children metabolize it differently and might be more sensitive to it, White said.
But, he said, this amount of contact was unlikely to have caused significant health problems. "At these levels, the risks are pretty darn low, especially if they've only been drinking (from the fixtures) for a couple days."
Public health officials said the district's decision to shut down the drinking water supply and provide bottled water was a good one and that water used for other school functions -- such as washing hands -- should be safe.
"The important thing to do is reduce exposure," said Dorothy Teeter, interim director of Public Health -- Seattle & King County. If parents are concerned, they can always send bottled water from home, she said.
The district expects to get bottled water to each of its 100 schools within the next two weeks.
Testing for arsenic exposure is available, but parents should see their pediatricians before having their children tested, said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, with the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at the University of Washington.
On Monday, Rita Tran said she was unfazed by the water scare. "I am not really worried," she said, as she picked up her daughters, Michelle, 7, and Sandy, 11.
One teacher, who declined to give her name, said the announcement wasn't likely to panic parents.
"Our parents are worried about other things," she said, noting that many of them work two or more jobs. "They're worried about putting food on the table."
But Mark Cooper, a Seattle parent who blew the whistle on widespread lead contamination in the district's pipes two years ago, said parents should be concerned -- and should demand more stringent testing of the drinking water at their schools.
"It's gratifying that (Seattle Public Schools) finally learned what appropriate health measures are," he said -- but the district knew of the problem long before it shut off the drinking water.
"This took them three weeks to do, and they needed prodding to do something."
The district will use money set aside for lead remediation and other water-quality issues to pay the estimated $100,000 to provide bottled water through the summer, said facilities Director Fred Stephens.
The district isn't sure how long it will take to determine the source of the arsenic and make repairs.
Cheryl Chow, vice president of the School Board, said she hoped people would keep the announcement in perspective.
"The superintendent is taking an exceptionally aggressive approach to this," she said. "I think it's very appropriate ... and it's a good message to send to our staff and our families -- that we will be aggressive with our safety efforts."
TIMELINE
Water-quality problems in Seattle Public Schools:
1990: A study of drinking water shows that a third of all fountains and 40 percent of all faucets exceed levels for lead.
1992: Follow-up tests show fountains at 40 schools are still over the lead limit.
1993: A report recommends replacing pipes at four elementary schools and one high school.
December 2003: Sparked by complaints from parents over lead and other metals in drinking water, the School Board decides to provide bottled water to 70 schools.
February 2004: Planning begins to replace pipes at schools. The replacement was first recommended in 1993.
April 2004: The first six schools to have their water tested all exceed limits for lead.
June 2004: The district says it will replace pipes at Fairmount Park and Schmitz Park Elementary schools -- some of the schools first recommended for pipe replacement in 1993.
July 2004: Seventy schools have at least one fountain with levels of lead above the standard.
November 2004: The School Board recommends a tough lead standard. It adopts it a month later.
July 2005: The School Board reduces the scope of pipe repairs as it balances the budget. Tests show about 60 of 250 new drinking fountains don't meet the lead standard.
May 1, 2006: Tests show arsenic levels above the federal standard at five elementary schools. The district will shut down drinking-water systems in all schools and will bring in bottled water.
-- compiled by P-I news researcher Marsha Milroy.
Water pollution affects 40,000 people in Guangdong
Water pollution affects 40,000 people in Guangdong
www.chinaview.cn 2006-04-29 07:25:20
GUANGZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A case of water pollution was reported Friday in Sanchajiang River of Wuchuan City in south China's Guangdong Province, posing a threat to the safety of drinking water for nearly 40,000 locals.
Fish were found dead in large quantity at eight ponds of a fishery farm at Lingtou Village in Changqi Township, said the farm owner, surnamed Pan. He estimated the loss at more than 200,000 yuan (25,000 U.S. dollars).
Nearby townships also reported a large number of dead fish and poisoning cases of livestock.
According to the local government, the polluted belt was about eight kilometers long. Water at the polluted belt turns brown in color.
The pollution has affected the life of about 40,000 people. Thelocal government has already ordered waterworks at the polluted areas to stop fetching water from the river and urged all local markets to stop selling aquatic products to avoid food poisoning cases.
http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/29/content_4488733.htm
London Water Problems
Defending its £1 billion five-year programme to replace leaking mains, Thames says that more than 30 per cent of its pipes - totalling 3,000 miles - are more than 150 years old.
Many of the worst leaks date from the Blitz, when iron pipes were patched up to restore services damaged during nights of bombing and not replaced when the war ended.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/02/nwater102.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/02/ixnewstop.html
Many of the worst leaks date from the Blitz, when iron pipes were patched up to restore services damaged during nights of bombing and not replaced when the war ended.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/02/nwater102.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/02/ixnewstop.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)