Saturday, August 28, 2010

Fun in the Texas Sun with E. coli

On June 30, the TCEQ weakened the standards for water quality in Texas. Rather than cracking down on the factory farms, oil companies and other polluters that contaminate our waters, the TCEQ is sending staff around the state to decide which creeks and streams are worthy of clean water.

Now, some waterways will be allowed to have 16 times more E. coli -- bacteria that can be life-threatening to children -- than is currently allowed.

Some other waterways, used primarily for fishing and boating rather than swimming, can now contain three times as much E. coli. According to a risk assessment by the commission, such pollution levels could lead to 14 or 15 of every 1,000 swimmers becoming ill.

The Clean Water Act demands that all waterways should be safe for swimming and fishing -- it doesn't allow for some waters to remain dumping grounds. The good news is that the EPA gets the final word. They need to hear from you today.

Click the link below to e-mail the EPA and urge them to reject these weaker water quality standards.
 
http://www.environmenttexas.org/action/ecoli-water-epa?id4=ES

2 comments:

SuwanneeRiverRiding said...

Wow, I hate to here about that. The water should not have any of that in it. My husband and I jet ski and swim the Suwannee River and it's freshwater springs in Florida nearly all year long. Would sure hate to know I might possibly get E. Coli.
SuwanneeRiverRiding

Carmela Lee said...

"I love to go swimming, The community and the government should do something about this before all inhabitants will become ill or even worst death.

From Carmela Lee from Perdre des hanches "