Image: insurancequotes.org
– Yale Environment 360
Category Archives: Pollution
WaterLex Helps Put the Human Right to Water Into New Legal Frameworks
Image courtesy of WaterLex
One of the benefits of living in Geneva, Switzerland, is that I have access to the United Nations and international organizations that work with it. WaterLex, for example, is an international NGO that partners with UN Water. It takes an interesting, forward-looking, “lawyerly” approach to working on issues related to freshwater scarcity. The group, with a staff of seven based here, helps water-governance stakeholders in various countries establish policies and standards that comply with the human right to water and sanitation (HRWS). To do its work, the staff consults with more than 100 international experts in water management, development and law.
Many water NGOs work on access to water, helping people in water-stressed communities survive by delivering clean water, digging wells, installing pumps, and so forth. WaterLex attacks the problem close to its root and in a way that helps enable water security for future generations: It trains lawmakers and others with influence over water resources in a community, or a country, on how to implement new legal frameworks in which the human right to water is central.
WaterLex Executive Director Jean-Benoit Charrin co-founded the organization in 2010, the same year the human right to water and sanitation became fully recognized. I spoke with him on Tuesday at the WaterLex offices down the street from the Palace of Nations (UN). The rest of the staff, a mix of lawyers and operations experts, were away on missions. Although I would have liked to meet them, I’m glad they were off doing their work.
“There are four things we never want to hear people say again,” Charrin said. “That they didn’t know there was a problem. That they know there is a problem, but they don’t know how to deal with it. That they know there is a problem and how to deal with it, but they don’t know how to get the money. And finally, that they know there is a problem but they don’t care.” He paralleled the four statements succinctly with four WaterLex work areas: providing assistance with information, capacity-building, budgeting, and accountability. Learn more about the group’s work below.
WaterLex tools (naturally, these are also on the Water Resources page):
WaterLex Legal Database on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation
WaterLex Toolkit: Integrating the Human Right to Water and Sanitation in Development Practice
Examples of WaterLex activities:
- Worked with 10 universities to develop its online Legal Database (link above), a reference tool for policy makers that enables them to harmonize their legal frameworks with HRWS.
- Trained more than 40 members of the Pan African Parliament on the integration of national legal frameworks with HRWS.
- Partnered with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to advise the government of Niger on designing a decentralized cooperation strategy that complies with human rights obligations.
- Drafted a resolution adopted by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights clarifying legal responsibilities of states in the management of water as a result of human rights commitments.
- Worked with the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) to develop a toolkit and field training for water program managers in Nicaragua, Moldova and Mozambique.
- Assisted the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in the design of an Equity Score Card to help governments assess their population’s relative access to safe and affordable drinking water.
Over-Salted: The Trouble(s) With Desalination
Image: Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter
It’s tempting to see desalination as an eventual cure-all for parched places like California — something that is expensive to implement and run because of energy costs, but worth prioritizing someday. Someday, that is, when there is no other way to get enough freshwater. Many countries have turned to it. Unfortunately, cost is not the only reason to put off desalination projects. Their byproducts, or waste, are bad for the environment and difficult to deal with safely. And in California, critics of seawater desalination would add that far more should be done through conservation before turning to drastic measures.
I recently wrote about solar-powered desalination as an alternative to traditional methods that might help California with its record-breaking drought, focusing on WaterFX and its solar distillation of agricultural run-off water for re-use. On Tuesday, The Guardian‘s Oliver Balch picked up on the story in some depth, referring to renewable desalination projects all over the world, but focusing on WaterFX. That prompted a thoughtful article by environmental journalist Chris Clarke for Southern California’s KCET.org. He asked an obvious and very important question: What about all the salt and other stuff we take out of the water?
At the end of any kind of desalination process, you get leftover piles of salt and buckets of super-salty brine. (Use any measurement metaphor you like, appropriate to scale: piles and buckets; hills and lakes; mountains and oceans.) You get a little freshwater and a lot of leftover crap, some potentially useful and some not, and there’s only so much you can do with it. With WaterFX’s solar distillation, you get brine laced with chemicals and solids from the soil, from fertilizers, motor oil and other sources. The company says it can sell the byproducts, but there’s room for skepticism (and leaky landfills standing by). With seawater, desalination projects tend to filter brine back into the ocean, where it dissolves over time. But brine waste, heavier than seawater, can smother sea life on the ocean floor. And, looking ahead, if huge coastal desalination projects continue to spring up all over the world, how much additional salinity can sea life tolerate? Even in the oceans, a little too much salt can kill.
One thing is relatively clear: Powering desalination with renewable energy should bring down long-term energy costs while providing freshwater. But questions and problems remain. In addition to pollution worries, the timing of when to make the big investment can be tricky. As Clarke points out, a large desalination plant opened in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1992 because of a drought. But the drought ended, and the plant just sat there because it was too expensive to run in the absence of a crippling water shortage. After its test runs, it never produced a drop of potable water. Now, the largest desalination plant in the western hemisphere is slated for 2016 completion in Carlsbad, near San Diego, at a cost of $1 billion.
Read more:
UPDATE: Desalination could help California — but only if it’s done right – Los Angeles Times
UPDATE: California drought prompts first-ever “zero water allocation” – Los Angeles Times
In talk of solar desalination, there’s a salty elephant in the room – KCET.org
Is solar-powered desalination the answer to water independence in California? – The Guardian
California identifies 17 communities that could run dry within 100 days – CA.org
Carlsbad desalination plant construction on track to meet 2016 goal – KPBS San Diego
Related posts:
California’s State-of-the-State Address: Brown’s Drought Plan in Broad Strokes
EC Awards 50 Million Euros to 11 Innovative Water Projects
Image: European Commission
In Brussels on Thursday, the European Commission unveiled 11 projects slated to receive €50 million to support their innovative responses to “water-related challenges” (to put a lot of different fish in one tank, so to speak).
The projects involve 179 partners representing research organizations and private companies across 19 European countries. There’s a lot of variety in the types of work, as well. Three examples: smarter management of water distribution networks; biotech treatment of heavy metal pollution in wastewater; and new “aquaponic” systems combining aquaculture and hydroponics in agricultural production. You can see the project names and acronyms listed in the tags accompanying this post, and more description of each project can be found here.
The funds come from the 2013 “Environment call” for projects of the European Union’s s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7). This brings total FP7 funding for water-related projects, 2007 – 2013, to more than €1 billion. A new funding initiative rolled out this month, the Horizon 2020 program, is expected to bring another €165 million to water projects in its first round of calls.
Read more:
UPDATE: Event presentations now uploaded
European Commission press release
U.S. Shale Map: Could Be a Lot of Fracking Drilling in the Lower 48
Image: Duke University
See the website for the Duke University study on shale gas and fracking, Avner Vengosh research group, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment.
OTHER RELATED LINKS AND POSTS:
Duke study suggests cutting fracking waste’s radioactivity with acid drainage from mines – The Associated Press (Jan. 13, 2014)
Duke fracking tests reveal dangers driller’s study missed in Texas – Bloomberg (Jan. 10, 2014)
Drilling Down on Fracking: Latest News Plus Background (Jan. 6, 2014)
Fracking Across the Pond: In the UK (Jan 8, 2014)
January 14, 2014 · 10:26 am
Fracking Debate: How Once-Cooperative Attitudes Died
Many U.S. states with stalled fracking legislation — and probably some countries — are watching as comprehensive regulatory plans for hydraulic fracturing unfold in Illinois and California. A year ago, Illinois state legislators, industry officials and environmentalists appeared to be getting along as the state’s first regulations for the natural gas drilling process were passed, but good relations have since dissolved in mistrust. In California, after some relative harmony early on, environmental groups are trying to put the brakes on pending legislation in favor of further study. Any surprises here, as lawmakers struggle with “comprehensive” regs that try to please everyone? Not so much. Associated Press business writer Tammy Webber does a nice job of describing the situations.
RELATED NEWS: Duke fracking tests reveal dangers driller’s study missed in Texas – Bloomberg
See previous posts:
Drilling Down on Fracking: Latest News Plus Background (Jan. 6, 2014)
Fracking Across the Pond: In the UK (Jan 8, 2014)
Filed under Environment, Fracking, Groundwater, Industry, North America, Pollution, Technology
UPDATED: Dangers of Leaked Chemical in West Virginia Remain a Disturbing Mystery
About 300,000 residents of eight counties in West Virginia were told on Thursday not to drink, cook or wash with tap water (but they can still flush it down the toilet or put out a fire with it, officials added — what a relief). About 7,500 gallons of an industrial solvent used to clean coal had seeped from a ruptured holding tank into the Elk River. As of Monday morning, water tests had showed improvement, but the ban is still in place.
One of the most disturbing facts about the story is that the risks to health posed by the chemical, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or MCHM, are poorly understood. Science writer Deborah Blum reports for Wired.com on her frustrating search for information. David Biello sheds some light on the basic properties of the compound, which is a type of alcohol, in Scientific American.
The stories, and the comments attached, raise other important questions, directly or indirectly. How long had the tank been leaking, and how does such a failure go undetected, even for a day? (There are supposed to be alarms and other safety protocols.) How much of the chemical have residents already ingested, and what health issues could result? How culpable are the tank’s owner, Charleston-W. Va.-based Freedom Industries, and the state of West Virginia? The state gets a lot of grief for under-regulating the powerful coal industry. (And further, in what world does it seem OK to have such chemical tanks just upriver from a water system’s intake pipes? What can the EPA do? Can “Freedom Industries” be cited for its name alone? One can only hope).
Blum also brings up the 35-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act, saying it hasn’t been updated and strengthened in all that time. Why? And, of course, what will change as a result of this spill? Unfortunately, it often takes a nightmare to wake people up to the need for action.
Read more:
UPDATE: Chemical spill muddies picture in a state wary of regulations – The New York Times
UPDATE: Critics say spill highlights lax West Virginia regulations – The New York Times
OP-ED: A predictable water crisis due in part to “audacious influence of industry” – Sunday Gazette-Mail
UPDATE: Hope flows as W. Va. water showing signs of improvement after spill – NBCNews.com
The wait continues for safe tap water in West Virginia – The New York Times
Freedom Industries cited for Elk chemical spill – Saturday Gazette-Mail
Chemical guesswork in West Virginia – Wired.com
How dangerous is the coal-washing chemical spilled in West Virginia? – Scientific American
Thousands of residents warned not to use water – wvgazette.com
Filed under Environment, North America, Pollution, Rivers and Watersheds
Fracking Over the Pond: In the UK
Seismic fracturing, aka fracking, is controversial in the U.S. Proponents say the natural gas drilling method creates jobs and reduces reliance on foreign oil; opponents say it’s a filthy polluter and the consequences of it have yet to be known because not enough research has been done and not enough regulation is in place. The links from The Telegraph and The Guardian below are not direct responses to each other, but they are two sides of a coin, Should Britain follow the U.S.?
Torries: Do you realise fracking is nastier and messier than wind turbines? – Jenny Jones, The Telegraph
Why the UK should embrace fracking – Chris Breitling, CFO, Breitling Energy Corporation, vis a vis The Guardian
News UPDATE, Jan. 13: PM Cameron promises tax boost as incentive to drill – BBC News
Filed under Fracking, Groundwater, Industry, Pollution, Research, Technology, Water Resources
Drilling Down on Fracking: Latest News Plus Background
Image: insurancequotes.org
Not to be too Mr. Moto* about it, but it’s no exaggeration to say that the expansion of fracking, aka hydraulic fracturing, has been extremely controversial. The relatively new drilling practice, developed about 60 years ago but widely employed only within the past decade or so, involves pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, sand and chemicals into the ground at each drill site to break up shale and release natural gas that had previously been inaccessible. It’s the subject of much protest over groundwater contamination and other potential ill effects. The fracking industry says the practice is safe and praises it for reducing oil imports, while environmental activists loudly warn of eco-catastrophe-for-profit and a disastrous delay in the quest for renewable energy sources amid worsening global warming.
Perhaps you’ve seen actor Mark Ruffalo at the anti-fracking forefront (here’s his CNN opinion piece with Greenpeace exec Phil Radford, from April 2013). And then there’s the feature film “Promised Land,” written by stars Matt Damon and John Krasinski and directed by Gus Van Sant. Previously, Josh Fox’s HBO documentaries about the largely unregulated industry, “GasLand” and “GasLand 2,” saw some acclaim. The fracking industry responded in kind, underwriting the film “TruthLand,” a pro-industry rebuttal to Fox. The likes of Popular Mechanics, Scientific American and Discover have tried to clarify points of contention.
Meanwhile, a new study finds that more than half of Americans still know nearly nothing about fracking (below). I, for one, still have a lot to learn. It strikes me as an under-policed industry racing for purchase and profit ahead of federal, state and local regulation that should, eventually, mitigate fear and damage done — hopefully sooner than later (again, Mr. Moto speaks). But some say it’s already too late for regulation, and only bans will be effective.
Recent fracking news:
Fracking contamination found in water wells in 4 states – The Associated Press
In at least four U.S. states that have nurtured the nation’s energy boom, hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination from oil or gas drilling, and pollution was confirmed in a number of them, according to a review of complaints in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas that casts doubt on industry suggestions that such problems rarely happen. The lack of detail in some state reports could help fuel public confusion and mistrust.
U.S. EPA unlikely to step up fracking enforcement efforts for now, say analysts – Reuters
Federal regulators are unlikely to step up enforcement of potential water contamination cases linked to natural gas drilling — despite new concerns about water safety — given a lack of political will and limited resources to pursue such cases, analysts said.
Study shows fracking is bad for babies – Bloomberg
Researchers from Princeton University, Columbia University and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology looked at Pennsylvania birth records from 2004 to 2011 to assess the health of infants born within a 2.5-kilometer radius of natural-gas fracking sites. They found that proximity to fracking increased the likelihood of low birth weight by more than half, from about 5.6% to more than 9%. The chances of a low Apgar score, a summary measure of the health of newborn children, roughly doubled, to more than 5%.
Study finds few know what fracking really is – Caspar Star-Tribune (Wyoming, U.S.)
A survey published by researchers at Oregon State, George Mason and Yale universities found that more than half of respondents reported knowing little or nothing of fracking. And almost 60% said they had no opinion on the subject.
Colorado communities could ban fracking under new proposed amendment – The Huffington Post
A proposed amendment to Colorado’s constitution that would give municipalities the power to ban or restrict fracking and other industrial activities would be the first of its kind nationwide if it passes.
(*Moto = Master of the Obvious)
Filed under Environment, Fracking, Groundwater, Industry, North America, Pollution, Research, Technology
Dec. 18, 2013: What’s in Your Water?
Image: U.S. EPA
Today I’m posting a short roundup of international news about substances found in the water.
Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in water at fracking sites
A study of hydraulic fracturing sites in Colorado finds substances that have been linked to infertility, birth defects and cancer. (United States)
Ontario’s Grand River loaded with artificial sweeteners, study finds
It’s so chock full of artificial sweeteners that scientists say the chemicals can be used to track the movement of treated waste in the region’s municipal water supplies. (Canada)
Communication, cooperation key to water issues in Africa and Asia
Despite radically different cultures, climate, geography, and levels of government involvement in improving the lives of its citizens, Ethiopia, India, and China all face similar issues of water sanitation and hygiene. (Africa, Asia)
EPA drills wells to test groundwater contamination
As scientists home in on the source of contamination near Texas’ Donna Reservoir Superfund site, they drilled new wells this week to test the groundwater. (U.S.)
Pollution takes a toll on aquatic life in 150 river stretches
Discharge of untreated water in India has left 150 river stretches across the country too polluted to support any aquatic life. (India)
Judge approves $165 million settlements in Passaic River pollution case
A New Jersey judge has approved a pair of settlements worth $165.4 million to the state from nearly 300 companies, towns and public agencies accused of polluting the Passaic River. (U.S.)
Filed under Asia, Environment, Law, North America, Pollution, Rivers and Watersheds
At the Waterline 