CHICAGO - With a monster heat wave enveloping this city and much of the Midwest for the next week, a lot of residents are heading to Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes beaches to cool off. But a newly released study by the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests swimmers will encounter beaches increasingly fouled by E-coli bacteria, viruses, pollution and other contamination.
The Great Lakes are not alone. In its annual survey of water quality called "Testing the Waters", the NRDC found "the number of beach closings and advisories in 2010 reached 24,091 because bacteria levels exceeded health and safety standards - the second-highest level since NRDC began tracking these events 21 years ago, confirming that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from bacterial pollution that puts swimmers at risk."
The increase in beach closures was 29% higher than the previous year. During 2010, U.S. Great Lakes beaches had 3,766 days of closings and advisories. Including extended days the total comes to 4,137 beach closing and advisory days. The number of beach closing and advisory days increased 14% from 3,300 in 2009.
The Great Lakes and the entire ecological basin that supports them are an incredibly valuable natural resource. The lakes represent 21% of the world's and 84% of the U.S.'s fresh water supply. But human activity, including agricultural and industrial pollution and sewage discharge, is threatening them with ecological collapse.
continue reading at:
http://www.peoplesworld.org/warning-beach-closings-on-the-rise/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(354 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
