Flint, MI and Saudi Arabia...Water and Oil

[GordonJ]

Water. Flint Michigan is only the beginning. As the political season heats up, Drinking Water will become a political football, let's see who is kicking it around, or is it more like kicking the can down the street for later generations to worry about?

Flint has a lot of behind the scenes issues, and it will come under the microscope.

I'm working with Gregg P., a water expert, and I've asked Gregg to chime in and give us an expert's view of our National Safe Drinking Water situation.

And OIL. Some believe the Saudi's are trying to put our new boom towns in the great Shale Reef and places like Williston, ND. out of business. Driving prices so low that the cost of recovering the shale oil is already starting to "end the boom".

It is closely being watched by the financial advisors all over. But, the Saudi's are facing a civil war, and their willingness to send troops to Syria is a real divider. The Shia-Sunni divide in the birthplace of Islam...

may be the straw on the camel's back which creates a civil war. A rich nation, with a growing class of have nots is and has always been a formula for strife.

Oil and Water.

Water and Oil.

TWO of Western Life's necessities, and both at risk.

How safe is your drinking water?

Do you trust your local politicians to keep your water safe?

The poor people of Flint trusted theirs.

Your thoughts?

Gordon

PS. Gregg is helping me to test my area's water supply, I'm thirsty for his knowledge.

Thanks Gordon,

To begin, my name is Gregg Protenic. I’ve been in the water treatment field for 33 years and I worked in three different cities in the state of Missouri.

I started out as an operator in a treatment plant that served 30,000. The water supply for this plant came from wells along the Missouri River.

Next, I became Director of Water and Wastewater Treatment for a city of about 2,000. This city got its water from a reservoir.

My last stop, which lasted over 26 years, was in a water treatment plant for a city of about 500,000. I was Chief Plant Operator for 15 years, then I managed the computers and electronic group for 11 years. This city got its water directly from the Missouri River and added well water to control temperature

I learned that each of those different sources required a unique treatment approach.

After I retired, I started building websites and studying internet marketing. Recently, I thought I would build a website to help people get the best water possible in their homes. The idea was to simply teach people about water softeners and filters that remove fluoride and chlorine.

But, as I was doing my research, I came across the Flint, Michigan debacle. If you haven’t heard, many of the residents of Flint were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water after the city switched to a different water source.

It’s stunning that so many people in Flint were kept in the dark about their drinking water. The actions of the people in charge were deplorable, if not outright criminal. There was even an article reporting that Erin Brockovich was in Flint to bring attention to the problem in January... of 2015.

This has actually been going on for almost two years with very little action.

Further research showed that the people of Flint, MI weren’t the only ones exposed to contaminated water.

Here are some headlines from across the country:

* Water pollution probed in upstate New York
* Report: many U.S. cities could have lead-contaminated water
* Higher levels of contaminants found in Oak Hills water
* Flint, part two? Ohio town’s pipes may be contaminated with lead
* County Investigating Contaminated Water Near San Luis Obispo Airport
* and many more

I have come to believe that people need to take action on their own to ensure their water is safe and clean. So, I changed the tone of my website to something with more urgency. In fact, I’ve written a report to show people how to improve the safety of their water. In it is the number one thing to do before buying any kind of home water treatment device.

You can download a copy at: http://www.enjoybetterwater.com

Gregg

P.S. I just saw a report on the news that a nuclear power plant in New York has leaked radioactive water into the groundwater

Gregg,

Awesome information and a great opportunity that meets the demands of the times. What about water storage and treatment of there is an attack to the grid? Do most water systems have electrical backup plans? Keep up the great work you're doing.

Donnie

Thanks Donnie,

For most areas, it's mandated that water AND wastewater treatment facilities have backup generators. More treatment plants are installing these generators every year.

This is part of an overall Emergency Response plan or ERP. In developing the ERP, the facility staff goes through a variety of likely AND unlikely scenarios in order to develop a quicker response.

For example, if there was an outbreak of bird flu, I, along with a group of other plant personnel, would not be allowed to leave the treatment plant until it was contained.

Gregg

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GreggP

After I retired, I started building websites and studying internet marketing. Recently, I thought I would build a website to help people get the best water possible in their homes. The idea was to simply teach people about water softeners and filters that remove fluoride and chlorine.

But, as I was doing my research, I came across the Flint, Michigan debacle. If you haven’t heard, many of the residents of Flint were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water after the city switched to a different water source.

It’s stunning that so many people in Flint were kept in the dark about their drinking water. The actions of the people in charge were deplorable, if not outright criminal. There was even an article reporting that Erin Brockovich was in Flint to bring attention to the problem in January... of 2015.

This has actually been going on for almost two years with very little action.

Further research showed that the people of Flint, MI weren’t the only ones exposed to contaminated water.

Here are some headlines from across the country:

* Water pollution probed in upstate New York
* Report: many U.S. cities could have lead-contaminated water
* Higher levels of contaminants found in Oak Hills water
* Flint, part two? Ohio town’s pipes may be contaminated with lead
* County Investigating Contaminated Water Near San Luis Obispo Airport
* and many more

I have come to believe that people need to take action on their own to ensure their water is safe and clean. So, I changed the tone of my website to something with more urgency. In fact, I’ve written a report to show people how to improve the safety of their water. In it is the number one thing to do before buying any kind of home water treatment device.

You can download a copy at: http://www.enjoybetterwater.com

Hi Gregg,

Thanks for doing something... Your information is not only helpful, but you're also a great example for all of us, to actually put our knowledge to good use... and to help people with it!

I read a recent article from the New York Times, which said lead levels are not only high in Flint... but in many other places, too. From different sources (including water, but also lead paint...)

Innocent kids are getting brain damage...

Why do we let others do this to us?

That's my question...

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. Here's the article I was referring to...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/op...-is-flint.html

Thanks Dien
In answer to your question, “Why do we let others do this to us?” someone once said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I used to think that meant, I intended to do good but ended up doing nothing. Now I think it means, I intended to do good, but there were unintentional consequences to my actions.

I believe that the people who were responsible for changing water sources in Flint had good intentions. Their main goal was to keep the water affordable for city that had 40% below the poverty line. The unintended consequence of their good intentions was water that poisoned a lot of innocent people. Their actions afterwards are a different matter altogether.

The people who put lead in paint did so because the it made the paint coating last lot longer. However, in spite of their good intentions, they did not consider that children might get lead poisoning by coming in contact with dust from the paint. In my area, when sandblasting a water tower, the entire water tower has a skirt around it to keep the dust from getting into the atmosphere, just in case there’s lead in the paint.

The people who decided to add lead to gasoline had good intentions of making the engine last longer because the lead coated the internal parts of the engine. The unintended consequence was lead being released into the atmosphere putting everyone at risk of breathing in lead particles. Now, with new advancements in the manufacture of engines and other additives to the gas, engines are lasting far longer than they did when lead was added to the gas.

The people who designed my house had the good intention of installing my furnace vent below the peak of the roof to make it more aesthetically pleasing. The unintended consequence was that it nearly killed me and my wife because it didn’t vent properly and my house filled with carbon monoxide. Had I not installed a carbon monoxide monitor, I probably wouldn’t be here today. (And that was just the first time my house tried to kill me. After adding a radon monitor I discovered I had high levels of radon. That’s for another discussion.)

There are hidden dangers all around us. Things we can’t see, things we can’t smell, things we can’t hear. That’s why the main thrust of my report involves testing your water before doing anything else. I believe it’s our responsibility to be aware of potential hazards.

Even though people in authority are not trying to do us harm on purpose, we can’t blindly trust them to be 100% right. They can’t be relied on to know everything or think beyond their intended goal (which usually involves a lot of money.)

Gregg

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by GreggP

Thanks Dien
In answer to your question, “Why do we let others do this to us?” someone once said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I used to think that meant, I intended to do good but ended up doing nothing. Now I think it means, I intended to do good, but there were unintentional consequences to my actions.

I believe that the people who were responsible for changing water sources in Flint had good intentions. Their main goal was to keep the water affordable for city that had 40% below the poverty line. The unintended consequence of their good intentions was water that poisoned a lot of innocent people. Their actions afterwards are a different matter altogether.

The people who put lead in paint did so because the it made the paint coating last lot longer. However, in spite of their good intentions, they did not consider that children might get lead poisoning by coming in contact with dust from the paint. In my area, when sandblasting a water tower, the entire water tower has a skirt around it to keep the dust from getting into the atmosphere, just in case there’s lead in the paint.

The people who decided to add lead to gasoline had good intentions of making the engine last longer because the lead coated the internal parts of the engine. The unintended consequence was lead being released into the atmosphere putting everyone at risk of breathing in lead particles. Now, with new advancements in the manufacture of engines and other additives to the gas, engines are lasting far longer than they did when lead was added to the gas.

The people who designed my house had the good intention of installing my furnace vent below the peak of the roof to make it more aesthetically pleasing. The unintended consequence was that it nearly killed me and my wife because it didn’t vent properly and my house filled with carbon monoxide. Had I not installed a carbon monoxide monitor, I probably wouldn’t be here today. (And that was just the first time my house tried to kill me. After adding a radon monitor I discovered I had high levels of radon. That’s for another discussion.)

There are hidden dangers all around us. Things we can’t see, things we can’t smell, things we can’t hear. That’s why the main thrust of my report involves testing your water before doing anything else. I believe it’s our responsibility to be aware of potential hazards.

Even though people in authority are not trying to do us harm on purpose, we can’t blindly trust them to be 100% right. They can’t be relied on to know everything or think beyond their intended goal (which usually involves a lot of money.)

Gregg

Thanks Gregg,

We appreciate you sharing your expertise here.

Oil had a good week, in that prices went up (good for some, not so good for others).

Dien had a chance to eat some air.

The nuclear submarine I was on had a system for scrubbing the air, the same technology is available in the higher priced air purifiers.

Water, water everywhere and not a safe drop to drink.

There is a new technology, currently Top Secret, because it could devastate the global economy, but, I'll tell you what it is anyways.

But then, you should know, I think the current editions of the X-Files are really Gov't sponsored documentaries...

Sand and salt water. We got a lot. Of both.

The secret technology is pumping salt water into desert "bowls", where highly polished parabolic industrial mirrors create super heat to "zap" the salt out of water (instant distillation) with the salt and silicone being "fused" into highly polished mirrors (or mini diamond like substances) which can then be used to manufacture very thin, window covering, electrical solar powered generators.

In the meantime, we are still a fossil fuel worldwide economy, and the smog of success will continue to hang over large cities and industrial centers for years to come...

but, cleaner more effective and efficient solar devices, coupled with the advance of lighter vehicles could soon change everything.

The by product of the desert-ocean is potable water and usable "glass beads", a two for one...and a potential to solve the global water problem.

Probably be a trillion dollar deal for someone.

Or not.

Gordon

Fear not Gordon,

The Global water problem is being solved as I type this post.

I have it on good authority that more freshwater than we can handle is slowly being released.

And there are government agencies around the world trying to stop it.

So, we have to take advantage while we can. This is a limited time offering.

Once it’s gone… It’s GONE!

This release will more than double the amount of fresh water available in the world

Courtesy of…

GLOBAL WARMING

More than half of the world's freshwater is in the form of ice (as in ice caps, ice sheets and glaciers.) And it’s slowly melting away.

The only catch is, we have to collect the water before it reaches the ocean or it won’t be fit to drink either.

Gregg

Originally Posted by GreggP

The Global water problem is being solved as I type this post.

Gregg

Respectively I would submit it is not being solved...

70% of the produce sold in supermarkets here in Canada comes from California where they are irrigating their crops with treated fracking wastewater. The cases involving contamination with E. coli and samanala poisoning are on the rise. And we are all aware that some of this wastewater has been leaked into the acquafiers where people are getting their fresh water from... except for what Nestle hasn't already bought up. They are also buying clean water here in Canada for re-sale from places where it shouldn't be taken.

Of course the problem doesn't stop with contaminated fresh water. Waste treatment plants around the world are adding a lot of toxicity to the oceans and we in turn wind up eating the seafood that has been contaminated but not tested.

An article on Water Encyclopedia claims, "A major public health concern is the safety of seafood as it relates to the chemical pollution of waters used for commercial and recreational fishing and mariculture. Heavy metals (e.g., copper, lead, mercury, and arsenic) can reach high levels inside marine animals, and then be passed along as seafood for humans. A well-known case of human poisoning occurred in Japan, where one industry dumped mercury compounds into Minimata Bay from 1932 to 1968. Methyl mercury that accumulated in fish and other animals was passed along to humans who consumed them. Over 3,000 human victims and an unknown number of animals succumbed to what became known as "Minimata Disease", a devastating illness that affects the central nervous system."

Stefan Morales, co-director of the Wayward School, was a student in the late ’90’s at Acadia University in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. His thesis for his degree was based on biosloids, and since he was living in Nova Scotia at the time, it was also based on biosolid use in this province. He said there are "at least 21 known carcinogens, 30 heavy metals, flame retardants, steroids, hormones and so on, all adding up to around 60,000 chemical substances and pollutants to be found in biosolids." Before this is made into biosolids, it has already gone through the wastewater treatment plant... but they only test for a handful of chemicals after it has been processed.

My interest in this is was the concern of fracking wastewater being mixed into it by N-Viro, down towards Halifax. It gets processed and packaged as grade "A" fertilizer and sold to farmers around the province.

The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in New Brunswick has leaked chemicals into the bay a few times, but the authorities claim there hasn’t been any damage done. Still, the DFO (Dept. of Fisheries) has been monitoring the situation for several years since. They claim levels of Caesium, (which would also be in contaminated fish hitting the west coast from Fukushima) is a carcinogenic and attacks soft tissue like your liver, heart, etc....

As well, from all of the pollution we have oceans that are being acidified. Ocean acidification is creating dead spots, even off of Nova Scotia. This makes a lot of the food we eat more susceptible to disease. This is evident from all of the articles we read about declining fish stocks. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have documented the decline of two types of mussels, and although it offers several causes it says hydrofracking, spills of untreated fracking flowback water, and development of infrastructure associated with natural gas extraction has been one of the main causes.

See this Youtube video for more info: https://youtu.be/0JnKkit5ocI

Here in Canada we are seeing the decline of several types of fish including bass and salmon, so it isn't limited to only shellfish.

I'm not seeing a solution to our global water problem yet. From some of the info I've been reading COP21 might have been a waste of tax dollars sending delegates there. But I have hope for future generations and there are some bright young people coming along with innovative solutions to combat the environmental mess we're leaving for them. If there really is a supreme being that looks after us... please bless these young people.

Regards,
Steve

You’re correct Steve. There isn’t a solution yet. I previously thought the whole water contamination in Flint MI was about trying to save money. That they were just switching sources from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Then, I read that Flint spent over $800,000 to put the water plant BACK IN SERVICE. AND there was only one company to bid on the job to rehab the water plant. AND the people who were supposed to run the plant hadn’t been adequately trained. AND Detroit offered to continue to provide water until their new pipeline was complete making the plant rehab totally unnecessary.

I thought this move was to try to save the poverty ridden city from high water rates. Then I read that residents of Flint, MI have the SECOND HIGHEST WATER RATES IN THE COUNTRY. It seems more like either petty rivalry going on between Flint and Detroit or lining someone’s pockets.

Regarding the fracking industry, these people continue to assert that there is no evidence that their operation contaminates groundwater or causes earthquakes. They rival the tobacco industry in their denial.

A lake near me, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, submerged over 7000 acres of farmland. The residual insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers contaminated the fish and people were advised to avoid eating scavenger fish, like catfish, for more than a decade.

The news reports I’ve read in the last few months give me the impression that big corporations are dumping chemicals and polluting water like it’s the 1960s.

We need to continue to bring awareness to the global water crisis. In the meantime, people need to make sure the water in their homes is clean and safe.

Gregg
Free Home Water Quality Report
http://www.enjoybetterwater.com