Latest news with #environmentaldisaster
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Council losing control of lake after toxic sample
A council is set to give up ownership of a lake after inspectors found high levels of toxicity in the water. On 2 July, the Environment Agency (EA) took a sample at Canvey Lake in Essex and found the cell count of blue-green algae was 2.5 million per millilitre. The EA's "warning threshold" for the algae is 20,000 cells per millilitre. Canvey Island Town Council said it had been doing "all it can to stop the environmental stress to the wildlife" but that it was surrendering its lease to the local borough council. Castle Point Borough Council said it would write up a plan to restore the lake to "sound ecological health" and would maintain it going forward. The high bacterial readings were revealed after a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the Friends of Canvey Lake group. Campaigner Martin England, 61, said the town council had "neglected" the lake and the situation was heading towards an "environmental disaster". He said the council failed to dredge the lake frequently enough, and the hot weather had led to the outbreak of blue-green algae. "The birds and the fish have been dying, it's that simple," he said. Dead fish have been seen floating on the lake's surface in the past, and fish were moved from the lake in 2023 because of the lack of oxygen in the water. Hayley Cockayne, 49, said: "I think it's unacceptable and it shouldn't have been allowed to continue for such a long time." She recalls taking sick wildlife to the local hospital, adding: "[In 2022] I stepped out my door to be confronted by dead fish floating, a horrendous stench, wildfowl staggering - drowning." She said she feeds and provides fresh water to wildlife, such as ducks, each day near the lake. In a detailed statement, Canvey Island Town Council said it had carried out various steps to manage the area. Barley straw was installed in May to reduce potential algae blooms, an aerator has been installed to help with oxygen levels and vast quantities of fish have been removed over the course of three years. It has also put signs up warning people to stay away from the water. "The town council is doing all it can to stop the environmental stress to the wildlife and to the local area," a spokesperson said. Long-term projects to preserve the lake would need more funding, the town council added. A Castle Point Borough Council spokesperson said: "[The council] will prepare a fully costed business plan that sets out a programme that not only restores Canvey Lake to a condition of sound ecological health, but also maintains the lake in good condition through ongoing maintenance." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Call for council to be abolished over lake dispute Public warned to keep away from toxic lake Related internet links Canvey Island Town Council Castle Point Borough Council Environment Agency
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Tanker truck crashes, spills fuel into tributary of river on Washington's Olympic Peninsula
A tanker truck crashed into a creek on Washington's Olympic Peninsula on Friday, spilling fuel into a tributary of a river where salmon runs were recently restored after a decades-long fight to remove its dams. A spokesperson for Gov. Bob Ferguson's office said the petroleum spill in Indian Creek was the result of an accident on U.S. 101. It was not immediately clear what caused it. The truck is capable of holding 6,000 gallons of diesel and 4,000 gallons of gasoline, although the exact amount that had entered the river was not known, according to the governor's office. 'The truck is actively leaking and crews are working to contain the spill,' the governor's office statement Friday evening said. Photos shared by the Washington State Department of Transportation on Facebook show the tanker truck upside down in the creek, while emergency vehicles surround the scene. 'This spill is nothing short of heartbreaking for local tribes and other Washingtonians who rely on clean, healthy rivers and streams for their food and livelihoods,' Ferguson said in a statement. He said he is closely monitoring the situation, including its effect on salmon, and plans to visit within the next few days. Klamath dam removal aims to return salmon to waters they could not reach for decades Two dams on the Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, were removed more than a decade ago after a long fought battle by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Removing the dams, which were constructed in the early 1900s, opened about 113 kilometres of habitat for salmon and steelhead. Biologists have said it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being taken down, salmon already started recolonizing sections of the waterway long closed off to them. The Elwha River is also the main potable water source for Port Angeles. The city announced Friday afternoon that it was temporarily shutting down its water treatment processing operations and asked residents and businesses to limit their use of water. 'The City's reservoirs currently have sufficient water supply for the next 18 to 24 hours without interruption to normal service,' the city's statement said. The spill and collision closed part of U.S. 101 on Friday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. It said it couldn't give an estimate on when it would reopen. 'We expect this to be an extended closure,' the department wrote in a post on Facebook.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Toxic algae in Canvey Lake leads to council action
A council is set to give up ownership of a lake after inspectors found high levels of toxicity in the 2 July, the Environment Agency (EA) took a sample at Canvey Lake in Essex and found the cell count of blue-green algae was 2.5 million per EA's "warning threshold" for the algae is 20,000 cells per Island Town Council said it had been doing "all it can to stop the environmental stress to the wildlife" but that it was surrendering its lease to the local borough council. Castle Point Borough Council said it would write up a plan to restore the lake to "sound ecological health" and would maintain it going forward. The high bacterial readings were revealed after a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the Friends of Canvey Lake Martin England, 61, said the town council had "neglected" the lake and the situation was heading towards an "environmental disaster".He said the council failed to dredge the lake frequently enough, and the hot weather had led to the outbreak of blue-green algae."The birds and the fish have been dying, it's that simple," he fish have been seen floating on the lake's surface in the past, and fish were moved from the lake in 2023 because of the lack of oxygen in the water. Hayley Cockayne, 49, said: "I think it's unacceptable and it shouldn't have been allowed to continue for such a long time."She recalls taking sick wildlife to the local hospital, adding: "[In 2022] I stepped out my door to be confronted by dead fish floating, a horrendous stench, wildfowl staggering - drowning."She said she feeds and provides fresh water to wildlife, such as ducks, each day near the lake. In a detailed statement, Canvey Island Town Council said it had carried out various steps to manage the straw was installed in May to reduce potential algae blooms, an aerator has been installed to help with oxygen levels and vast quantities of fish have been removed over the course of three has also put signs up warning people to stay away from the water."The town council is doing all it can to stop the environmental stress to the wildlife and to the local area," a spokesperson projects to preserve the lake would need more funding, the town council added.A Castle Point Borough Council spokesperson said: "[The council] will prepare a fully costed business plan that sets out a programme that not only restores Canvey Lake to a condition of sound ecological health, but also maintains the lake in good condition through ongoing maintenance." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Tanker truck crashes and spills fuel into a creek on Washington's Olympic Peninsula
A tanker truck crashed into a creek on Washington's Olympic Peninsula on Friday, spilling fuel into a tributary of a river where salmon runs were recently restored after a decades-long fight to remove its dams. A spokesperson for Gov. Bob Ferguson's office said the petroleum spill in Indian Creek was the result of an accident on U.S. 101. It was not immediately clear what caused it. The truck is capable of holding 6,000 gallons of diesel and 4,000 gallons of gasoline, although the exact amount that had entered the river was not known, according to the governor's office. 'The truck is actively leaking and crews are working to contain the spill,' the governor's office statement Friday evening said. Photos shared by the Washington State Department of Transportation on Facebook show the tanker truck upside down in the creek, while emergency vehicles surround the scene. 'This spill is nothing short of heartbreaking for local tribes and other Washingtonians who rely on clean, healthy rivers and streams for their food and livelihoods,' Ferguson said in a statement. He said he is closely monitoring the situation, including its effect on salmon, and plans to visit within the next few days. Two dams on the Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, were removed more than a decade ago after a long fought battle by the the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Removing the dams, which were constructed in the early 1900s, opened about 70 miles (113 kilometers) of habitat for salmon and steelhead. Biologists have said it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being taken down, salmon already started recolonizing sections of the waterway long closed off to them. The Elwha River is also the main potable water source for Port Angeles. The city announced Friday afternoon that it was temporarily shutting down its water treatment processing operations and asked residents and businesses to limit their use of water. 'The City's reservoirs currently have sufficient water supply for the next 18 to 24 hours without interruption to normal service,' the city's statement said. The spill and collision closed part of U.S. 101 on Friday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. It said it couldn't give an estimate on when it would reopen. 'We expect this to be an extended closure,' the department wrote in a post on Facebook.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
New Lawsuit on Environmental Disaster Adds to Braskem Bond Woes
Braskem SA 's dollar bonds are under renewed pressure after the Brazilian state of Alagoas filed a 4 billion-real ($717 million) lawsuit tied to damage caused by the collapse of one of the company's mines. It's the latest chapter of an environmental disaster that has dragged on for years in northeastern Brazil, costing the petrochemical giant its investment-grade status in 2023. The new lawsuit, filed last week, is seeking compensation for damages suffered by residents living along the edge of the affected zone in Maceió, Alagoas said in a statement. Braskem's 2034 notes fell 3 cents on Monday following the news.
