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| Signs like this one, above, will be posted at 11-Mile Creek in Beulah next week. |
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County has issued an advisory that reads, in part, as follows:
"The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County has issued a Health Alert for the potential presence of cyanotoxins in surface waters of Escambia County. Cyanotoxins are toxins that can be produced by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Recent surface water testing conducted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on September 23, 2019 showed very low levels of the cyanotoxin called Microcystin in Eleven Mile Creek downstream of the Mobile Highway Bridge. The Microcystin level of 1.09 micrograms per liter is just above the laboratory method detection limit (capability of lab equipment to detect presence). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has recently recommended a level of 8.0 micrograms per liter for Microcystin in recreational water as a basis for issuing a swimming advisory."
A dog that was swimming in 11-Mile Creek last week passed away within hours of coming out of the water, and this prompted media reports which led the county to request testing of the waters of 11 Mile Creek. This testing occurred earlier this week and confirmed the presence of very low levels of the cyanotoxin, microcystin. Now, according to the tests, the levels of microcystin found in 11-Mile Creek were extremely low; the levels would have to be 8 times as high as the levels detected to prompt the EPA to issue a swimming advisory.
Regardless, I have asked county staff to coordinate the placement of signs at the locations where the testing was conducted. The county has also requested additional testing be conducted, which will begin starting Monday.
Hopefully the levels will drop once we have some rain to push the water downstream.
Meanwhile, in an abundance of caution, I would not advise folks to swim in 11-Mile Creek, nor would I advise them to allow their pets to enter the waters of this creek at this time.
8 comments:
what happened with RESTORE https://myescambia.com/docs/default-source/restore/myip-pdfs/elevenmilecreekstreamrestorationmyippdf.pdf
That 11-Mile creek restore project is moving forward and is upstream of the area where the dog died. One of the primary goals of that plan is to mitigate flooding issues and protect infrastructure, while also improving the water quality. It is important to note that the area where the dog died is north of the location of International Paper's outfall pipe. It is also important to note that International Paper has not discharged their effluent directly into 11 Mile creek since 2012---7 years ago. Much of the issue with 11 Mile Creek currently, according to scientists with whom I have spoken, is from agricultural runoff from upstream, as well as contamination from septic systems which may be leaching into this creek. Add to this the drought condition we have had, the high temperatures, and the low water levels, and the conditions are/were ripe for this sort of an outbreak. But I believe this outbreak is unrelated to IP--as again--this area is UPSTREAM from where IP's effluent comes out of their pipe into their wetlands. Someone should tell Andy Marlette this, as once again he has a cartoon depicting the outfall pipe right next to the location where the dog died--which is completely inaccurate, as most of his garbage propaganda is.....
I am thankful that signs will be posted warning of toxins in Eleven Mile Creed. However, the sign you have shown is NOT a proper warning, in my opinion, because the Department of Health Alert says that these toxins in large concentrations "can" change the water color to blue, green, brown, orange or red.Can the toxins be present if the water is not discolored? In the video of the dog that died fetching the stick, the water did not look very discolored. So, please do not show that photo of algae on the warning signs if it is at all misleading. Wouldn't it be better to post signs saying "Keep Out" water may be toxic and refer to the Health Department's Alert. This actual Health Alert actually advises the public about the potential presence of toxins in "surface waters of Escambia County." What are the "surface waters" of Escambia County? Will signs be posted in other places beside Eleven Mile Creek? The signs should link back to the actual Health Alert because there are many other warnings that the public should not do in the surface waters, "Don’t swallow, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski, or boat in waters where there are algae blooms. Algae blooms can cause ear, eye, and skin reactions and hay fever and flu-like symptoms like diarrhea. Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water."
Commissioner Bergosh, as one of your firmest supporters I am begging you to stop making this issue about Andy Marlette.
This issue is not about Andy. Period, end of story.
I have stated publicly that I did not think Andy's positioning of the BOCC on this was fair.
At the same time, Andy is dead-on about what is happening up there.
You are a smart man; you are a man who cares about your constituents. Please don't take the Doug Underhill way and discount the death of a dog as mere sensationalism. It's far more than that.
Let me ask you something. You have to be aware that the only testing that's been happening with that plant is self policing.
**DEP HAS ALLOWED IP TO SELF POLICE.**
Are you aware that IP has powerful lobbyists that may be leaning on DEP?
Are you aware that, back in the day, DEP used to show up and "split test" IP's water samples? And send the samples to 2 other agencies for comparison.
Commissioner Bergosh, why is there no more split testing happening?
I honestly think that you have been mislead by DEP. We need you to lead, and not be duped. This situation is going to explode on a regulatory level and nobody who wants your continued leadership wants to see you on the wrong side of that.
As a supporter, I am begging you to act, and vocalize, as somebody whose own dog had died.
I am asking you to think about all the cancer victims along that shoreline, all the people who have died--and while there is of course no documented correlation--I'm just asking you to consider it from that viewpoint.
I am asking you to consider from the viewpoint of people who understand what is going on in that waterbody, and they will not even fillet a fish caught from anywhere in Perdido Bay because they understand that if you do not scrub them clean, through various anti-bacterial measures, when you stick a fillet knife into a fish that is caught in Perdido Bay, you are carrying the bacteria into that fish and you will be eating it.
I am asking you to understand that long-timers who know about this and have access to labs have *seen* the tumors growing in these fish, and other aberrations.
Please help us. Please get on the right side of this.
Respectfully, Mel Pino
Thanks yes that bacteria is naturally occurring and grows because of excess nutrients in the water. It actually helps oxygenate the water over time and fixes nitrogen in the soil. I think people are over reacting, however I think Century may been been dumping sewage into the Escambia River. They can't handle the state prison waste and are inept.
Yes Marlette's reporting is a disservice to the area.
The Health Alert from the Department of Health is very broad. Thank you, Jeff Bergosh, for arranging to have signs put up on 11 Mile Creek in the area of Mobile Hwy where the dog had been playing fetch and for suggesting any such animal deaths be given necropsy tests at county expense to try to determine cause of death.
However, I note that the Health Department's alert warns of possible contamination in ALL of Escambia County's surface waters.
What are "surface waters" exactly?
Shouldn't signs be in all areas that may be affected?
Also, the report says that the toxins in high concentrations may produce blue, green, brown, red or orange colored water. So, the toxic, polluted, water may not be discolored?
The video of the water dog was in did not seem to have a color or film. So, having the signs show a picture of a thick algae may be inaccurate. Perhaps it would be better to make signs with a general WARNING to stay out of the water and give the link to the Health Alert. BTW the warning also says not to go into the water in watercraft or boats...this is a BIG WARNING. Looks like somebody is going to be putting up a lot of signs. Hopefully, the attorney will approve the verbiage before they are printed because if not correctly written it could be a liability for the county if signs incorrectly or insufficiently warning of the possible toxins.
Melissa- This is an accurate statement from my earlier post on this " It is important to note that the area where the dog died is north of the location of International Paper's outfall pipe" This is why your statement about Marlette being pure as the driven snow is ridiculous. Look no further than his BS cartoon from Sunday, capitalizing on a man's tragedy after that young man lost his dog. Andy very deceptively and with actual malice deliberately conflated that issue (dog death) with IP--by his depiction in his cartoon of the dog dying on the side of the river with the IP effluent pipe on the other side of the river at the same location. Andy knows or should have known that the location where the dog died after playing in the creek is several miles UPSTREAM from where IP discharges effluent onto their privately owned wetlands. IP DOES NOT discharge into 11 Mile Creek and has not discharged into that body of water for the last 7 years. Did you know that Melissa? So no, I do not buy your defense of Marlette--he utilized his HATRED of IP to capitalize on the tragic death of a man's pet, while at the same time attempting to blame IP for this. He knows, (or someone should tell him) these outbreaks happen all over the southeast when dry, hot conditions meet slow moving and shallow bodies of fresh water. In other words, these issues happen other places so is Andy going to blame IP for So. Florida and Mississippi's blooms as well? No, his cartoon and poem on Sunday was BS yellow journalism 101. You defend him all you want but that was pure unadulterated BS from him.
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