EM:/ Michigan beaches among dirtiest in US

i would like to pick up on chuck's first point . . . while the fact that
15% of the samples show that the beach is unsafe for swimming is a cause
for concern, i'm equally concerned with the fact that between one-half
and two-thirds of the beaches are not tested at all . . . this seems to
me to be another example of the ways in which the policy of reducing
taxes has eviscerated the ability of the state government and local
governments to provide the public health services we should be able to
expect in the 21st century in a developed country . . . 

cheers,

craig

 

craig k harris

department of sociology

michigan agricultural experiment station

national food safety and toxicology center

institute for food and agriculture standards

food safety policy center

michigan state university

 

 

From: enviro-mich-bounces at great-lakes.net
[mailto:enviro-mich-bounces at great-lakes.net] On Behalf Of Chuck Cubbage
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:02 PM
To: Janet Kauffman; enviro-mich
Subject: Re: EM:/ Michigan beaches among dirtiest in US

 

Friends,

Don't be so quick to judge Michigan beaches. There is a lot to look at
behind the scenes.  For example, how frequently are the beaches tested?
Even with Michigan's health depts. budgets being cut so much over the
last decade, one would want to compare the frequency with other states.

 

Secondly, and this could go in either direction, when were the samples
taken?  I know that Huron Clinton Metro Parks used to have their beaches
sampled in the wee hours of the morning when the flow had carried most
of the people poop on down stream.  Given the revenue impacts do you
think HCMA was the only one "smart" enough to do that.  

 

What were the frequencies used by the different testing labs or
personnel?  All of these factors and others play into the stats that get
published :>)

 

On the other hand have you ever tested bath water?  Even restricted
beaches are "pristine" by comparison - of course in your bathtub the
bugs are yours.  Never-the-less, the health advisories are of concern on
the one hand and in fact good since it means that our folks are testing
and providing the public with useful information.

Regards,

Chuck

 

	----- Original Message ----- 

	From: Janet Kauffman <mailto:jkauffman at emich.edu>  

	To: enviro-mich <mailto:enviro-mich at great-lakes.net>  

	Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:00 AM

	Subject: EM:/ Michigan beaches among dirtiest in US

	 

	
http://www.freep.com/article/20090729/NEWS05/907290318/Area-beaches-amon
g-dirtiest

	 

	Michigan beaches among dirtiest in U.S.

	BY TINA LAM
	FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER   July 29, 2009

	Those pure beaches Michigan touts in national TV ads may not be
so pure after all.

	A national report issued today says Great Lakes beaches are
among the nation's dirtiest: 15% of samples taken at those beaches last
year showed they were unsafe for swimming, more than twice the national
average.

	Of Michigan's 467 monitored beaches, 69 were closed or had
health advisories last year -- up from 61 in 2007.

	More startling is the fact that nearly two-thirds of the sandy
stretches that border Lake Michigan and about half the beaches on Lake
Huron and on inland lakes are not tested. Beaches popular with tourists,
like those at the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Point Betsie Lighthouse and
Saugatuck Dunes State Park, aren't tested.

	Testing of beaches is done by local health departments and is
not required by law. And although state and federal agencies help pay to
test beaches, many local health departments still can't afford it.

	Problem hard to tackle, report says

	The 69 beach closures came because of high counts of Escherichia
coli, or E. coli, in the water -- a sign of fecal contamination.

	On Tuesday, 13 beaches in Michigan were closed.

	Sewer overflows, failing septic systems, runoff from huge farms
and geese and ducks taking over beaches all contribute. Swimming in
contaminated water can cause gastric illnesses and infected sores.

	"There is serious pollution at Great Lakes beaches," said the
authors of a report issued today by the National Resources Defense
Council.   ...

	 

	* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
	 
	enviro-mich is hosted by the Great Lakes Information Network
(GLIN):
	 
	http://www.great-lakes.net
	 
	To search the archive:
http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/
	 
	All views and opinions presented above are solely those of the
author
	or attributed source and do not necessarily reflect those of
GLIN or
	the Great Lakes Commission.
	 
	* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 
enviro-mich is hosted by the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN):
 
http://www.great-lakes.net
 
To search the archive: http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/
 
All views and opinions presented above are solely those of the author
or attributed source and do not necessarily reflect those of GLIN or
the Great Lakes Commission.
 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 



__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
signature database 4289 (20090729) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/attachments/20090729/8a5079de/attachment.html