Green things growing in lake water is often not as natural as it would seem. Due to lots of chemicals in farm run-off more and more lakes and streams are seeing algae blooms contaminating the water, leading to fish kills and an inability to use the water for anything. Agriculture is the leading source of farm run-off of fertilizers and pesticides, human-made nitrous oxide and phosphorous emissions pouring into lakes and rivers, which leads to some gross results.

This is a photo I took of Big Stone Lake in Minnesota the last week of July. On the day I arrived at the campground there, the algae was floating in the water, and four days later it was the water, like a soup of pureed parsley. Naturally, no one would swim or even walk in water like that. It’s good that it’s naturally revolting (and smells bad) because as the algae grows and dies off, it can become toxic and even poisonous. Pets and people can become very sick or even die if they get this slime on them, breath it in, or somehow ingest it. How dangerous is it? From the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:

What: Harmful algal blooms (HAB) are blue-green (cyanobacterial) algal blooms containing toxins or other noxious chemicals, which can pose harmful health risks.

Why is this a concern? People or animals may develop skin irritation or upper respiratory problems from exposure to HAB, and in extreme cases, dogs and other animals have even died after drinking lake water containing these toxins.

Where: Severe blue-green algal blooms typically occur on lakes with poor water quality (high in nutrients), and look like green paint, pea soup, or a thick green cake (see photo gallery below for examples). HAB often result in extremely low water clarity (less than 1 foot). There is no visual way to predict the toxicity of an algal bloom

What should I do? When these conditions are present, people should avoid contact with the water and they should prevent animals from swimming in or drinking the water. . . . the safest course of action is to avoid contact with all blue-green blooms.

This thick algae is growing in lakes and rivers all over the country lately (even in Florida) and it is caused by human activity, like global warming itself.

Green things growing in lake water is often not as natural as it would seem. Due to lots of chemicals in farm run-off more and more lakes and streams are seeing algae blooms contaminating the water, leading to fish kills and an inability to use the water for anything. Agriculture is the leading source of farm run-off of fertilizers and pesticides, human-made nitrous oxide and phosphorous emissions pouring into lakes and rivers, which leads to some gross results.

This is a photo I took of Big Stone Lake in Minnesota the last week of July. On the day I arrived at the campground there, the algae was floating in the water, and four days later it was the water, like a soup of pureed parsley. Naturally, no one would swim or even walk in water like that. It’s good that it’s naturally revolting (and smells bad) because as the algae grows and dies off, it can become toxic and even poisonous. Pets and people can become very sick or even die if they get this slime on them, breath it in, or somehow ingest it. How dangerous is it? From the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:

What: Harmful algal blooms (HAB) are blue-green (cyanobacterial) algal blooms containing toxins or other noxious chemicals, which can pose harmful health risks.

Why is this a concern? People or animals may develop skin irritation or upper respiratory problems from exposure to HAB, and in extreme cases, dogs and other animals have even died after drinking lake water containing these toxins.

Where: Severe blue-green algal blooms typically occur on lakes with poor water quality (high in nutrients), and look like green paint, pea soup, or a thick green cake (see photo gallery below for examples). HAB often result in extremely low water clarity (less than 1 foot). There is no visual way to predict the toxicity of an algal bloom

What should I do? When these conditions are present, people should avoid contact with the water and they should prevent animals from swimming in or drinking the water. . . . the safest course of action is to avoid contact with all blue-green blooms.

This thick algae is growing in lakes and rivers all over the country lately (even in Florida) and it is caused by human activity, like global warming itself.

Finally, we have some positive environmental justice news. The EPA has stepped in and declared a public health emergency in and around Libby, Montana. This happened because a vermiculite mining company, W.R. Grace & Co., and three former executives were acquitted on May 4th of this year on federal charges. The charges included that they knowingly allowed residents of northwestern Montana town to be exposed to asbestos from its vermiculite mine. An indictment unsealed four years ago charged that W.R. Grace and several of its one-time executives knowingly endangered the lives of mine workers and other residents of Libby and ignored warnings by state agencies to clean up the vermiculite mining operation.

For decades, W.R. Grace and Co. mined asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Libby, Montana. As the people of Libby began to get sick and blamed it on the vermiculite being mined, they brought class-action lawsuits against the mining company. Accusations during the trial were that W.R. Grace knew about the health hazards of asbestos, but covered it up “so they could continue making money as well as avoid liability,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean said during closing arguments in the trial. There were also allegations of prosecutor misconduct during the trial.

Despite all the evidence, charges against two executives were dropped during the May trial, and the jury acquitted 3 remaining executives of the company.

Attorneys for some Libby residents blame tremolite asbestos for about 2,000 cases of illness and about 225 deaths in and around the community. Asbestos can cause cancer and various lung diseases in those who breathe it regularly, often leading to death. Tremolite is one of the deadliest kinds of asbestos. It’s described as “needle-like” and pierces the lungs of those who inhale even a small amount of it. Libby residents have succumbed to various asbestos-related incidents over the years, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure also causes asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs that worsens with time and impairs the ability of its victims to breathe. Gayla Benefield of Libby, who suffers from asbestos-caused health effects said, at the time of the May decision, “They have gotten away with murder. That’s all I can say.” The people of Libby have been fighting the mines as a human health hazard for years and finally, their quest for justice is recognized.

That was last month. Now the EPA says a public health emergency exists in Libby and in the surrounding area.