Dr. Jordan Marshall – IPFW Environmental Conservation Class Monday October 15, 2012 1:30– 2:30pm Location: St. Joseph and St. Marys converge into the headwaters of the Maumee River – .7 miles downstream easterly Hosey Dam (at N. Anthony Bridge) North bank of the Maumee River; (floodway/spillway- direct middle) sand, loam, clay, river sediment NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS – 24 Save Maumee Programing Project with IPFW Environmental Conservation Class In-kind student volunteers completed restoration project CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES In the floodway we planted 4 Pin Oak, 2 Mulberry, 2 River Birch, and one Hornbeam and 30 Oak Acorns into the stretch of river where Save Maumee conducts the majority of conservation projects. As a group today, we also planted native DNR approved seeds; Big Blue Stem, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, New England Aster, Grass Leaved Goldenrod, Prairie Dock, Virginia Mountain Mint, Ironweed, Purple Coneflower, Monarda, and Black Eyed Susan and a few unidentified sedges. We installed the seed blend under 19 feet of coconut mesh, called erosion-control-mats or GeoJute. GeoJute is made from coconut fiber that will completely disintegrate in approximately 5 years. The coconut mesh is to hold down new life as the water raises and flows over the floodway. Dr.
Read more →Signed into law by President Nixon, the Clean Water Act is needed for Lake Erie and the nation’s waters – the Maumee River is the largest and longest stream that contributes to the Great Lakes, and empties into Lake Erie. Please sign this Waterkeeper Alliance circulated petition and forward to friends and family. PLEASE SIGN PETITION NOW! YOUR WATER NEEDS OUR HELP! – CLICK HERE TO SIGN Why This Is Important The Clean Water Act – one of our nations key pieces of environmental legislation – allows millions of Americans to reclaim our nations waterways and make them safe for swimming, drinking, and fishing. Sadly, the Clean Water Act is currently under attack. A growing chorus of big polluters and their cronies in Congress is working to convince the public that the Clean Water Act is a job killer – equating environmental protection with economic disaster. The U.S. House of Representatives has spent this year – ironically, the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act – relentlessly trying to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and our environmental laws. They are taking direct aim at the Clean Water Act and seeking to strip the federal governments authority to regulate water
Read more →Currently, the Upper Maumee drains (the first half of the Maumee that headwaters in downtown Fort Wayne from Combined & Sanitary Sewer Overflows Rain and snowmelt discharged from combined stormwater and sewer systems can cause serious pollution in rivers and lakes in urban areas. These sewer systems were designed to capture and treat both domestic wastewater as well as stormwater runoff. But in many places development has increased beyond the capacity of combined sewer systems which causes them to periodically overflow, sending raw sewage into surface water bodies (combined sewer overflows). In areas where stormwater drains were never connected with the sanitary sewer system, raw sewage overflows can result from substantial amounts of water leaking into old pipes, pipe blockages, pipe breaks, power failures or insufficient capacity in the system. Such overflows are called sanitary sewer overflows. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) are leading causes of water quality impairment across the country. The EPA states that only 32 percent of communities with CSOs are implementing the minimum controls, despite a January 1997 deadline. Only 19 percent have completed their plans for controlling CSOs, and fewer than 10 percent have finished implementing CSO controls. The EPA estimates
Read more →September 19, 2011 This letter is to be included for the public comment period on SDI LaFarga, LLCs air permit #003-30250-00384 We believe there is a compliance violation with Steel Dynamics operation at Superior Aluminum located on 14214 Edgerton rd. (326 IAC 6-4 Rule on Fugitive Dust). We can provide video evidence to both the EPA and IDEM to prove the need for an investigation. IDEM referred us to information about current and expected air pollution levels at http://www.in.gov/apps/idem/smog/ and directed us towards a map of the air quality monitors around the area. After digging for a time, I was unable to locate a map that showed anything but the monitors around nation. It is difficult to tell if the ones in our area are located in Allen County, IN. Our area of concern is around Edgerton, Ryan, Dawkins, Bruick, Harper, Roussey, Bremer, Berthauld, Webster, Parent, Slusher Roads, and US 24. In the 326 IAC 2-1.1-5 it reads. The commissioner shall not issue a registration, permit, modification approval, or operating permit revision: (1) would allow a source to cause or contribute to a violation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards; (2) would allow a violation of a PSD
Read more →On September 15th, 2011 IDEM held a public meeting to address the air permits being issued for Steel Dynamics Inc. 59 people were in attendance and spoke of fear of pollution from Superior Aluminum, and did not want to have air permits approved for the new LaFarga copper plant. We have included the questions (below are citizens’ questions) that were NOT answered during this 4 hour meeting and we are requesting they are answered for the health of the public OR deny SDI’s air permit request. AIR Who will watchdog any monitors that are placed? How often will they be monitored? (heavy metals, particulate matter, ) How are we to be assured that SDI will conform to the Federal Clean Air Act? If these regulations are not followed, what is the consequence to the business? What fines are associated with non-compliance? public hearing/ legal action / law suit applicable? If a fine were levied, where would the money go? Can we test the air now BEFORE this plant goes up and then AFTER the plant is in operation if air permit is granted? (benchmark) If there is something in existence of what is upwind and downwind to monitor the
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Read more →http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2011&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=HB&docno=1112 It is important to note that Indiana HB 1112 was signed by the Present of the Senate after passing through the House of Representatives. Little do you realize, this bill was created by Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) and presented to Rep. Win Moses, but he turned it down because it was not good for the people’s health in Indiana…it was good for large corporations. Phyllis Pond, however sponsored this bill and it was supported by Bob Morris. Indianapolis Star reported this bill will allow Steel Dynamics to use its industrial waste as land compost material. So how would SDI benefit from this bill? This bill, basically means industrial waste can now be spread on land as an “amendment.” Amended soil is a material added to soil to improve plant growth and health. A conditioner or a combination of conditioners corrects the soil’s deficiencies in structure and-or nutrients to improve soil fertility. SO this means that the department will allow the use of industrial waste products in a land application operation or as ingredients in a soil amendment or soil substitute on the same basis as other materials under the rules concerning land application and marketing and distribution permits.” I
Read more →Meeting 05/17/2011– Many local homeowners spoke out at the meeting because of their concern with the smoke (sometimes blue, sometimes yellow) that comes from Superior Aluminum. Their concerns for their health and their families well-being were many, but Denny Luma (President of Superior Aluminum) says, “I can’t tell you what the yellow smoke is,” giving little comfort to attendees. Testimonials heard that night were heartbreaking. “Our entire area has a tremendously high rate of cancer…everyone on my block suffers from several types of cancer.” “These are our homes, please understand our concerns. You come to work everyday for a few hours, but get to go home to clean air in your neighborhood. We cannot escape it.” “If smoke is not meant to escape, why is it when I call the Hotline number the smoke stops coming out immediately? If it is that easy to make it stop than why is it smoking to begin with?” The community has already suffered from previous problems in their neighborhoods from Superior Aluminum. In April 2010, 10 families evacuated their homes due to a chlorine spill. Article located here: “Chlorine escaped the building and 10 families had to leave their homes.”In order to offer
Read more →The expression, “like a canary in a coal mine” was used to describe the alarm system for coal miners in the late 19th and early 20th century. The small birds were brought down into the mines to be a zoological early warning to alert miners of toxic gases or fumes. The canaries would choke and die earlier than people so the men knew they should take action! Explanations of large scale bird and fish deaths over the past 7 days are as follows: hail, lightening, heavy winds fireworks, disease, tornado, upper atmospheric disturbance, mass confusion, hit by something, bird government experiments, power lines, extreme temperatures (hot or cold), massive trauma, struck by a car or my personal favorite, the 2nd coming of Christ. I think we should add chemicals to the list ~ Don’t you? The experts may be overlooking several chemicals because they do not consider these chemicals to be deadly. Why? Because the same chemicals are found in 90% of every man, woman and child in the USA. One more thing, pollution and poison HAS been ruled out. I believe that ruling out “pollution” is unwarranted and too early. New Years Eve ~ between 3,000-5,000 dead red-winged black
Read more →Siltation/erosion/sedimentation is the #1 pollutant in our watershed. The grasses will help to settle out suspended sediment in the water to help hold down the soil that could be washed away because there is nothing to hold down the barren soil when the water comes rushing down during a rain event. Grasses filtrate sediment by holding water for a longer period of time so the sediment settles to the bottom instead of traveling downstream. Removal of nutrients from the water before it passes downstream. Plants produce enzymes which will absorb and eat bacteria Natural removal of chemical pollutants like fertilizers and waste materials removes nitrogen, phosphorous and toxins from surface water. Creating more shade will help to create Dissolved Oxygen that is needed in the water for fish and other wildlife to breathe. Floods problems can be alleviated – grassy knolls and trees can capture, store and slowly release water over a longer period of time Protect shorelines through reduction of destructive energy from fast moving/ rising water Alleviate pools of standing, stagnant water so West Nile will not have the opportunity to
Read more →http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/06/17/great-lakes-states-500-square-miles-of-parking-lots-threaten-water-quality-walkability/ Great Lakes Echo – June 17, 2010 People ask me all the time about CSO’s / SSO’s (Combined Sewer Overflow / Sanitary Sewer Outfalls). Did the city plan poorly for our sewers? Why would 1/12th of an inch of rain cause all of our toilets and sinks water and stormsewers mix and discharge directly into the rivers, if the city/county were not to blame? The answer is not that complicated like many others these days. However, solutions are very expensive. When Fort Wayne infrastructure was built around 1912 for our sanitary sewers (toilets) and stormsewers (the grates on the streets) they were two separate systems that were connected, toward the top, by a single pipe. The sanitary sewers have a constant flow, the storm sewers surge with rain. Since they are connected at the top with a smaller pipe, the mix of both pipes are released from the “outfall points.” This pipe is a fail-safe type system, so when large rain events or flooding occurred, it would discharge into the waterways instead of coming up in your house. This is not a bad idea, considering I am a homeowner as well. SO ~ when built all those many years
Read more →As you may know, Steuben County passed an ordinance to protect their lakes by restricting the use of phosphorus fertilizer. They were subsequently told that they did not have the authority to enact this ordinance unless they obtained a waiver from the State Chemists office. After much discussion intended to discourage them, they applied for a waiver. The state chemist had to invent a process. Steuben County presented a great deal of information about the impact of phosphorus on their lakes, but the state chemist has just announced their decision to deny the waiver request. SEE IT HERE: final-deter-state-chem.jpg Here are some links to the news stories. http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/SE/20100210/NEWS/2100337 http://www.indy.com/articles/news/thread/steuben-county-s-request-to-ban-algae-causing-fertilizers-denied Basically Steuben County does not have the authority to protect its waterways! Id say its time to do away with the State Chemists pre-emptive authority AND pursue statewide restrictions on phosphorus fertilizer. Rae Schnapp – Water Keeper Alliance
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