What can I say, its spring. I'll admit it, it's been way too nice out and the levels on the Potomac have been great paddling lately oh and there's the whole wrapping up my first semester in grad school. Others have been busy as well. Recently, we've been hearing good news from all of the people working on federal Right to Know legislation. Kudos. We've also been hearing good things from people around the country, working through how to upgrade their sewer and storm water management systems. That is tough work and worth the effort. But we still hear not-so-good news from others, like the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality who are considering lowering the water quality standards which will put many people at serious risk of getting sick every year. That's not governing for the people. That's not standing up to the source of pollution. If anything, we should be strictly enforcing the standards on the books, or better yet raising the bar to meet the fishable and swimmable goals of the Clean Water Act. Our water must be clean and clear. Let's go boatin'.

And now the Spills of the Week:
Sewage Spill in Laguna Beach, CA
On Top of It: Carroll County officials say the Patapsco River was re-opened after a contractor's backhoe struck a sewer main, spilling as much as 15,000 gallons of untreated sewage. State environment officials said they had not seen any effect on aquatic life but it's tough to say since the river is murky with thick brown sewage. County officials notified Howard and Baltimore counties because the river flows through each of the three counties. No problem.

April 17, 2008: wjz.com - Baltimore, MD

No Cause, No Foul: Portland Bureau of Environmental Services crews repaired a sewage spill in Southwest Portland that overflowed into a creek. City crews discovered the sewage spill at about noon Thursday, April 17. The sewage flowed into a small creek that eventually goes to Vermont Creek. No cause has been found for the spill, *shrugs,* who really wants to know that kind of stuff anyway?
April 17, 2008: Portland Tribune - Portland, OR

Surf's Not-So-Up: A sewage leak flooded the South Coast Highway last week on the, made famous by MTV, famous Laguna Beach. The leak forced the beach to close and officials closed the city's main road denying access. "It's an absolute mess," said City Manager Ken Frank about the spill. "Everybody should stay away from Coast Highway." About 6,500 gallons of sewage flowed into the ocean, Frank said in a news release. After containing that spill, a pump failed and released another 10,000 into the streets and the ocean (See photo above). Orange County health officials closed 1.25 miles of coastline in South Laguna Beach because of potential bacterial contamination. Frank estimated that cleanup expenses could exceed $100,000. Uggghh, I hate traffic... and rooster tails of raw sewage in the street, don't you?
April 19, 2008: Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, CA

Neighborhood Watch Out!: A sewage line ruptured in an Albuquerque, NM neighborhood last week, making a huge and smelly mess for crews and residents. Residents said the leak started Monday night and by 7 p.m. the entire neighborhood was flooded. Sewage was pooling in nearby fields and back yards. Water authority crews spent hours Monday night and early Tuesday morning looking for the root of the problem. A spokesman said a sewage interceptor either broke, blocked or collapsed, they're still not sure. Sorry folks, but it'll dry in a couple of days.
April 22, 2008: KOAT.com - Albuquerque, NM

STILL Macon Me Crazy: The Macon Water Authority cleaned up a 240-gallon sewage spill Monday at 4142 Log Cabin Drive. The spill, caused by grease and rags in the sewer line, contaminated Rocky Creek, according to a news release from the authority. State environmental officials consider a spill to be minor if it is less than 10,000 gallons.
April 23, 2008: Macon Telegraph - Macon, GA

A Wee Little Spill: A broken pipe sent about 50 gallons of raw sewage flowing into Fanno Creek in Southwest Portland Wednesday afternoon. Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services said the spill came from a break in the sewer line at the Fanno Pump Station. The pump station has been shut down since March 13 when another section of the same pipeline broke near Southwest 77th Avenue and Garden Home Road. Sounds like the symptoms of budget cuts for clean water. City crews had re-activated the pump to test repairs when they discovered the new leak. The pump was shut off again so crews could work on the pipe. They will post warning signs in the area because of the spill. Sewage in the pipeline was mixed with sodium hypochlorite, a mild bleach solution used to reduce odors. Nice.
April 23, 2008: Portland Tribune - Portland, OR