I want to give some credit to an aspiring journalist in Cape Cod, Massachusetts who is working hard to raise awareness about the problems sewage dumping poses to the Cape. Samantha Pearsall, a second year journalism student at Endicott College, has written a series of articles that have appeared on Cape Cod Today getting the word about how ferries and day cruises dump millions of gallons of sewage a year into waters vital to the Cape's tourism economy. It seems to me that Florida could take lesson from what Massachusetts is imposing on its ship operators:

"There are several pump-outs onshore available for recreational use in No Discharge Areas surrounding the Sound, including ones in Barnstable, Chatham, Harwich, Nantucket, and Waquoit Bay.

The boat sewage No Discharge Area Coordinator of Massachusetts, Todd Callaghan, explained that the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management is "just in the beginning stages of identifying the structural and financial needs for sighting commercial pump-outs in Provincetown, Barnstable Harbor, Boston, and Gloucester.'"

She also mentions the good work of several advocacy organizations on the Cape working to stop sewage pollution.

Keep up the good work Sam.

Now the Spills of the Week:

Gross Rapids: Heavy Rains caused a whopping 1.27 million gallon sewage overflow in Grand Rapids MI.
- June 4, 2007: Grand Rapids Press - Grand Rapids, MI

The "Boss" Would Not Approve: Initial reports indicated that 500,000 gallons of sewage spilled into beach water at Asbury Park, NJ prompting several area beach closures. When the beaches were finally reopened estimates of the amount of sewage reported to have spilled were reduced to 250,000 gallons. No alarm was sounded to alert plant workers when the pipe broke which exacerbated the length and severity of the spill. Asbury Park is a Jersey Shore icon made famous by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
- June 5, 2007: WABC 7 TV - New York, NY
- June 6, 2007: Philadelphia Inquirer
- June 7, 2007: Courier Post - Cherry Hill, NJ

Mari-caca: For two weeks sewage was spilling into a field in Maricopa City, CA. Local television news was monitoring the situation and after two weeks of noticing nothing was being done about the spill they called the city's sewer plant and crews were sent to fix the problem. Yet another example for why we need better reporting standards.
- June 5, 2007: ABC 29 Eyewitness News - Bakersfield, CA

Spillamette River Redux: I think we're beginning to see a pattern developing. Once again Portland CSO's put sewage into the Willamette River following another serious rain event. Residents were advised to not go in the water until 48 hours after the rains have subsided.
- June 5, 2007: The Oregonian - Portland, OR

Floods = Sewage: as floodwaters recede in Vermillion Parish, LA health officials are warning residents that sewage was present in all of the flood waters. Residents were told to throughout all food and to thoroughly disinfect all objects that come in contact with flood waters as well warnings to avoid contact with receding waters.
- June 6, 2007: KLFY TV 10 - Acadiana, LA

How Well? Not Well: Between 500 and 1,000 gallons of raw sewage leaked into the Marion Genoa Drain in Howell, MI. The discharge was the result of excessive rain infiltration into the wastewater system.
- June 7, 2007: Daily Press and Argus - Livingston, MI

Stink and Slide: Pipes clogged with rags and roots caused a raw sewage spill on Baltimore City playground. Parents were outraged that the park wasn't closed off completely but instead small green warning signs wer posted around the slide. I don't think that quite qualifies as "adequate" public notification.
- June 7, 2007: WBAL TV 11 - Baltimore, MD

(Late Addition)

"Dump" Truck: A dump truck hauling sewage down a suburban Indiana road swereved to avoid an accident with a car but had quite an accident of a different sort. "The truck did not have anything covering its load. The load shifted during the incident, rushing sewage over and into the van, which was carrying a family of four from Michigan." Welcome to Indiana, enjoy your weekend. (The photo accompanying the story is just awful - you gotta see it.)

- June 7, 2007: WRTV Indy News Channel 6 - Indianapolis, IN