In this week’s feature report, part one of a four part series about trees in Monroe County from Deep Dive, WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate. This week’s episode covers what trees we have in Monroe County, what benefits they provide, which trees to root for, and which to root out!
Indiana University reports the important job of monitoring the health of Indiana’s public lakes has been entrusted by a state agency to Indiana University’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs for 35 years. In the process, many student interns have participated in this task, collected vital data and subsequently applied the knowledge and skills they gained to professional roles across the country. The Indiana Clean Lakes Program, a water monitoring and education program, started in 1989 in partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Water Quality. The program is administered through a grant to the O’Neill School, and the school’s Limnology Lab, which studies bodies of fresh water, leads the monitoring efforts.
“Our resources are invaluable. We all need water; it’s essential. If we don’t monitor the lakes then we don’t know the impact we’re having,” said Sarah Powers, the Limnology Lab director since 2022. “Not only is there a public health benefit, but also it’s an opportunity to educate about water ecosystems.” IU is one of just a handful of universities to perform lake water testing for a statewide monitoring program, Powers said. Each summer the lab typically has six interns that collect and analyze samples from 80 lakes statewide. The lab also uses citizen volunteers that it trains to collect multiple samples from an additional 50 or more lakes to provide a broader data profile of lake status across the state. “It’s amazing and fantastic that the state has entrusted such an important goal to us, and that we can utilize this program as a way to train the next generation to understand how the monitoring process works,” said Powers, a former summer intern herself.
The federal Clean Water Act requires states to report on the trophic status — or biological productivity — and trends of all public lakes in Indiana, and requires states to report on the status of how lakes and reservoirs are meeting designated uses, said Barry Sneed, Indiana Department of Environmental Management public information officer. Because of the equipment and staffing required for the monitoring, it wouldn’t be feasible for IDEM alone to monitor the same number of lakes. IU’s efforts supplement the department’s river and stream monitoring and help spread communication and awareness through their education and outreach efforts and volunteer monitoring.
Inside Climate Change reports that for Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley, studies show an even graver risk from toxic gases. Levels of ethylene oxide more than 1,000 times higher than what’s considered safe—and far greater than previous estimates—were identified by researchers at John Hopkins. According to the researchers, those chemicals are present in Cancer Alley at rates that are far higher than previously believed. Using state-of-the-art mobile air monitors, environmental engineers identified plumes of the toxic gas ethylene oxide at the fence line of facilities that in some cases were more than 1,000 times higher than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers an “acceptable risk.”
The research team’s findings, published recently in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, noted that the EPA’s acceptable threshold for long-term exposure to ethylene oxide is 10.9 parts per trillion. But researchers found an average exposure level nearly three times that amount, 31.4 parts per trillion, when they tested the air across Cancer Alley. The bleak nickname refers to the 85-mile stretch of land from New Orleans to Baton Rouge that is home to roughly 200 petrochemical plants and some of the highest rates of cancer in the nation. Cook uses ethylene oxide to sterilize its products. The sterilization facility is in Ellettsville near the recycling center. WFIU reported that in 2016, according to the EPA National Air Toxics Assessment, the likelihood of getting cancer in Ellettsville over the course of a lifetime — from air pollution alone — was about 50 in 1 million in 2014. That’s higher than the national average and was higher than any other area of the state that year except perhaps Cleveland Cliffs steel mill in Portage.
WFHB has contacted Cook about their recent experience. Their response is quoted. “We take our ethylene oxide emissions and controls seriously. We have rigorous standards to ensure our emissions are well below any regulatory requirements and are regularly recognized as industry-leading in our emissions control and worker safety protocols. Our current usage of ethylene oxide is safe and we have remained well below our permit allowances dating back to when they were implemented. Our permit allotment is 18,000 pounds per year. Our emissions for 2022 were 6.94 pounds for the entire year. We’ve worked diligently to lead the industry with our state-of-the-art system. We’re proud to say that many of the EPA’s most recent changes to ethylene oxide capture and reporting have already been implemented at Cook, including updated scrubbing technology. We’re currently undertaking a significant investment to ensure we meet and exceed all of EPA’s newest ruling. The biggest area of change in EPA’s new ruling is to implement continuous monitoring of certain metrics. To comply with continuous monitoring, we have invested in additional technology and are developing additional processes. Once these changes are fully implemented, we will continuously reevaluate and improve as technology for ethylene oxide capture and control evolves.”
Apparently no study of cancer rates in Ellettsville has been performed. The cancer rate in Monroe County is among the lowest in the state. The most common types of cancer caused by ethylene oxide are lymphoma and leukemia.
The Center for Biological Diversity reports that in Florida, more than 100 manatees under a year old have already died this year, on pace to nearly double the annual average. And because not all manatees who perish are discovered, the real number is probably even higher. The Center for Biological Diversity is pushing to restore full protection to manatees under the Endangered Species Act. The past few years have been catastrophic for these gentle animals. Nearly 20% of the population has been lost. Sadly, while the total deaths per year have gone down, nearly 1 in 3 manatees who have died this year were less than a year old. Scientists aren’t yet sure what is driving the die-off of these calves.
It’s possible that the increase is attributable to a reproductive rebound following the years-long mortality event. It’s also possible that years of malnutrition are exacting their price. In many waters pollution-fueled algae severely choked the seagrass that manatees depend on for food. Biologists have warned about the long-lasting effects of starvation across generations of manatees: Malnourished mothers may be giving birth to weaker calves, whose fates could be sealed at a very early age. What’s clear is that manatees’ future isn’t secure — and that they urgently need greater protection. This news comes on the heels of a mass die-off that began in 2021, when more than 1,000 manatees perished, making it the deadliest year on record.
In this week’s feature report, part one of a four part series about trees in Monroe County from Deep Dive, WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate. This week’s episode covers what trees we have in Monroe County, what benefits they provide, which trees to root for, and which to root out!
Credits:
On Air…………………………………..Julianna Dailey
On Air………………………………………Robert Shull
Headlines……………………………………Norm Holy
Feature Report……………………………….Jack Lewis
Feature Report………….Noelle Herhusky-Schneider
Feature Report……………………………..Kade Young
Script……………………………………Julianna Dailey
Events Calendar……………………….Julianna Dailey
Engineer……………………………..Branden Blewett
Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues? Eco Report is looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producer to report facts on how we’re all affected by global climate disruption and the ongoing assaults on our air, land and water. We also celebrate ecologists, tree huggers, soil builders and other champions who actively protect and restore our natural world, particularly those who are active in south central Indiana. All levels of experience and all ages are welcome, and we provide the training you’ll need. WFHB also offers internships. To volunteer for Eco Report, call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail earth@wfhb.org.