NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY SEEKS FEEDBACK ON NEW BYLAW TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER

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Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, is looking for feedback as it drafts a new bylaw for protecting drinking water. The County is developing a new backflow prevention bylaw to help protect drinking water in industrial, commercial, institutional, and multi-residential buildings from cross-connection contamination. The proposed backflow prevention bylaw will require industrial, commercial, institutional (ICIs), and multi-residential buildings located in Northumberland County to review connections within their plumbing systems to ensure proper backflow prevention devices are installed to protect drinking water from potential contamination.  The draft bylaw will be presented for public review and feedback at two upcoming open house sessions on Tuesday, August 16. The open house sessions are from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the county building, located at 600 William St. in Cobourg.

11 MICHIGAN BEACHES CLOSED, UNDER CONTAMINATION ADVISORIES

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There are currently 11 Michigan beaches that are either closed or under contamination advisories for unsafe water quality. Before you head to the beach, check to see if your destination is on the current list of closed or under-advisory beaches. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s online “BeachGuard” system allows local beach managers to post real-time beach monitoring and notification data to alert visitors of closures and contamination advisories for high bacteria levels. More than 1,200 public beaches and nearly 600 private beaches are monitored this way across the state.

LA JURY HITS REAL ESTATE AGENT WITH $500K PUNITIVE VERDICT OVER CONCEALED FIRE DAMAGE

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A California state court jury in Compton, Californian, has returned a $500,000 punitive damages verdict against a real estate agent accused of concealing a home’s extensive fire damage from the eventual buyer. The jury found in favor of plaintiff Jose Jimenez for suing his real estate agent Louis Teque and Capero Investments Inc. after purchasing a home he claimed he could not live in due to fire damage. Sandoval characterized punitive damages awards in Compton as “very few and far between” and said he felt the jury reacted strongly to the idea of a community pushing back on predatory behavior by real estate agents.

GOVERNOR: ‘MASSIVE PROPERTY’ DAMAGE EXPECTED IN EASTERN KENTUCKY FLOODS

www.Eastidahonews.com

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear stated on July 28th that the flooding in Eastern Kentucky is expected to lead to multiple families losing their homes. Beshear declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. The situation is being referred to as “dynamic and ongoing.” Officials expect “massive property damage”. Several victims from the flooding are awaiting rescue on top of their roofs. As of July 28th, more than 25,000 households were currently without power.

EXPLOSION AT AMERICA’S ICONIC HOOVER DAM

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A transformer at Hoover Dam caught fire on July 20th. The fire ignited around 10 am and was extinguished within the hour. No one was injured during the fire but videos of the fire show a plume of black smoke swirling above the building and what appears to be an explosion in a building near the base of the dam. The city of Boulder posted on its Twitter account that the fire was extinguished before the fire department arrived and has referred additional questions to the Bureau of Reclamation and Hoover Dam. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

BILL AIMS AT NETTING ATTLEBORO, MASSACHEUSETTS $500,000 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

www.TheSunChronicle.com

Attleboro, Massachusetts, may be getting as much as $500,000 to assess environmental contamination. If the bill is passed, the $500,000 will come from surplus funds and bonds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act. The money would be used to assess “priority downtown corridors” including Riverbank Road, property owned by Sturdy Memorial Hospital on O’Neil Boulevard and the Forest and Falmouth street areas.

SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA FIRE DESTROYS 12 STRUCTURES, FORCES EVACUATIONS

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On July 14th, a fire grew rapidly due to challenging terrain and weather in Anderson (Shasta County), California. Evacuations were forced as the flames destroyed homes, scorched vegetation and threatened a tortoise sanctuary. The fire started south of Redding, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire grew to 304 acres and burned at least 3 homes out of 12 structures that were damaged during the fire. The blaze was 25% contained shortly before 8:30 p.m. that night. An evacuation center was set up at a high school in Anderson, but officials didn't immediately say how many people were under evacuation orders.

NOAA CLIMATE CHANGE WILL INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND INTENSITY OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate change will increase the amount and the intensity of extreme weather events all across the United States. With this information, the latest ValuePenguin study has shown that weather-related property damages reached $121.4 billion between 2017 and 2021.

During the period analyzed, flash floods caused $49.1 billion in property damages, hurricanes caused $36.1 billion in damages, and tornadoes caused $7.1 billion in damages. Weather-related property damages in Texas reached $58.3 billion, the highest amount of damage in any state. Louisiana had the highest amount of weather-related damages per household and business.

MOBILE, ALABAMA WATER BOARD WARNS CUSTOMERS OF THE PRESENCE OF CONTAMINANTS

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Mobile, Alabama, water and sewer systems have sent out a warning to their customers stating that recent water testing has shown PFAS and PFOA levels are above the new EPA health advisory. The recent water testing revealed levels of 1.0-to-1.6 and 1.8-to-2.2 ppt. Although the EPA has lowered the advisory levels of PFOA and PFAS chemicals, the new advisories are not yet enforceable as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA has been lowering the advisory levels for PFAS chemicals in drinking water, as there are concerns regarding the potential health effects.

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HINGHAM HOME ‘TOTAL LOSS’ FOLLOWING MONDAY AFTERNOON FIRE

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A multi-million-dollar home in Hingham, Massachusetts, suffered a four-alarm fire and was declared a total loss on July 11th. Of the 6,000-square-foot home, only the chimney remained after the fire had been extinguished. Four other homes were damaged in the fire, but no injuries were reported. Three people that were inside the building when the fire started were able to get out safely, but will be displaced.

LE MARS, IOWA EXPLOSION INJURES 3 PEOPLE, DESTROYS HOME

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An explosion on July 13th destroyed a house and injured 3 people in Le Mars, Iowa. The explosion took place around 6:30 am and largely demolished a house. A fire and other damages occurred on the neighboring properties. The explosion was so powerful, the ground shook homes that were miles away. No information about the condition of those injured in the blast was released. Firefighters from Le Mars and the nearby communities of Orange City and Sioux Center helped extinguish the fires.

A MASSIVE BLAZE ON NANTUCKET ISLAND HAS DAMAGED A HISTORIC HOTEL AND SEVERAL OTHER BUILDINGS

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On July 9th, firefighters were called to a blaze on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts at 6:45 a.m.  An off duty fire captain and several others ran to the scene of the fire to evacuate guests from inside The Veranda House, a 17th-century building. All employees and guests were safely evacuated and accounted for. The fire spread to several other buildings. Firefighters were still on the scene at 2:30 p.m. and were expected to remain there for an extended period of time.

THOUSANDS OF SYDNEY RESIDENTS RETURN HOME TO ASSESS DAMAGE AS FLOOD WATERS RECEDE

TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com

July 8th was the first day of clear skies after a week of rain for the residents of Sydney, Australia. Authorities are preparing to provide relief efforts as thousands of Sydney residents return home to severe flood damage. About 47,000 residents in Australia's most populous state have been ordered to evacuate or were warned they might receive evacuation orders. Trucks were sent into the flooded neighborhoods on July 8th to help remove debris, taking advantage of the calm weather conditions.

WILDFIRE NEAR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK INCHING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO GROVE OF HISTORIC SEQUOIA TREES

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The Mariposa Grove is one of the most popular destinations in Yosemite National Park and is the home of over 500 mature giant sequoia trees. A fire, originating on July 7th near the Washburn Trail in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove, has grown to over 2,000 acres. The fire is threatening the grove of iconic sequoia trees that have been in the region for thousands of years. People in the community of Wawona, California, which is surrounded by national park land and campgrounds, were ordered to leave their homes and campsites on July 8th.

PROVINCE RELEASES RISK RANKING OF POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED OLD MINES

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The Canadian Province of Nova Scotia has released its risk ranking of potentially contaminated historical mine sites. The list includes 69 sites across the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia that were once home to a range of mining operations dating back to the 1800s. Most of the top sites are old gold mines, many of the lower-ranking ones were copper, coal and limestone mines. Materials containing chemicals such as mercury and arsenic being dumped on land and in waterways.

The Canadian Province of Nova Scotia created the list by analyzing each site for human health risks, the size of the site, chemical and physical properties and ecology. Human health risks were given more weight than the other categories. The list does not include all contaminated former mines. Nova Scotia Lands is only responsible for remediating sites on Crown land, so private properties contaminated from old mines are not on the list.

VINTON FIRE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, DAMAGE ESTIMATES AT LEAST $1.5 MILLION

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A fire at DR Music Center was called in on July 2nd around 2:00 am. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal reported that the fire at 101 E. Lee Avenue in Vinton, Virginia, remains under investigation. The cause of the fire is still unknown and preliminary damage estimates have reached $1,500,000. The fire involved two buildings that housed several small businesses. It was later determined that the building would be torn down due to the roof collapsing during the fire.

LA PINE GRANTED $17.7 MILLION TO ADDRESS CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY SEPTIC SYSTEMS

www.TheAdvocate.com

La Pine, Oregon, will receive $17.7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clean up and prevent groundwater contamination caused by septic tanks. Groundwater is a primary source of drinking water in La pine and Nitrate loading from septic systems is a growing concern. The loans and grants from the department will be used for municipal water improvements to transition away from septic systems. The area has porous, volcanic soil and shallow groundwater aquifers that allow for potential contamination. Local streams reportedly have excessive algae in some areas, possibly due to nutrient contamination from groundwater. The system improvements in La Pine will include the construction of a new 500,000-gallon water reservoir, the installation of new water distribution lines, and includes the Cagle and Glenwood Acres subdivisions in the municipal water system.

ASBURY PARK $500K CONTAMINATION CLEANUP STARTS ALONG SPRINGWOOD AVENUE

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Asbury Park City officials met with lawmakers on June 30th, at a longtime vacant, contaminated lot scheduled to be restored as part of a nationwide focus on revitalizing polluted urban properties. The site is one of four in Asbury Park that will be cleaned up with $500,000 in spending on remediation through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program. Across New Jersey, another $6 million in cleanup funds will be distributed for properties in Perth Amboy, Atlantic City, Bridgeton, Jersey City, Millville, Paterson, Trenton, Hamilton and Camden. McCabe, of the Environmental Protection Agency, said that investing in urban pollution cleanup brings more local tax revenue, higher home values and new jobs to communities.

UNABLE TO FUND EXIDE CLEANUP, STATE WANTS CONTAMINATED VERNON SITE ADDED TO FEDERAL SUPERFUND LIST

www.LATimes.com

The federal government has been formally asked by the state of California to add the former site of Exide Technologies to the National Priorities List to make it eligible for additional clean-up funds. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control estimates lead, arsenic, and cadmium was released by the Vernon-based battery recycler during its decades of operation. These operations spread contaminants to parks, schools, and nearly 10,000 properties in the largely working-class Latino neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Maywood, Huntington Park and Commerce. The state has committed $700 million so far and have cleaned nearly 4,000 properties with another 2,000 properties expected to finish over the next two years.

THREE MICHIGAN BEACHES CLOSED DUE TO BACTERIA LEVELS, INCLUDING ONE IN MACOMB COUNTY

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Thursday, June 30, three Michigan beaches closed due to high bacteria levels and two other beaches are under advisory due to a contamination issue. The beaches closed include St. Clair Shores' Memorial Park Beach on Lake St. Clair in Macomb County, Pinconning Park in Saginaw Bay, Clinch Park in Grand Traverse Bay. The two beaches under contamination advisory include Gladwin City Park in Cedar River and Taylor's Beach at Cook Lake in Livingston County.