GUSTY WINDS CAUSE POWER OUTAGES

www.CantonRep.com

A recent storm front rolled through Ashe County North Carolina that brough rain, high winds and resulted in power outages and several property damage reports. Approximately 2,500 residents lost power overnight due to broken power poles and line damage in 36 different areas of the county.

Excessive winds caused a shopping cart return corral at Big Lots to break loose and overturned a large outbuilding at Mike’s Mufflers. Numerous incidents of downed trees and roof damage were reported throughout the county. 68 MPH winds were reported around 2:10 a.m. according to the National Weather Service.

EPA TO OVERSEE TESTING, INVESTIGATION OF CONTAMINATED RAILYARD IN HOUSTON’S FIFTH WARD NEIGHBORHOOD.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org

The Environmental Protection Agency announced an agreement to oversee the testing and evaluation of a contaminated rail yard in Northeast Houston. Higher-than-average cancer rates have been confirmed in the area. The rail yard was used decades prior to treat wooden railroad ties and has since seeped into the soil and groundwater.

According to the agreement with the EPA, Union Pacific is required to conduct and pay for testing both on-site and in the community.

Earthea Nance, EPA Regional Administrator, stated in a press release, “Houston’s Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods have experienced generations of harm. Today’s action represents a major step forward for people living in this area. We intend to use every tool at our disposal for this community.”

ALASKA LAKES’ LEVELS OF ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ REVEALED AS OFFICIALS PONDER ACTIONS TO REDUCE RISKS

AlaskaBeacon.com

Within Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS substances, have been found in the waterways. Samples taken in 2021 and 2022 at 15 sites in the state’s two biggest cities, found the highest PFAS levels in Anchorage’s Lake Spenard and Lake Hood. At 952.2 parts per trillion and 698.7 parts per trillion, they were about 10 times the health-advisory threshold for drinking water set in 2016 by the Environmental Protection Agency

Within Legislature a bill has been introduced sponsored by Senator Jesse Kiehl addressing PFAS. This bill would ban the use of fire suppressing foam which is a source of PFAS. Pam Miller, executive director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics states that while the bill is a good start more is needed such as the establishment of statewide drinking-water standards in line with modern knowledge, stepped-up monitoring of both water and fish, alternative water sources provided for people who need it and other measures

EPA TO DELETE TEXAS SUPERFUND SITE FROM THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST

InsideClimateNews.org

On February 22, 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deleted River City Metal Finishing site in San Antonio, Texas, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The River City Metal Finishing site was a metal plating shop that operated from 1994 until approximately 2002. In 2017 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) referred the site to EPA in 2017 when hexavalent chromium was found in groundwater.

TCEQ performed cleanup work such as removing containers of waste and demolishing the building while disposing of hazardous materials off site. Investigation activities were done by the EPA at the site from March 2019 to July 2020. EPA’s 2021 Record of Decision selected “no action” because no hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remain at the site above levels that preclude unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.

“This is an action that has been decades in the making for the residents of Bexar County,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By working alongside impacted communities and the TCEQ, we improved public health and the environment while paving the way for the land to be reused. We are pleased with this outcome, and I want to thank all parties involved in making this monumental achievement possible.”

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TOWN FACES PFAS

In Peshtigo, Wisconsin residents have been exposed to high levels of a group of toxins known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in their groundwater. PFAS have difficulty breaking down in the environment and are thus called “forever chemicals.” Issues with PFAS include high blood pressure in middle-aged women and stunted developmental growth in children, as well as kidney and testicular cancers.

The PFAS within the community comes from a local manufacturing facility the produces firefighting foam which had spread through the town’s groundwater networks. Creeks within the area have reported PFAS levels as high as 3,800 ppt while groundwater wells near the facility reporter concentrations of 2,100 ppt, or 30 times the state’s drinking water standards.

THE COST TO REPAIR STORM-RAVAGED PUBLIC PROPERTY IN CAPITOLA JUMPS TO $3.5M

Fox5SanDiego.com

Severe storms over the month have caused widespread damage to the Bay area and Santa Cruz region. Damages from the storm include ripping a 40-foot section of the Capitola wharf apart.

Capitola’s director of public works Jessica Kahn estimates that the cost to rebuilt or repair public property in Capitola is around $3.5 million. That’s almost $1 million more than the previous estimate of $2.6 million.

The city is currently in the process of obtaining funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program for storm-related repairs. Funds will go towards construction, engineering and permitting costs.

MUD SLIDE OVERCOMES LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE HOME

www.Yahoo.com

Residence of a home in La Canada Flintridge, California were sleeping when they were startled by a loud noise, however, it wasn’t until the morning that they realized that their home had been hit by a mudslide.

According to authorities a 40-foot-wide section of the hillside came sliding down into the residence. The residence of the home removed their belongs and evacuated out of fear that more of the hillside might come down.

Fire officials plan to monitor the area for more hillside instability. Going forward, building and safety officials intend to inspect the home and the structural integrity.

CONFIRMED TORNADO IN MERCER COUNTY DISPLACES RESIDENTS, CAUSES SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE

CentralJersey.com

Approximately 100 properties were damaged by a tornado in West Windsor on February 21. Estimated peak winds reached 110-115 mph, uprooting trees, power lines, and causing damage to homes.

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes stated, “Fortunately, no injuries were reported despite the serious damage to homes, buildings, cars and landscape, including at our Mercer Oaks golf course”. It was reported that no residences suffered structural damage and there were no reported injuries.

About 27 condominiums were declared uninhabitable resulting in the displacement of 75-100 people. The American Red Cross has stepped in to assist in finding temporary housing for those displaced.