Citizens seeking answers to aluminum contamination concerns
Guest opinion by Rose Taylor, Francis Mangels, Dane Wigington, Dave Casebeer, Rosalind
Peterson
Last year citizens from Siskiyou and Shasta Counties submitted water tests results to their city and county officials. These tests came from snow pack, rain and pond water samples taken in both counties. Basic Labs, a state certified lab in Redding, performed the testing. The citizens urged local governments to conduct their own water tests (costing no more than a hundred dollars for each county). If these tests produced similar results, then the citizens expected the proper agencies to be contacted to investigate the off-the-chart levels of aluminum showing up in their counties’ surface waters.
Of the three-dozen tests submitted, all showed near or over the MCL (maximum contaminate level) for aluminum in drinking water for the State of California. The following are some of the highest samples documented:
Snow pack sampled at Ski Bowl on Mt. Shasta tested for aluminum at 61,000 ug/L or 61 times the MCL. After 1-½ years of exposure to the atmosphere, a Shasta County pond (rubber lined) tested for aluminum at 375,000 ug/l or 375 times the MCL. This came as a surprise to the property owner because the pond tested “0” for aluminum when it was first filled and is in a “filtered location” (forested hilltop away from highway or industry). When a hydro-geologist was shown the tests, he stated, “unless you live near an Alcoa Aluminum plant, there is no way these types of metals (barium has also been detected) should be showing up in your pond or rainwater samples, in any quantity.” The Pit River sample tested at 4,610,000 ug/L, which is 4,610 times the MCL.
Aluminum and barium are considered highly toxic to humans, animals and plants. The accumulation factor of these metals should not be discounted. To ignore them, we do so at our own peril.
What we do know about aluminum in CA waters
Rosalind Peterson Co-founder of Agriculture Defense Coalition and former USDA Agriculture Crop Loss Adjustor, researched California State Department of Health Drinking Water data between 1984 and 2008. She has some compelling questions for our local and state officials:
1) “… Barium, Magnesium, Lead, Manganese, Aluminum, Iron, Sodium, and Specific Conductance (the ability of water to conduct a charge) were being found under unusual circumstances in our drinking water supplies. Unusual spikes were occurring in almost all drinking water sources in Mendocino County and in other counties throughout the State of California.”
2) “Prior to 1990, these spikes were not evident in many drinking water tests results (most tests results were -0-) … test results do show that in non-spike years these contaminants were not found in most water sources. Why?”
3) “And why are almost every single public drinking water source showing some form of this spike pattern? The California Air Resources Board Statewide Summary for Iron, Aluminum, Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Barium, also show positive air test results between 1989 and 2001. Our water test spikes appear to correlate strongly with California Air Quality test results. Why?”
We believe there is enough evidence to warrant an immediate investigation. Our federal, state and county water and air quality officials have a legal and moral responsibility to locate the sources of these contaminants and protect the public welfare. Until more people start to care, begin to speak up and put the necessary pressure upon local and state officials, our children, our loved ones, our animals and eco-systems will continue to be exposed to dangerously high levels of aluminum and other toxic contaminants.
We encourage everyone to do their own research and suggest the following links as a good place to start:
http://www.californiaskywatch.com/; http://americanskywatch.com; http://www.sciencedaily.com/search/?keyword=geoengineering+and+drought
Respectfully,
Rose Taylor, Teacher
Francis Mangels, Retired Forest Biologist
Dane Wigington, Electrical Contractor, Solar Energy Specialist
Dave Casebeer, Advertising Specialist, Concerned Citizen
Rosalind Peterson, Agriculture Defense Coalition