Conservation Minnesota this week is launching its second year of regular reporting on summertime public beach conditions in Minnesota. Using data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Lake Superior monitoring program and our own research on conditions at inland beaches scattered across the state, we’re trying to develop a picture of the health of Minnesota’s recreational waters as they affect swimmers, and to help get the word out about any beach closings or advisories.

Exposure to pathogens can be a health problem at public beaches, as the Minnesota Department of Health notes. For example, in in 2001 there were over 3,000 confirmed cases of infectious diseases, including Giardia, Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella, e.coli and more.

Reader information — suggested beaches to check on, news about advisories or closings, or summertime beach stories and memories are all welcome. Simply contact dave@conservationminnesota.org or cmstaff@conservationminnesota.org.

The rationale for the Governor’s veto is as interesting as the veto itself. Pawlenty declared in his veto letter that “the legislative mandate overreaches and goes beyond current scientific research.”

It’s a health protection and sustainable business opportunity lost. The science is clear that this compound is problematic for human health and the environment.

October 10, 2007, may very well become known as “Minnesota Atrazine Day” in future years. Discussion of the widely-used herbicide started at 10 a.m. that day with Tyrone Hayes’ appearance on MPR’s Midmorning program, and it didn’t wind down until 10 p.m. at a special forum/fundraiser featuring Hayes and MPCA whistleblower Paul Wotzka. In between were a press conference and Senate hearing on atrazine and attempts by government and industry to silence its critics. A lot of excellent insights were provided on the political, environmental and economical aspects of atrazine. Dots were connected and puzzle pieces put together in a way that hopefully will create a more informed discussion of pesticide regulation and publicly-funded science in Minnesota. Perhaps one of the most troubling connections described by Professor Hayes at least three times during the course of the day had to do with the number one form of cancer in women. His description of how a pharmaceutical company is marketing a product that is supposed to treat a disease which may have some of its roots in the use of a pesticide sold by another branch of that same company would make for a heck of an ironic joke—if it wasn’t for the fact that people’s lives were at stake. Here’s the story Hayes laid out: (more…)

Minnesota Public Radio is reporting that the Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Diane Mandernach, is leaving come October. 

Many have called for her resignation (such as State Senator Marty) over her stifling information about the health of miners on the range and their escalating cases of mesothelioma.  It seems they’ve received it. 

Clean Water Fund has a new webpage up with information on contamination from the 3M chemicals collectively grouped as PFCs that are polluting Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.  Check out their press release as well.

To assist with the legal expenses of Paul Wotzka’s whistleblower lawsuit, there will be a benefit dinner at the Eagle Bluff Nature Center in Lanesboro on August 11 at 5:30 p.m.  Here’s the blurb as sent to me:

 Paul Wotzka was an employee of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) when he was asked by Representative Ken Tschumper to testify at the Minnesota House about results of atrazine monitoring that Wotzka was involved with previously as a hydrologist for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The MPCA denied his request to testify and a week later Wotzka was put on investigative leave and subsequently fired. Funds raised at this event will help Wotzka cover his legal expenses. The cost is $25 per person, required by August 8. Donations for a silent auction are also welcomed. You can bring them to the dinner or drop them off at Eagle Bluff (please let Eagle Bluff know in advance if possible).

Contact Eagle Bluff Learning Center to make a reservation at 507.467.2437 or 888.800.9558.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) began testing wastewater treatment plants for the presence of PFCs last April.  Turns out that water coming out of the Brainerd treatment plant is way above all the others tested for PFOS, coming in at 1.51 parts per billion – or almost 14 times higher than the Twin Cities.  This is made all the more strange by the fact that they don’t know where the contamination is coming from.  You can see the summary of test results from all the sites in this PDF.

Their news release doesn’t seem to be online as I write this.  In the mean time, here is the MPCA’s PFC page.

Maybe it is just because there is seemingly a story in every newspaper in the state today about Harry Potter (considered perhaps the greenest book ever, btw), but do you think it is a coincidence that this news is released the same day as the last book?  Does that mean Lord Voldemort wins out?

State Senator John Marty, chair of the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee, has a column on the Minnesota Department of Health withholding information on miners’ mesothelioma deaths entitled, MN Health Department Cover-up — Mistake or Malfeasance?

A couple of excerpts to whet your appetite:

After legislative hearings and a review of Health Department memos, it is clear that this was a calculated decision to keep the information secret, without regard to the health impact on miners, until the Pawlenty administration could put the proper spin on it…

If this was disclosed promptly, more could have been done to protect people currently working in the mines.   Internal health department memos acknowledged that release of the findings would raise demands that additional steps be taken by the mining company and the state…

Commissioner Mandernach repeatedly has stated that they did not want to release the information about health risks to the miners until the administration had “all their ducks in a row.”   Forget about the Pawlenty administration’s ducks.   How about showing some concern for the miners and their families?

No, this was not a mistake.   It was a cynical attempt to protect the Pawlenty administration’s political interests.   It is time for Commissioner Mandernach, and the those in the Governor’s office who were involved, to be dismissed. 
 

Mary Lahammer, with public televisions Almanac at the Capitol, was at the hearing Thursday on the Iron Range.  The focus was the Department of Health’s withholding public information for a year on the increasing death rate of miners.  In a note on her blog, She takes to task both the commissioner and the media:

Channel 9 was the only other metro media to show up — that’s a disappointment to me; this is an issue that should matter to every Minnesotan. People are dying. Public information you pay for was kept private.

Naively, I kind of thought these days were behind us… 

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