Minnesota's Environmental Problems: Water and Air Pollution

I choose two environmental problems that I am interested in learning about: water pollution in Minnesota's waters and air pollution. I choose Minnesota because I have family members who live there. I am also considering moving to Minnesota one day. The first time I visited Minnesota in 2005 I liked it right away. The weather is pretty good considering I love California weather. I love the fact that there is no traffic. I expected to sit in traffic because I arrived at 7am in the morning and by the time I left the airport with my cousin it was close to 7:15, yes only fifteen minutes to get my luggage. It was a small airport and parking was close by. Unlike the huge parking structure in LAX. I stepped out of the airport and parking was only across the street. Once on the road, I only had to be on the road for less than five minutes before we made it to my cousin's place. I cousin lives in Eagan, Minnesota.

Minnesota states is one of eight states that border the five great lakes. The other states are: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin - as well as the Province of Ontario. The Great Lakes serve as the boundary between the United States and Canada. People use lakes for fishing, boating, swimming, and when they freeze, ice skating. But people can also damage lakes. Companies and communities use them to dump sewage and other waste. Chemicals can cause weeds and algae to grow too fast. That uses up oxygen in the water and kills off other life in the lake. Water is polluted when it contains harmful impurities that affect living things. Water pollution can have natural causes. Storms can cause soil and other debris to dissolve in water. Human activity causes the most damage to the water supply. Waste material on land can also pollute groundwater-the water contained in soil and among rocks. Dangerous material can pass into the food cycle through crops or animal feed.

Minnesota lakes are also affected by pollutants. For example, when it rains, Minnesota's water is being polluted. Rain and melting snow act like a water hose, washing the landscape free of loose dirt and grime. Materials washed off the land eventually end up in the water, they can become harmful pollutants. Pollution cause by rain and snowmelt is called storm water pollution also known as nonpoint-source water pollution. Point source water pollution is the once caused by industrial or wastewater discharge pipe. The main storm water pollutants harming Minnesota's water are: Sediment, Nutrients, Microorganisms, Toxics and heat.

Sediments are road dirt and eroded soil. Constructions sites soil is easily washed or blown away. The washed or blown away soil finds its way to the water. The sediments fill the lakes, rivers and wetlands, destroying wildlife, habitat, interfering with recreating, and causing flooding. Sediments also carriers other storm water pollutants. Sediments is the biggest pollution problem for Minnesota streams and rivers.

Nutrients are plant food. Plant food is good but when the plant food enters the water in large amount this causes algae growth. Algae are small floating water plant that turns the water green, slimy and smelly when they grow in groups. Phosphorus are found in many algae plants. Minnesota passed the Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizer law. This restricts the use of phosphorus containing lawn fertilizer. Phosphorus is the biggest pollution problem for Minnesota lakes. Minnesota has outlined the sources of phosphorus pollution across the state.

Toxic are chemicals found in pesticides, salt and metals such as lead, copper and zinc. Toxic materials can be found easily in everybody's yard. The road salt, running water for storage yard's roof after rain, metals coming off roofing material and car brake pads. Toxic materials found in Minnesota waters are harder to identify.

Heat is another form of water pollutant. Storm water from run off from hot roofs, roads and parking lots entering the lakes and rivers can raise the stream temperature. Many of us may wonder why the water temperature is considered water pollution. Well it is water pollution to the fishes. Trouts require cold weather and cold temperature to survive in the waters. When run off from hot roofs, roads and parking lots enter the water, this increase the water temperature.

Microorganisms are bacteria found in feces. The high levels of fecal bacteria caused Twin Cities swimming beach to shut down. These feces originated not from human but from pet and wildlife. The feces wash into the lakes with the storm water. In 1993 when the drinking water treatment plant in Milwaukee malfunction 40,000 fell ill. It turns out runoff from livestock feces enter the plant during spring snowmelt and since the plant experience a malfunction the plant was not able to remove the bacteria.

In 1997 a lagoon pump malfunctioned and dumped 100,000 gallons of liquefied hog manure into Beaver Creek, killing 690,000 fish. This was one of the worst problem but not the only ones. Minnesota experienced a lot of water pollution that could be prevented. (http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/factor/stmin.asp)

To prevent runoff from properties during snow melting and rain, many cities mimic nature. To do so, they build and add more greenery around the area to absorb most of the drainage from rooftops. For example, In St. Paul's Upper Swede Hollow neighborhood, sits a 900-square-foot garden. The garden captures pollutant street runoff that would otherwise flow into the Mississippi River. Native plants in two low-lying areas remove oil, grease, heavy metals and sediment, so the water that isn't absorbed by the garden is cleaner once it does reach the river. The garden also provides open space for residents, and an outdoor classroom for teaching elementary-school students about erosion control and native plants.

Planting a garden to filter most of the runoff from property is a good way to capture and prevent polluted water from reaching the lakes and rivers. Landscaping is part of every home and business so it does not cost anymore to do so. Just like homes In Seattle Washington. The neighborhood originally had sidewalks and less grassy areas. To fix their water pollution problems the neighborhood had a makeover. The streets were aligned with grassy sidewalks, more trees and more greenery in the low lying area to capture the runoff before it flows in to the rivers and lakes nearby. This is a practical solution to prevent increase in water temperature that kills the fishes. It is also a good idea because the gardens capture most of the sediments before it reaches the rivers and lakes. Social factor that hindered the implementation of this plan is very simple. Low lying garden serves three purposes, and is already part of many homes. So to use already what exist and revise it a little bit to serve two purposes is just another smart idea. First purpose, the garden lows pretty and compliments the home and adds value to any home. Second purpose, the trees and bushes will mask most of the street noise and leaves also absorb some of the carbon dioxide we humans produces. Third purpose, the garden absorb run off from roofs, and sidewalks that would otherwise drain to the storm system and enter our waters and lakes.

I believe using nature to save our lakes from further prevention and pollution is a long term goal that is easily accessible and developed. It is easy to implement by addressing this issue with the new home builders to include a garden that will serve the purpose. It does not require any extra funding because all new homes have a garden or greenery section already.

Minnesota passed a law to prevent Nutrients from draining into their water system. The Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizer lawn, this restricts the use of phosphorus on any lawn fertilizer. All of their lawn fertilizer does not have phosphorus. That is very interesting because I believe phosphorus is necessary for root growth and good seed production. Phosphorus is the second number found on the packages of any fertilizer. The next time I visit Minnesota I would go to the store to see if their fruits and flowers fertilizer has this restrictions. Roses and fruits need phosphorus to produce buds and have flowers. Fruits need them to bear fruits. Phosphorus is necessary so plants can go through the photosynthesis stage.

Minnesota also has a volunteer program called the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP). This program requires the cooperation of citizens to collect water samples from the lakes.

CLMP volunteers collect water transparency data using an 8-inch, circular, all-white metal plate attached to a rope. About once a week during the summer, volunteers will take their boat and drop the water sample collector into the water according to a designated area specify by the department. . The disk is lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. Then a rope is pulled to close and shut the water collected. At the end of summer, volunteers send their data sheets to the MPCA to be compiled with other water-quality data.Air pollution

Air pollution is not visible to the human eyes. But when people start to get sick often we know we have a pollution problem. Air pollution can impact our health, the environment, and our quality of life. Air pollutants may cause respiratory diseases, cancer and other health effects. Pollutants also may create odors and smog, diminishes the protective ozone layer, and contributes to other environmental problems, such as acid rain and global climate change. The air inside homes, schools, and other buildings also may contain pollutants that enter from outdoors and those generated indoors. Mold, radon, tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, and chemical emissions from products and furnishings are some of the important pollutants that may be present in our homes and other indoor environments. (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/air/index.htm)

In 1995, Seventeen children at the Jansen's home-based day care center got sick. They all had similar symptoms-diarrhea, nausea, headaches, vomiting, teary eyes and stuffy nose. The children range from newborn to 13 years old. Jan's observation she notice the kids only got sick and had those symptoms when the winds came from the south. Records shows there was two factory-scale pig farms just south of Jan's daycare. One was a mile away and the other one is three-quarters mile away. The farm raised 16,000 baby pigs to market size. The other farm held 2500 pigs. These farms have been in operation for a long time; however the odor was masked by a machine that masks the odors. However, during this time the machine malfunction and the odor spread rapidly across the field to neighboring homes and businesses. Jan started to notice the foul sewer smell in her home. Jan phone the poison control officials whom confirmed that the symptoms of the kids were a case of encyclopedic list of symptoms from unsafe hydrogen sulfide. According to the poison officials the only symptoms these kids have not experience from all reported cases, seizure and deaths. It is scary to know that such dangerous air is allowed to spread to neighboring towns and cities where they can kill other people. Once Jan packed up and drove to a lake 45 minutes away, the children stop crying and their symptoms were gone. The clean air by the lake stopped all the symptoms. Jan's case is a very lucky one, her kids are safe and no further damages were done. However, imagine how many people would have died if they did not caught on to this sooner? Jan became an activist and went into debt to document local feedlots violation. Jan also spent her time documenting the violations of the state's safety standards for hydrogen sulfide gas. Mainly the state ignored most of the violation. This news story dated 1995. This clearly tells me that air quality is important. This explains the reasons why I got dizzy when I drive by certain farm areas where there is livestock.

The state has strict standards for over 20 years. Prior to 1997, feedlots in Minnesota were not tested for compliance. Animal feedlots are the largest source of nitrogen emissions in the state. Feedlots emission of nitrogen to the air exceeds electric utilities, cars and trucks. In 1997, a law was made in affect which enforce its air quality standards for hydrogen sulfide.

On August 6, 2004, Governor Tim Pawlenty issued an Executive Order requiring state departments to take actions to reduce air pollution in their daily operations. The order requires departments to choose and implement at least two specific pollution-reducing steps. The department can choose from a list of things:

Departments may select from a suite of pollution-prevention options, such as:

• buying the most fuel-efficient vehicles that meet department needs;
• using cleaner fuels such as E85 in flexible fueled vehicles;
• purchasing office equipment that earns the Energy Star for efficiency; and
• Implementing energy saving features in buildings after doing an energy audit.

I see that above are options being used by other states as well. California introduced the hybrid car. Hybrid emits less smog than the average cars. Some actually emits close to zero smog.

All of us contribute to air pollution. Almost half of Minnesota's air pollutants come from "mobile sources," including the cars and trucks we drive. Mobile sources include other gasoline and diesel engines that are used by construction companies and agricultural companies.

If we all take part and keep Minnesota clean it would cost less to clean it up later. Many Californians also replaced their high energy cost to energy efficient light bulb. There are incentives for driving hybrid cars in California. However, Minnesota does not have the same traffic congestion that we have in California but keeping the air clean is an investment for the future of our children as well.

References

Gunderson, D. (public radio reporter). (2005) Minnesota's waters becoming more polluted Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/10/10_gundersond_impairedscience/

Minnesota pollution control agency (August 23, 2007)Citizen lake monitoring program Retrieved October 31, 2007 from http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/clmp.html

(n.d.). Minnesota environment initiative: Clean air minnesota. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from http://www.mn-ei.org/air/index.html

(n.d.) Natural resource defense council Mimicking nature to solve a water pollution problem Retrieved October 28, 2007 from http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/lid/lid3.asp

(2007). Storm water pollutants. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://www.cleanwatermn.org/learn/stormwaterplltnts.asp

(2007, September 17). The land of 10,000 polluted lakes. Declining lake and river quality should be a top concern for minnesotans. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from https://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/09/17