County Health employee Jim Erven misrepresented and exaggerated (yet again) the dangers of nitrates in a recent letter to the Sewer Board. He says high nitrate levels in the groundwater can cause blue baby syndrome and fish kills, neither of which have occurred in Seeley Lake. And he overlooks the fact most of the residents in the Sewer District drink out of the lake...not the groundwater he claims is polluted.
He stated one test well had gone over the state standard occasionally for groundwater pollution but neglects to tell you all three test wells in the district tested BELOW that standard 90 percent of the time. And he neglects to tell you the Sewer Board was advised to drill test wells in all four sub-districts but drilled three wells in only two of the sub-districts...one by a laundromat, one by a RV pump-out and the third by a bark waste disposal site. All the results from these three questionable sites are probably skewed.
Erven, further, cannot identify the SOURCE(S) of groundwater nitrates. Absolutely, septics contribute nitrates to groundwater but they come also from fertilizer and animal waste (beaver, cows, dogs, cats, elk and muskrats).
He touts the current sewer proposal noting it will remove 85 percent of the nitrates, while overlooking the fact a well-maintained septic can remove up to 50 percent of the nitrates from the waste stream. The Health Department has never tested an individual septic...or my dog…to see how much they contribute to the nitrate pollution problem up here.
He infers humans ingest nitrates only from water but fails to mention we can get them from vegetables and meat, also. And he overlooks the fact the municipal (lake water) drinking system is tested regularly and is safe to drink.
Erven notes lake sampling does NOT show elevated nitrate levels and he says the nitrates are taken up by aquatic plant life (algae blooms). He fails to mention the algae blooms in Salmon Lake are typically FAR LARGER than those in Seeley.
Finally he neglects to mention the millions of gallons in that body dilute nitrates in the lake. There is 10-15 feet of accumulated mud in both Salmon and Seeley and this mud stores pollutants. Even with the “turn” of those lakes in the spring when the cold water sinks and pushes up the warmer deep waters, and with the roiling caused by summer boating, these lakes are relatively nitrate free.
It is irresponsible of Mr. Erven and the Missoula County Health Department to inaccurately represent this nitrate pollution problem to promote a near-$40 million sewer project which may bankrupt our community. AND it is irresponsible for that Department to FAIL to introduce, promote, encourage and sponsor new, innovative, less-expensive, state-of-the-art IN TANK wastewater treatment technologies.
Reader Comments(0)