Impacts of Industry in the Great Lakes

GLO            May,2 2014                                           

Impacts of Industry in the Great Lakes Region

The Great lakes are a vast communal resource containing a significant portion of the world’s fresh water. For centuries people have made a living by fishing the teeming waters of the Great Lakes. Now there’s something else in the water: industrial pollution. The lakes are filled with contaminants like PCBs, dioxins, methyl mercury, furans, pesticides like “mirex” and a host of other chemicals. Pollutants from centuries of industrial, commercial and urban development along the shores of the Great Lakes have contaminated many regions so intensely that the fish are often no longer safe to eat. But if you think the pollution stops there you are wrong.

It is not only factories that have an impact on the lakes but also people in the Great Lakes region. It was reported that 20 evaluated cities (one third of the region’s population) produced more than 3 trillion litres of waste in one year. This is equivalent to 1.2 million Olympic swimming pools of waste dumped into the Great Lakes each year.

Imagine this olympic pool Times 1.2 million

Threats to Human Health!

Despite the size of the Great Lakes, pollution pouring into lake waters is a threat to human health. Every year 90 billion tonnes of raw sewage is dumped into the Great Lakes. This is a serious threat to human health because untreated sewage can contain more than 120 viruses, two of which, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, can cause intestinal illness and even death. Pollutants released into surface waters in the Great Lakes basin increased by 12 percent by 2010 to 2011. 60% of our body contains water and if you believe the phrase “You are what you eat and (drink). Than what are the Great Lakes turning 40 million into? 

What Canada has done?

Since 1987, millions of dollars have been invested by the Government of Canada to help clean up the Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes.

So far work has been completed in five Areas of Concern. To date, they have:

·         Cleaned up and confirmed the re-establishment  of water quality in three areas of concern – Severn Sound, Collingwood Harbour and Wheatley Harbour- which allowed the government  of Canada to remove these sites from the list of Areas of Concern; and

·         Completed all the clean-up actions in two areas of concern- Spanish Harbour on Lake Huron and Jackfish Bay on Lake Superior- allowing these sites to be designated as Areas of Concern in recovery, which means that all the actions are complete and the areas now need more time for the environment to recover naturally.

Cleaning up the Great Lakes costs millions of dollars but regardless of the money spent on cleaning the lakes, Environmentalists proclaim that anti-pollution programs have succeeded only in slowing the rate of pollution not holding it, let alone reversing it. All the water in the Great Lakes somehow connects together and once it does the areas that were cleaned up will likely blend in with the contaminated areas. So the biggest way to make a change is for people in industries to realize that if they treat their garbage properly, it can make a huge difference in the environment. 

What Industries and workers in the Industries should do?

Industries should treat their sewage properly so that there is no more untreated sewage dumped into the Great Lakes anymore. This can make a huge difference in our society. This will mean that there will be no more 90 billion tonnes of raw sewage found in the Great Lakes anymore, no more beaches will be closed down and nobody will get “sick” anymore. Also you won't find one of these annoying signs saying WARNING NO SWIMMING. 

To take our cleanup to the next level, harmful chemicals and pesticides like PCBs and “mirex” should strictly be forbidden to throw in the lakes. Perhaps they could find a way to make other use out of it. All Industries that make motor oil should start a take-back program where people give back used motor oil so it can be correctly recycled. This is important because a single quart of motor oil that seeps into groundwater can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water.

Many people are unaware that a large part of the water pollution can be traced right back to their own backyards and homes. It’s almost impossible for the government agencies to prevent this type of pollution, but we can help solve the problem by following these a few simple steps.

·        

      Conserve Water- Taking shorter showers and turning off the tap when water isn’t necessary not only prevents water shortages but reduces the amount of contaminated water that needs treatment.

• ·         Be careful about what you throw down you sink and toilet. Make sure you never throw paints, oils or other forms of litter down the drain.
• ·         Use environmentally household products, such as washing powder, household cleaning agents and toiletries.
• ·         Correctly dispose hazardous household products. The best way to dispose of these items through “take-back” programs where drugs are returned to a facility that can dispose of them properly.
• ·         Tale great care not to over use pesticides and fertilizers. This will prevent runoffs of the material into nearby water sources.
• ·         Help clean up litter in water-filled areas. This includes beaches, lakes, and oceans. Make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby dustbin.
• ·         Be an activist. Educate yourself about water issues in your community. Donate money to organizations that help reduce water pollution.