Middletown & Newport's Dirty Beaches

My alternate title for this is, "Speak to the Hand." Atlantic & Easton (First Beach) beaches were featured on the evening news because of the pollution closure. Evidently people were swimming & then the signs went up. If it rains an inch or more, these beaches are CLOSED. Don't swim there! It takes a day or two for the water to clear up (or more). There haven't been as many closures this year because of a draught.

What has our State Sen. done about this problem? She's been there a quarter century & the problem has just gotten worse. The lege needs a blue ribbon commission to come up with a plan to deal with this state-wide problem. Wait, I thought they had one. How about a plan?

TheTown Council also needs to being this to the forefront. I'd suggest complaining to our Sen. & Rep. Long, but that's a waste of time. Again, you may as well, "Speak to the hand." Rep. Rice needs to put this on her agenda also. It's difficult to encourage local business to locate/stay here when this makes the news.

Then, of course, there are poor old Kings' Park Beach & Third Beach which don't even make the news anymore. Beaches in Portsmouth have suffered the same fate for ?20 years or more. And I've been stuck in all day with my various meds due to allergies & newly acquired asthma because of lousy air quality. When I get ahold of that hand...

Our Beaches Some of the Dirtiest in the Country

"The Ocean State’s beaches were the fourth worst in the nation last year in terms of meeting national health standards for beach pollution, according to a national report released yesterday by a New York environmental watchdog agency. "
And which beaches top the list - hmm. Newport’s Easton’s Beach and the beach at Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown,
"And there is hope that the largest single root cause of Bay pollution, sewage overflow from Providence, can be neutralized. Next fall, Providence will complete the first phase of its Combined Sewage Overflow tunnel, which should capture the millions of gallons of rainwater and sewage that currently overflow the metropolitan sewer system during heavy rains.
“The best step Rhode Island can take to tackle beach closings is to tackle our pollution problems by funding upgrades to our sewer." So says Ernest Julian, chief of the Department of Health’s Office of Food Protection, which monitors pollution levels at state beaches.
What has the State done? Well this year a bill was finally passed regarding phasing out cesspools. Why does this matter? Four yrs. ago we had a bad fish kill & the lege held meetings on what they could do about it. Our Sen. Gibbs came out of the meeting saying that the #1 thing we could do was get rid of the cess pools in coastal areas, esp. Little C. So she sponsored a bill, and sponsored a bill, and sponsored a bill. This yr. a bill finally passed - sponsored by - someone else. A Democrat. Nice lady, absolutely useless in the State House.
We've been luckier this year with fewer closing than last year. Why fewer closings this year? Because of our excellent plan? No - BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN LESS RAIN. Middletown has replaced it's sewer line in the area & upgraded its pumping station. Yet if we receive an inch of rain or more - CLOSED.
We still are having runoff problems & no solution yet. And the polluted part of Third Beach isn't even on the agenda. Fix it! If Prov. needs help, give it to them. Many hours of time has been spent talking about trash removal. Let's get serious here & talk about our pollution problem. Why aren't we speaking to NOAA? Rep. Kennedy said in a speech that he wanted to help us out & secure funding. So let's take him up on it.
With the air quality down lately, and my asthma & allergies kicking in, the beach with it's better air quality is one of the few places I get any relief. But that's another article.

BTW, Light rain today. Thanks to Projo writer Daniel Barbarisi.

Bad Air Day

It's an ozone alert day. This means poor air quality. I have a mild case of asthma, but these past few days I've been finding it harder & harder to breath when I am outdoors. So I think that it's another beach day.

Some info:

Ground-level ozone is formed by a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen in the presence of sunlight. Sources of VOCs and oxides of nitrogen include:
• automobiles, trucks, and buses
• large industry and combustion sources such as utilities
• small industry such as gasoline dispensing facilities and print shops
• consumer products such as paints and cleaners
• off-road engines such as aircraft, locomotives, construction equipment, and lawn and garden equipment.Ozone concentrations can reach unhealthy levels when the weather is hot and sunny with relatively light winds.


Ozone Action Day tips:
•Conserve electricity and set your air conditioner at a higher temperature.
•Choose a cleaner commute—share a ride to work or use public transportation. Bicycle or walk to errands when possible.
•Defer use of gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment.
•Refuel cars and trucks after dusk.
•Combine errands and reduce trips.
•Limit engine idling.
•Use household, workshop, and garden chemicals in ways that keep evaporation to a minimum, or try to delay using them when poor air quality is forecast.

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority offers free rides on buses and trolleys – a $1.50 value per bus trip and a $2 value per trolley ride -- on regular routes, but not special routes.

It's a moderte alert day on the coast with an 85 reading. Much worse farther inland.