HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[Johnny French]

The first reports of findings since the TCEQ kicked off the study of bacterial loading and sources in the Oso Drainage were provided and didcussed at TAMU-CC Tuesday night. The good news is that, although the first few sampling runs showed unacceptably high fecal coliform bacteria levels in the creek, acceptable low levels were found at the sampling stations downstream in Oso Bay. The bad news is that this may be because there has been very little rainfall to flush the crap into the bay since the recent sampling began. Historic data show that when it rains hard in May, as it usually does, the Bay gets nasty, too.

It doesn't appear so far that the wastewater discharges into the creek are the source of the bacteria, which is reasonable since that wastewater is treated extensively before release to kill them. That means the sources of the bacteria are still unknown. Hopefully, we'll know more in August. Also, hopefully, we'll have had some rain to kick the system into demonstrating its dynamics better.

[rabbit]

Check the companys that have drainage going into oso creek.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[RedFish Chaser]

[Johnny French]

Redfish Chaser, enterococci are among the things being sampled, but I found the reports confused by referrences as well to fecal coliforms and maybe still another term applied seemingly interchangeably. I think part of the problem lies in their historic data being based on several different sets of sample subjects as well as different techniques, which are usually not the methods being employed to get the new data. Let me clarify, too, that my reference to wastewater was to the discharges from MUNICIPAL wastewater treatment facilities and others for which good record keeping and permits are required. 'Course, all of these permitted sources are self-reporting and only occasionally checked, which might be considered one of the functions of the TMDL study. Overall, though, the study is casting a very wide net and not ruling out anything.

One of the things that I'd like to see is a scan of the carbon isotope and even the DNA makeup of the bacteria to see if that gives any clues to the source(s). Feedlot waste bacteria are different from those generated in dog, bird, and human intestines, and also differ based on specific diets. Pat Suter joked that maybe the possums did it, but they're only estimated at population levels of 75/sq. mi. here in CC. People and their pets far out-number them, so far. Caught my 16th possum since the beginning of April night before last.

[Guest]

Johnny French, we're glad that you, Ms. Suter, and several others are keeping an eye on the WAG (work advisory group) and the work in keeping everyone honest as possible since we've heard that the City is eliminating the Environmental Dept. What does that say for the City? The TAMUCC has an interest in getting grant money from the state to keep their programs funded. Certain top manager(s) in the City of Corpus Christi have an interest to down play anything that may portray a problem, even when there's evidence that leads to a potential health & environmental issue. And the TCEQ have an interest to get to the facts, enforce, and try to protect the environment while trying to appease all factions. Hopefully the rest of the makeup of the WAG (citizens, organizations) will clearly see through all the political traps and protect the rest of us by guiding/recommending via the WAG to TCEQ. On another matter, ever wonder why our city doesn't have a beach warning signs program when most of the other beaches throughout the country have one? City management: not clearly for the main interest of protecting its citizens, but perhaps one or few individual's near sightedness, stubbornness, and control and command down to subordinates. You've heard him speak before at the mtgs.

[Bluffer]

As long as the fish are ok thats the main concern.
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Fish hard, fish the Bluff. Surrounded by water!
-A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem-

[Johnny French]

Bluffer, ever since watching the movie Jaws, I call the tendancy for a community official to underplay a public threat, such as the lousy quality of its water, the Jaws Syndome. Worst case I ever heard of that was of some officials in the Valley petitioning EPA because their drinking water had pesticide levels above the safe drinking standards. These officials didn't ask EPA to help them clean up their water; instead, they asked EPA to raise the acceptable standards for everyone.

The reason for all the concern about enterococci and/or fecal coliform bacteria is that they can be more readily sampled and identified than some of the much more deadly things, like the bacteria and viruses causing typhoid and hepatitis. Their presence can indicate poorly treated or even untreated human wastes are in the water, and hence that the diseases may be present as well. Unfortunately, there are other wastes than human ones which will culture out similar indicator bacteria, giving false positive results. Of course, most of us would just as soon not fish and swim with "brown trout" around us, even if the poop came from Fido or Bossy, so it's still important to do this study even if human bacteria aren't found.

Keep in mind, too, that there are some other pretty nasty diseases lurking naturally in local waters. Cholera and flesh-eating bacteria are related vibrio species that occur here in relatively small levels in salt water and shellfish. However, the chances of you getting infected by either around Corpus Christi are much smaller than those for catching murine typhus from a possum. The city leads Texas in typhus cases, you see.

[Guest]

The city dump is only a few yards from the upper Oso.
Does this raise any questions about self reporting?

[Johnny French]

The self reporting involves those wastewater discharge activities which have permits. The dump has no overt wastewater discharge or permit for same, so has no reporting. The TMDL study is equipped to pick up both point and non-point discharges, including surface runoff, leaky pipes and septic tanks, leaky dumpsites, and moonlight dumpers.

[Twiztedrods]

One question still remains.

Are the fish that are being caught in Oso Bay safe for human consumption?

Earl
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Gone Fishing <'/////<
www.coastalfishing-texas.com

[Johnny French]

Twiztedrods, that's a question for which the answer is most directly the responsibility of the Texas Department of Health. The TCEQ's TMDL study isn't targetting edible fish and shellfish, nor even the chemicals that are most often associated with their contamination. Indirectly, by identifying sources of certain bacteria in the watershed, the study MIGHT find reason to look into toxics like mercury and PCBs from those same sources, but I doubt it. Ask your question of your state representative; you have every right to know.