Water is literally the lifeblood of our planet; without it, we do not exist. Unfortunately, we are in a downward spiral of water contamination that is about to cause massive problems.
Like most people, you probably think you're safe. Do you believe that tap water coming from your kitchen sink will always be fresh, clean, crisp, and cold?
Think again…
Fracking, oil spills, and “legal chemical dumps” are at an all-time high.
Water Contamination By Legal Chemical Discharge
Last autumn, I stood with hundreds and thousands of people peacefully to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline from being laid. When Trump stepped into office, he gave the go-ahead for several different pipelines to begin pumping oil. It hasn’t even been a year since the Dakota Access Pipeline began flowing under the Missouri River, and there has been a leak.
Water Contamination Report: Top Waterways Affected By “Legal Chemical Discharge”
In 2012, environmentamerica.org released reports containing information regarding water contamination caused by companies with legal permission to dump and discharge chemicals into the water.
- Ohio River: The Ohio River flows through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Over 30 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped there.
- Mississippi River: The Mississippi flows through Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Over 12 million pounds of chemicals were dumped.
- The New River flows through North Carolina and Virginia. Over 12 million pounds were discharged.
- Savannah River: The Savannah River flows through Georgia and South Carolina. Over 9 million pounds of toxic chemicals were released.
- Delaware River: This river flows through Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania with over 6 million pounds of chemicals dumped.
- Muskingum River: This river is located in Ohio, and over 5 million pounds of chemicals were released into it.
- Missouri River: Flowing through Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and Nebraska. Over 4 million pounds of chemical-filled waste were dumped.
- Shonka Ditch is located in Nebraska and discharges over 4 million pounds of chemicals.
- Tri-County Canal: Also located in Nebraska, this little river had over 3 million pounds of toxicity dumped into it.
- Rock River: This river flows through Illinois and Wisconsin and has over 3 million pounds of chemicals dumped.
How Do These Chemicals Affect Us and the Environment?
Thousands of the chemicals dumped directly into our waterways have been associated with causing developmental disorders as well as reproductive disorders, and every year it seems as though the research on the effects of water contamination is becoming more and more bleak. Also, it would be wise to remember that these are only the effects they have on humans, so it can only be expected that these issues also affect fish and other wildlife. There are more reports now than ever that fish are disappearing, and there are also claims that the Gulf of Mexico is completely dead. It was depleted through oil leaks and other contamination.
All life on our planet depends on our waterways. The Missouri River alone supports millions of people’s drinking water. Take a look at the residents of Flint, Michigan, and the whole Navajo Nation. They have been without clean drinking water for years. The waters in some areas are flammable due to the amount of gas leaked through fracking and drilling. Our water is a fragile ecosystem and if we do nothing… soon all the waterways that we need to survive will be destroyed due to contamination and legal dumping of chemicals.
What, then, will become of us?
We have a new POTUS in the Whitehouse, and it seems like he has a lot of changes to be made… His decisions in the coming years will have an echoing effect on our future.
Water contamination is a worldwide problem… How can we possibly help?
Stay on top of the environmental news and follow the oil, fracking, and big corporations to be sure we know what is really going on. Look outside the local news sources; after all, we are the media.
We have to stand together as one nation and demand a change, and if we don’t get it, we will continue fighting for the greater good.
- Stop investing in the companies that are part of the issue.
- Divest from banks that invest in the companies.
- Switch to solar, wind, or water power.
- Prepare.
Water is life! Without it, all life will cease, and the planet will die. Be the change you wish to see! Happy Surviving!
VICE News gives a video of the pipeline nation's broken industry:
What do you think about the legal chemical discharge in our waterways?? Is water contamination a concern for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Here's an article about not drinking the water because the Animas River was contaminated!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 17, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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Water Contamination Report: Record Highs Reached And Still On The Rise….Should You Be Concerned?