The Stream, November 8: World’s Top 10 Toxic Rivers and Places

Water Pollution
The top 10 toxic hotspots in the world are primarily in developing countries in places where people are either processing resources or recycling waste for the developed world, polluting waterways and creating major health concerns, according to a new report released by the Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland, the Guardian reported. Among this year’s top 10 are the Citarum River in Indonesia and the Niger River Delta in Nigeria.

Water storage tanks meant to hold contaminated water from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant were shoddily built, according to reports from workers hired to construct them, the Associated Press reported. The workers say they were rushed while building the tanks last year because of the growing volume of contaminated water leaking from the plant.

United States
New water quality standards, including numeric limits for some water pollutants, were approved in Missouri following pressure from environmental groups to fix Clean Water Act violations, the Associated Press reported. The new standards could cost wastewater treatment plants $US 2 billion for infrastructure improvements.

As the U.S. shale oil industry prepares to expand its trade on ocean barges next year, the U.S. Coast Guard is proposing rules to allow hydraulic fracturing wastewater to be transported on rivers, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Wastewater up to this point has largely been transported by trucks.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek