The Stream, January 18: The U.S. Navy Pays for Water Filtration System After Fire-Fighting Chemicals Contaminate Wells
The Global Rundown
The U.S. Navy agrees to pay for a filtration system after military firefighting chemicals pollute the water supply of Whidbey Island, Washington. The European Union (EU) suspends a million-dollar water conservation project in Kenya after forest guards kill a tribesman. The United Nations (UN) announces that half of drought-stricken Somalia will need aid in 2018. A water main break in San Diego, California, floods homes and opens a sinkhole. Poor minority groups lack access to water and sanitation as India‘s cities grow.
“Is it a lack of development or a deliberate denial of development to a certain section of the population?” –Arun Kumar, head of a charity in Mumbai, India, in reference to the ongoing failure to provide basic amenities to impoverished Indians. As India’s cities grow, inequality deepens, leaving many poor Indians without access to safe water or sanitation. Reuters
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By The Numbers
90 minutes Length of time that a water main break in the Mountain View neighborhood of San Diego, California, gushed water. The deluge flooded several homes and formed a sinkhole, which partially swallowed a vehicle. San Diego Union Tribune
$35 million Cost of an EU water conservation project in Kenya. The project was helping to restore degraded land and protect water catchment areas, however, the project was recently suspended due to violence among the communities involved in the project. Voice of America
Science, Studies, And Reports
The UN states that 6.2 million Somalis will need emergency aid in 2018 as the country enters its fourth consecutive failed rainy season. The UN is launching a $1.6 billion funding appeal, which will provide water, food, and shelter to the country’s drought-stricken residents. Reuters
On The Radar
The United States Navy has agreed to pay for a water filtration system after remnants of fire-fighting chemicals from military installations were found in wells on Whidbey Island, Washington. The action is part of a wider Department of Defense effort to aid communities where drinking water has been polluted by military activities. The Seattle Times
In context: Congress passes Defense spending bill that includes perfluorinated chemicals health study.
Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter
