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EPA workers' union calls for telework options over legionella bacteria in three cities

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Thursday, September 5, 2024

The union representing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff called on the agency to allow temporary remote work after legionella bacteria was found at multiple EPA facilities around the country. Officials have reportedly closed certain sinks, water fountains and other water sources at EPA buildings in Washington, D.C., Houston and Chicago after positive tests for the bacteria. Legionella is associated with various infections, including the pneumonia-like illness Legionnaires’ disease, although the type found in the EPA facilities is not the type most commonly associated with the disease. The General Services Administration, which oversees many federal office buildings, has said repairs are ongoing to address the test results, which also found lead and copper in the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago. In a statement Thursday, Marie Owens Powell, President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees, called on the leadership of the agency and the GSA to make telework options available while the outbreak is resolved. “EPA employees work day in and day out to keep our communities safe from environmental hazards. The irony of legionella, along with lead and copper contamination, being found in EPA buildings across the country, is not lost on us. Legionella can become airborne and deadly,” Powell said in a statement. “Expecting staff to come into the office and put themselves at risk of exposure is completely unacceptable. We have the ability and the technology to allow our workers to continue working safely from an alternate work location while the situation is being remediated.” AFGE Local 704, which represents the Chicago facility, has also filed a grievance noting that its contract requires telework options when the agency "cannot provide a safe and healthful workspace,” and also requested a shutdown of all drinking water sources in the affected buildings. The Hill has reached out to the EPA and the GSA for comment.

Officials have reportedly closed certain sinks, water fountains and other water sources at EPA buildings in Washington, D.C., Houston and Chicago after positive tests for the bacteria.

Legionella is associated with various infections, including the pneumonia-like illness Legionnaires’ disease, although the type found in the EPA facilities is not the type most commonly associated with the disease.

The General Services Administration, which oversees many federal office buildings, has said repairs are ongoing to address the test results, which also found lead and copper in the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago.

In a statement Thursday, Marie Owens Powell, President of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees, called on the leadership of the agency and the GSA to make telework options available while the outbreak is resolved.

“EPA employees work day in and day out to keep our communities safe from environmental hazards. The irony of legionella, along with lead and copper contamination, being found in EPA buildings across the country, is not lost on us. Legionella can become airborne and deadly,” Powell said in a statement.

“Expecting staff to come into the office and put themselves at risk of exposure is completely unacceptable. We have the ability and the technology to allow our workers to continue working safely from an alternate work location while the situation is being remediated.”

AFGE Local 704, which represents the Chicago facility, has also filed a grievance noting that its contract requires telework options when the agency "cannot provide a safe and healthful workspace,” and also requested a shutdown of all drinking water sources in the affected buildings.

The Hill has reached out to the EPA and the GSA for comment.

Read the full story here.

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The mayflies are sending us a warning about urban wildfires

The story told by these streams and their tiny inhabitants is clear: Urban wildfires pose a serious threat to water quality and aquatic life.

A tiny, vibrant world thrives along the rocky bottom of most streams. As sunlight filters through the water, mayfly nymphs, no larger than your fingernail, cling to algae-coated cobbles. Six spindly legs anchor them against the current, while feathery gills wave gently, drawing oxygen from the flowing water.Subscribe for unlimited access to The PostYou can cancel anytime.SubscribeThis scene is common in well-maintained creeks and streams that flow through populated areas. But when wildfires sweep through, the toxic materials left behind can devastate this ecosystem.When you think of urban wildfires, you might picture charred trees and houses. But beneath the surface of nearby streams, fires can also cause a silent upheaval — one that affects populations of creatures that are important indicators of the water’s health.Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems. They rejuvenate landscapes by clearing out dead brush and releasing nutrients from vegetation and soils.When fires move from nature into neighborhoods, however, they encounter a drastically different set of fuels. Urban conflagrations consume a mix of synthetic and natural materials, including homes, vehicles, electronics and household chemicals. This creates a unique set of problems that can have far-reaching consequences for waterways and the creatures that call them home.As an environmental engineer, I study how human actions on land affect the chemistry and ecology of surface water systems, including an important group of stream dwellers: benthic macroinvertebrates. These tiny creatures, which include mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, are not only food sources for fish and other stream life but also serve as nature’s own water quality monitors.The author collects samples from a stream. (Adam King)The Camp Fire’s wake-up callIn November 2018, the Camp Fire devastated the town of Paradise, Calif., destroying over 14,000 homes and other structures. In the aftermath, my colleagues and I examined the effects of large-scale urban burning on the chemistry of nearby watersheds.The results were alarming: Metal concentrations in affected watersheds increased dramatically — up to 200-fold from pre-fire levels. Concentrations of these metals exceeded Environmental Protection Agency aquatic habitat acute criteria, recommended levels that indicate when a metal has reached the threshold of “toxic” for organisms in the water.For humans, contaminated watersheds can compromise drinking water sources by requiring extensive water treatment or even making some water supplies temporarily unusable.Wildlife, particularly sensitive aquatic species such as fish and amphibians, face immediate threats from these pollutants. The toxic metals can disrupt their reproductive cycles, impair growth and destabilize ecosystems.Silent witnessesIn their larval stages, benthic macroinvertebrates live on the benthos, or bottom, of streams, where they are constantly exposed to the water and sensitive to changes in stream chemistry.Fly-fishing enthusiasts might recognize these creatures as the inspiration for the flies they tie. They are food for other aquatic life, but their presence, diversity and abundance also provide insight into both short-term pollution events and long-term environmental changes that chemical tests alone might miss.Because many species have short life cycles, they allow scientists to observe changes quickly, and different species can provide a nuanced picture of water quality.Just as we were finishing up our analysis of the Camp Fire samples, on Dec. 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire devastated communities in my home state of Colorado, destroying over 1,000 homes in Boulder County’s Coal Creek watershed.For two years following the fire, I worked with a team at the University of Colorado at Boulder to monitor water chemistry, benthic macroinvertebrate populations and algae in Coal Creek. We found that the runoff from fire debris dramatically altered both water quality and the ecological balance at fire-affected sites.Our findings showed persistently elevated toxic metal levels and declines in sensitive aquatic species, indicating potential long-term risks to human activities, such as fishing and irrigation. They also showed that recovery would likely take many years.A toxic cocktail for streamsSimilar to after the Camp Fire, at Boulder County’s urban, fire-affected sites, we observed elevated concentrations of nutrients and metals, including copper, nickel, lead and zinc. By measuring stormwater, we showed that these pollutants were conveyed by concrete drainage systems that quickly funneled the water into the creek. We noted 84 instances where metal concentrations exceeded EPA aquatic life criteria limits in the first year.We also measured significant changes in the types and numbers of benthic macroinvertebrates present. One of the most striking findings was the impact on algae-eating mayflies, which are particularly sensitive to changes in water quality.In the burned urban stretch of the stream, we observed an interesting phenomenon: abundant algae growth but fewer algae-eating mayflies. This suggests that nutrients from burned vegetation are likely stimulating algae growth, while toxic metals from the urban fire debris are hurting sensitive organisms such as mayflies.The algae, while plentiful, may be accumulating toxic metals from the water. When other organisms consume this algae, they could ingest these metals as well. This process, known as bioaccumulation, can lead to increasing concentrations of toxic materials moving up the food chain.What does the evidence mean?It’s important to note that the full impacts of urban wildfires on stream life are still being studied. We can’t yet say definitively whether organism numbers are low because those organisms are dying or if they are experiencing subtler effects, such as reduced reproduction. The decrease in mayfly populations, however, is a concerning indicator of ecosystem stress.For humans, the implications are nuanced. While Coal Creek isn’t a drinking water source, it is used for irrigation and recreation. Metal-contaminated water could accumulate in stream sediments and continue to affect sensitive organisms long term.The creek’s overall health also affects its ability to filter water and support biodiversity.The story told by these streams and their tiny inhabitants is clear: Urban wildfires pose a serious threat to water quality and aquatic life. To protect streams, communities need to reduce fire risk and runoff afterward. Improving urban planning, management of stormwater and watershed monitoring can help safeguard water resources.The health of streams affects the health of communities. Everyone can benefit by listening to the mayflies’ warning.The writer is a researcher in environmental engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder.This article was produced in collaboration with theconversation.com.

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Decade-Long Study Challenges Traditional Views of Evolution

Research reveals the impact of environmental changes on genetic variation over time. In a new study, scientists from Arizona State University and their collaborators studied genetic changes in a naturally isolated population of Daphnia pulex, a species of water flea. This tiny crustacean, nearly invisible to the naked eye, plays a vital role in freshwater [...]

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Billpayers in England and Wales tricked into ‘stealth bailout’ of water companies

Campaign group challenges industry regulator over price rises for customers that will pay to upgrade infrastructureThe water industry regulator has been accused of overseeing a “stealth bailout of water companies” over proposals to increase bills by up to 44% over the next five years.Campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (Wasp), which exposed suspected illegal discharges of sewage across England and Wales, has challenged Ofwat, the industry regulator, over the proposed price rises. The final determinations are due to be announced in December. Continue reading...

The water industry regulator has been accused of overseeing a “stealth bailout of water companies” over proposals to increase bills by up to 44% over the next five years.Campaign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (Wasp), which exposed suspected illegal discharges of sewage across England and Wales, has challenged Ofwat, the industry regulator, over the proposed price rises. The final determinations are due to be announced in December.In a submission to the regulator, Wasp says the review should not be finalised until ongoing investigations into the industry are concluded, including a wide-ranging review of the industry announced by environment secretary Steve Reed.It also says the regulator has failed to provide key data on how much shareholders in water firms have paid in upgrading infrastructure since privatisation, warning that billpayers have footed the bulk of the bill.The citizen science organisation believes that it forced environmental watchdogs into action after it deployed AI to detect previously untracked sewage discharges, publishing a paper in March 2021.Eight months later, the Environment Agency announced its largest ever criminal investigation into potential breaches of environmental conditions at wastewater treatment works.Ashley Smith, founder of Wasp, said water firms had built “illegal operation” into their business models, presiding over sewage pollution in rivers and along the coastline in England and Wales while taking billions of pounds in dividends. Consumers were now expected to pay for the clean-up operation.He said: “If the price review carries on as planned, customers are going to be forced to pay higher bills to conduct a stealth bailout of water companies. We think Ofwat is tricking the public into funding it.”Ofwat’s 2024 price review sets the price controls for water and sewage companies for 2025-30. It published a draft determination in July, proposing to increase total spending by the water industry in England and Wales from £59bn over 2020-25 to £88bn over 2025-30. The water firms requested investment and expenditure of £105bn.On average, household bills from water and wastewater companies will rise by £19 a year over the five years, before inflation.Average bills at Thames Water, the UK’s biggest water and sewage company, will rise more than £99 over the five-year period, from £436 to £535. The biggest increase is for customers of Southern Water –its proposed bills will rise by £183 (44%), from £420 to £603.From left: minister for water and flooding Emma Hardy, environment secretary Steve Reed and financial secretary to the Treasury Spencer Livermore at a water industry roundtable meeting this week. Photograph: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs/PAOfwat says its regulatory framework has “enabled £200bn of investment since privatisation” but has not provided, on request from Wasp, the proportion of this investment that was paid for by shareholders in water firms. Wasp also alleges that Ofwat has not adequately tracked how this money has been spent and its impact on water quality in the environment.Since privatisation, water companies have paid out £53bn in dividends, according to Ofwat’s figures.A report in May by David Hall, a visiting professor in the Public Services International Research Unit at the University of Greenwich, claimed that shareholders had “invested less than nothing of their own money” in water companies in England and Wales. Ofwat said in response at the time that it “strongly refuted” the figures.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe Wasp submission says: “It appears that the information underpinning Ofwat’s assertions regarding £200bn investment does not include reportable analysis of how much of that money came from shareholders. Not even a broad figure of percentage.“We accept the urgency of the need to resolve the infrastructure ‘black hole’, but that urgency should not be an excuse for exploiting the captive billpayer.”In 2022, the government’s Office for Environmental Protection announced that it would carry out an investigation into Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs over the regulation of combined sewer overflows in England. That is ongoing, and Wasp says a price review cannot be conducted in the usual way until this inquiry and others have reported.An Ofwat spokesperson said: “We have received responses to our consultation from many organisations, including environmental and consumer organisations, water companies, customers and investors.“Inevitably these reflect a diverse range of views on the proposals we have made. We will consider all of these responses carefully and set out our final decisions on 19 December.”A Water UK spokesperson said: “Water companies want to invest £105bn to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers. Ofwat wants to cut that investment by £17bn – a record amount.“We cannot delay upgrading and expanding vital infrastructure any longer. Ofwat needs to reconsider its approach and approve these plans in full so we can get on with it.”

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Judge sides with Illinois attorney general in lawsuit over Chicago Trump Tower's water use

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GoGreenNation news

EPA workers' union calls for telework options over legionella bacteria in three cities

Related News

The mayflies are sending us a warning about urban wildfires

Decade-Long Study Challenges Traditional Views of Evolution

Billpayers in England and Wales tricked into ‘stealth bailout’ of water companies

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Judge sides with Illinois attorney general in lawsuit over Chicago Trump Tower's water use

Suggested Viewing

Ser Manguezal

Chicas al Agua

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Protecting the River Krupa

One Day We Will Dance With You

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a sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

EPA workers' union calls for telework options over legionella bacteria in three cities

Related News

The mayflies are sending us a warning about urban wildfires

Decade-Long Study Challenges Traditional Views of Evolution

Billpayers in England and Wales tricked into ‘stealth bailout’ of water companies

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer: Major Milestone for Moon Water Mapping Spacecraft

Judge sides with Illinois attorney general in lawsuit over Chicago Trump Tower's water use

Suggested Viewing

Ser Manguezal

Chicas al Agua

The Cost of Sand

Protecting the River Krupa

One Day We Will Dance With You

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Join us to forge
a sustainable future