1. interesting story about the nitrogen run-off which is presumably coming from the sewage treatment plant. the amount of nitrogen coming from the run-off depends on the degree of treatment for the sewage. up here in boston there is a three-level treatment plant that pumps the effluent over seven miles out into cape cod bay (versus pumping UN-treated sewage directly into the harbor as was done for decades). prior to the beginning of discharge there was a VERY high degree of concern over pumping that much treated waste water into a very active ecosystem. the area is home to various species of whales, marine animals and is a popular recreational fishing site. perhaps it's too early to tell the complete effect of this discharge but there are several facts already on board:
1 - boston harbor hasn't been this clean in at least sixty years.
2 - marine life has returned to boston harbor with a vengence due to the clean water.
3 - recreational fishermen are jumping for joy over the abundant baitfish and the schools of gamefish which feed from them - bluefish, stripped bass and a bumper crop of tuna.
4 - the whale watch boats had an excellent season with good-to-excellent levels of sightings.
5 - waterfront recreation has directly benefited and the harbor is one of the un-sung treasures of the state.
now that's not to say that all of this has been a direct result of the cleaner effluent. there have been stringent fish conservation laws in place and we are hopefully seeing the fruits of those efforts. but there seems to be no doubt that the cleaner product produced by the tertiary treatment process has helped to make what was an ecological disaster into a treasured resource. now, what does all of this have to do with the palm beach issue? only this: one must determine what kind of treatment plant they have as well as the level of final discharge treatment. one must also identify other possible sources of nitrogen i.e. perhaps the tons of fertilizer dumped onto those finely manicured lawns?? there is no doubt whatsoever that UN-treated sewage is a biological nightmare but there is a great deal of evidence that properly treated sewage plant discharges can co-exist quite nicely with pro-environmental policies and strict enforement.

Posted at 3:04PM on Oct 17th 2005 by frank murphy

2. We have a similar situation with our "friendly" neighbors to the North. Untreated sewage is dumped from Vancouver Island, British Columbia directly into the waters of the Puget Sound, one of the richest marine environments in North America. Whenever the local government is confronted about this issue thier rebuttal is that the currents carry the waste South into American waters and thus there is no need to spend the money to build treatment facilities. Not very green behavior from our ostensibly eco-friendly neighbors.

Posted at 5:54PM on Oct 17th 2005 by Calvin Tang

3. Frank, thanks for the info on Boston harbor! I used to live there a few years ago, but didn't know anything about the levels of sewage treatment there. Now I'm in LA, and our friend Rachel works as a marine biologist at the Los Angeles Hyperion water treatment plant, and she's invited us to take us on a tour of the facility, so we can see first hand what happens to the poop before the effluent is released in the California Bight. Should be interesting...

Posted at 9:47PM on Oct 17th 2005 by Anat Grant

4. hi anant - ya, the future for boston harbor is bright indeed and let's hope it stays that way for a long time. there is currently a proposal to install an LNG discharge terminal on one of the outer islands which is generating quite a bit of eco-opposition as you might imagine. once again, i'd like to wait and see some of the proposal before being pro or con but i'm generally of the belief that smart industry can co-exist with eco interests.
as far as your sewage treatment tour - go for it! you may be pleasantly surprised at the seemingly simple process coupled with the degree of effort that goes into safe, resonsible treatment. disclosure - in my checkered past i had to treat shipboard sewage and can say firsthand that it can be done to great effect.

Posted at 12:46PM on Oct 18th 2005 by frank murphy

5. Thanks for pointing out Canada's "it's not our fault" attitude, Calvin. I didn't know that.

And Frank...man you know a bunch about poop.

Posted at 1:43PM on Oct 18th 2005 by Willy

6. On the note about Canada:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/10/18/canada.pollution.ap/index.html

Posted at 6:55AM on Oct 19th 2005 by mccand