We will be lined up hand-in-hand to show our support against anymore offshore drilling in the Atlantic.

Not sure if you have time? Checkout this short video – it’ll probably change your mind.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Leave the oil in Texas; South Carolina prefers clean beaches.

Unless we get a huge amount of their oil via the Gulf stream, the best choice is to buy your seafood from right here at home; at least then, you know where it’s coming from.

Biggest reason why? Well, put it this way: would you rather be eating some fresh shrimp and seafood like we have pictured here, or do you want to have a shot at some of the crazy-sounding chemicals listed below?

Just look at these chemicals in the Gulf’s water thanks to BP:

1. 1,2-Propanediol
2. Ethanol, 2-butoxy-*
3. Butanedioic acid, 2-sulfo-, 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester, sodium salt (1:1)
4. Sorbitan, mono-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate
5. Sorbitan, mono-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs
6. Sorbitan, tri-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs
7. 2-Propanol, 1-(2-butoxy-1-methylethoxy)
8. Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated light

The choice is yours; I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.

From the Shem Creek blog.

BP’s carelessness makes buying local seafood even more important

The S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism issued a statement in its most recent newsletter saying “experts continue to predict little chance for the ongoing leak to present a future problem for the South Carolina coast. For their predictions to change, a significant alteration in the Gulf currents would need to occur.”

Hamilton Davis, energy and climate director for the Coastal Conservation League, said his group is encouraged that the state’s General Assembly has responded to the possible threat, but also anticipates lobbying this year to get legislation passed preventing the oil industry from operating near South Carolina – and encouraging the federal government to do the same.

So, if you’re planning a vacation to Charleston, come on down, we’d love to see you again, and of course, stop by Shem Creek for the freshest seafood in town!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Southern hospitality and oil don’t mix

“The computer simulations indicate that, once the oil in the uppermost ocean has become entrained in the Gulf of Mexico’s fast-moving Loop Current, it is likely to reach Florida’s Atlantic coast within weeks. It can then move north as far as about Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with the Gulf Stream, before turning east. Whether the oil will be a thin film on the surface or mostly subsurface due to mixing in the uppermost region of the ocean is not known.” – National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

From the Shem Creek blog.

Hurricanes would only make BP’s oil spill disaster even worse

Jay and his fellow workers are busy cleaning up any marine life they can rescue from the Gulf oil spill.

In this video, he says oil-drenched pelicans first become hypothermic (since the water will no longer roll off their feathers), and then if they sit in the sun, they can overheat, because their skin can’t breathe under their matted feathers.

I’m sure the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel are trained in this procedure, but hopefully we won’t see any oil-doused pelicans, turtles, or other marine life here in Shem Creek or elsewhere on the east coast like they have down at the Fort Jackson Rehabilitation Center in Louisiana.

If we do though, here’s a great before-and-after photo of their great work!

For more information, see Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response.
IMG SRC: flickr

btw: I’m sure Dove appreciated Jay’s quick plug!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Got oily feathers? Give that bird a bath!

We can all feel a little safer now when heading out on the water from Shem Creek and beyond – new data sets from NOAA give the Coast Guard the ability to track probable paths of victims and drifting survivor craft, thereby improving search and rescue efforts for the Coast Guard along the U.S. coast.

NOAA says the new data sets include surface current maps from high frequency radar systems. The technology measures speed and direction of ocean surface currents in near real time, which the Coast Guard can then use to guide its search and rescue operations with greater accuracy. The maps can also be used to support other scientific work, such as oil spill response, harmful algal bloom monitoring, and water quality assessments.

“The Coast Guard is continuously striving to enhance its Search and Rescue capabilities by obtaining the latest operational environmental products that NOAA has to offer. Better data means search efforts can be focused on smaller areas, saving more lives by allowing us to locate and assist distressed persons more quickly,” – Jack Frost, USCG’s Program Manager for

From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA, Coast Guard pool SAR resources together

]]> http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/noaa-coast-guard-sar-resources-together/feed/ 0 http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/ocean-water-quality-monitoring-begins-may-15/ http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/ocean-water-quality-monitoring-begins-may-15/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 17:01:13 +0000 Charleston Native http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/?p=1941 From the Shem Creek blog.

Ocean water quality monitoring begins May 15

]]> May 15 will mark the beginning of the sixth summer the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has sampled ocean water quality under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s BEACH Act, DHEC announced.

“The BEACH Act authorizes the EPA to award grants to states, tribes and territories to implement beach water quality monitoring programs at coastal and Great Lakes recreational beaches,” said Shannon Berry, beach monitoring coordinator in DHEC’s Bureau of Water. “These grants also support programs to inform the public about the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in the waters at beaches. South Carolina is one of 35 states receiving the EPA grant.

“DHEC monitors the quality of water at the state’s beaches every year. When bacteria levels in the water are too high, the public is notified of beach advisories,” Berry said. “Signs, written in both English and Spanish, are placed on the beach until water quality returns to acceptable levels.”

“This study will help the EPA find faster analytical methods to test surf water samples,” Berry said. “These studies begin in early June and conclude after Labor Day. We advise beach-goers to look for the survey tents, especially on weekends.”

“Surfside Beach is hosting the EPA’s study of rapid beach water testing methods.”

Berry urges people to help enhance beach water quality by following these reminders:

• * Use sunscreen.
• * Remove all items brought to the beach with you.
• * If the beach allows pets, please clean up after them.
• * Do not swim in the ocean during, or immediately after heavy rain.
• * Do not swim or allow children to play in swashes or near stormwater pipes. These areas are more likely to have higher bacteria levels.
• * Avoid swimming in areas under advisory. Walking, wading, and collecting shells are safe unless you have open sores or lesions. Bacteria can get into open sores and cause infection.

For more information about beach monitoring and swimming advisories, visit DHEC’s Web site at: http://www.scdhec.gov/beach, or contact Shannon Berry at (803) 898-3541, or e-mail at: berrysk@dhec.sc.gov.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Ocean water quality monitoring begins May 15

]]> http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/ocean-water-quality-monitoring-begins-may-15/feed/ 0 http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/epa-dangerous-toxins-near-schools/ http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/epa-dangerous-toxins-near-schools/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:55:55 +0000 Charleston Native http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/?p=1876 From the Shem Creek blog.

EPA data shows dangerous toxins near our schools

]]> In a recent USA TODAY analysis of EPA data, results show that the air outside many schools across the nation have high levels of dangerous toxic chemicals, most of whose effects on children have never been tested.

I’m not sure how many schools there are across S.C., but all together, there are 1,521 schools with dangerous toxicity levels in the atmosphere around them!

The two worst in S.C. were right here in N. Chas: Chicora Elementary (169th worst in the nation) & St. Johns Catholic School (432nd worst in the nation) – putting them both along with Charlestowne Academy & Riverside High School in the top percentile across the nation!

Chemicals most responsible for the toxicity outside Chicora Elementary School

Toxic Chemicals	Overall Toxicity
Manganese and manganese compounds	70%
Chromium and chromium compounds	20%
Nickel and nickel compounds	3%
Sulfuric acid	2%
Copper and copper compounds	1%

Polluters most responsible for toxics outside Chicora Elementary School

Business	Location
Charleston Marine Containers Inc.	N. Chas, S.C.
Meadwestvaco Corp.	N. Chas, S.C.
Detyens Shipyard	N. Chas, S.C.
Rhodia Inc.	Chas, S.C.
Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America Inc.	N. Chas, S.C.

Chemicals most responsible for the toxicity outside St. Johns Catholic School

Toxic Chemicals	Overall Toxicity
Manganese and manganese compounds	67%
Chromium and chromium compounds	20%
Sulfuric acid	4%
Nickel and nickel compounds	3%
Formaldehyde	2%

Polluters most responsible for toxics outside St. Johns Catholic School

Business	Location
Charleston Marine Containers Inc.	N. Chas, S.C.
Meadwestvaco Corp.	N. Chas, S.C.
Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America Inc.	N. Chas, S.C.
Rhodia Inc.	Chas, S.C.
Alumax Of South Carolina	Goose Creek, S.C.

_{Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Political Economy Research Institute, and USA Today.}

* Chemicals most responsible for the toxicity outside this school may not add up to 100% because only the top chemicals are listed.

Maybe there is something to living out in Kansas – wizard or not; Either way, I bet they’re breathing better than us!

* UPDATE: 3/25/9: EPA’s new Strategic Plan for Evaluating the Toxicity of Chemicals

From the Shem Creek blog.

EPA data shows dangerous toxins near our schools

]]> http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/epa-dangerous-toxins-near-schools/feed/ 0 http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/maritime-air-pollution/ http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/maritime-air-pollution/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:37:32 +0000 Charleston Native http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/?p=1844 From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA: Maritime industry contributes to air pollution big time

]]>
NOAA research ship determines maritime shipping makes a hefty contribution to harmful air pollution
Credit: NOAA

Earlier today we learned of Charleston Port Authority’s move to clean up their act with respect to the environment, and now we are getting feedback from earlier reported studies conducted by NOAA from their research ship Ronald H. Brown – two maritime air pollution stories in one day, go figure!

“Since more than 70% of shipping traffic takes place within 250 miles of the coastline, this is a significant health concern for coastal communities,” said study lead-author Daniel Lack, a researcher at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.

One surprising result to the scientists was with regard to burning these low-sulfur fuels – something the SPA just bragged about using today: while total particle emissions diminish, the time the remaining particles spend in the air appears to increase. It’s while they’re airborne that particles pose a risk to human health and affect climate. So hopefully SPA is aware of that and is working on a fix for it on their end.

“Fortunately, engines burning ‘cleaner,’ low-sulfur fuels tend to require less complex lubricants. So the sulfur fuel regulations have the indirect effect of reducing the organic particles emitted,”
– Study co-author, James Corbett.

* UPDATE 3/30/09: U.S. Proposes to Slash Harmful Ship Emissions Along the Nation’s Coastlines to Save Lives

From the Shem Creek blog.

NOAA: Maritime industry contributes to air pollution big time

]]> http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/maritime-air-pollution/feed/ 0 http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/spa-air-quality-steps-are-needed/ http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/spa-air-quality-steps-are-needed/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:05:20 +0000 Charleston Native http://shemcreeksc.com/blog/?p=1842 From the Shem Creek blog.

SPA air quality steps are needed

]]>
Truck emissions are a big problem for air quality.
Credit: Pledge for Growth

The SPA’s Pledge for Growth program is finally moving forward with the goal of improving air quality, saving fuel costs, and reducing emissions that was brought up here last year.

Some air management steps the SPA is taking include:

1. switching to cleaner fuels by using ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) – three years ahead of federal mandate. On-site partners switching to ULSD K – with an increased kerosene content – will cut air emission levels from affected equipment by 10% 2 – 4 years ahead of the federal mandate.
2. The SPA has just recently replaced four diesel-electric container cranes with all-electric models and has retired older equipment.
3. Committing to 30 minutes or less “turn time” on average by trucks on site, which will reduce the idling times and air emissions of motor carriers at port facilities.
4. Exceeding the industry average for crane productivity for loading and unloading of containers, which reduces crane emissions.
5. The SPA utilizes refrigerated container plugs on its facilities, which allow cargo to be temperature controlled on-site via electric power instead of diesel-powered generators – also reducing emissions.
6. Becoming a member of the South Atlantic Chassis Pool, roadside breakdowns can hopefully be taken care of on location vs. a tow back to the yard – reducing traffic and emissions.

From the Shem Creek blog.

SPA air quality steps are needed

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