6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
DEBRA BLOOM
Business Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Don’t take healthy, plentiful water for granted
O
regon is known for its pristine
we’re seeing, these kinds of things are
drinking water — so good
likely to be more frequent, longer-last-
that some corporations want
ing, more intense, and it’s an emerg-
to bottle it for sale. But a new threat
ing threat we need to respond to,” OHA
has emerged: toxins produced by algae
Director Patrick Allen said.
blooms.
The rules took effect Sunday and
State and local officials were caught
will last for the rest of the year while
off-guard in late May when cyanotox-
permanent regulations are written.
ins were discovered for the first time
Too little research has been done
in treated drinking water in Oregon
on toxic algal blooms and their health
— Salem’s water supply.
effects on humans, but the
Officials were slow to alert
OHA was smart to act.
‘Don’t go
the public, and their ini-
As for our state’s capi-
into water
tial announcements created
tal, Salem was ahead of the
confusion. Residents were
that is foamy, curve in testing for cyano-
outraged, and rightly so.
toxins. Few Oregon lakes
scummy,
Most people could drink
and rivers are monitored
thick like
the water without becoming
routinely for the harmful
ill, but the botched com-
algae blooms and result-
paint, pea-
munications left them won-
ing toxins, which can cause
green, blue- symptoms similar to food
dering how public officials
would respond in the event
poisoning. Still, the blooms
green or
of a true disaster, such as a
have been found in 16
brownish
devastating earthquake.
Oregon counties during the
red. A good past five years.
Since then, the state and
city of Salem have gotten
Drinking water for
rule of
their act together. To her
Salem and several other
thumb for
credit, Gov. Kate Brown
communities comes from
soon pushed the issue by
the South Santiam River.
you and
declaring an emergency —
The river flows from
your
pet
is:
an administrative action
Detroit Lake, a popular rec-
that allowed the Oregon
reation area that has been
When in
National Guard to provide
under on-and-off health
doubt,
stay
water and enabled other
advisories for algal blooms
out!’
state agencies to help out.
this year.
On Friday, the Oregon
The city of Salem is
Health Authority issued temporary
operating round-the-clock water distri-
rules requiring water suppliers around
bution sites — dispensing clean water
the state to regularly test for cyano-
from neighboring Keizer’s wells —
bacteria — harmful algae blooms —
while installing a treatment process to
and alert the public when cyanotoxins
remove cyanotoxins.
are found. The list of affected systems
Meanwhile, Douglas County
includes Warrenton and Seaside.
recently issued a permanent health
“In an era of climate change that
advisory about potential cyanotoxins in
Sgt. Jennifer Lena/ 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Spc. Joshua White, right, of the Oregon Army National Guard, and Andy Smetana, with
the city of Salem, distribute water in Salem last month.
ABOUT CYANOTOXINS
Location: Since 2013, harmful algal blooms have been found at various times in Baker, Coos,
Clackamas, Clatsop, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn,
Marion, Morrow and Multnomah counties. However, most Oregon lakes and rivers are not regular-
ly monitored for cyanotoxins.
Appearance: Algal blooms generally appear as thick foam or scum on the water surface. They
may resemble pea soup. They can be bright green, bluish-green, white or brownish-red.
Exposure: Cyanotoxins can be ingested, whether accidentally while swimming or by drinking the
tainted water. Inhalation is a low risk. Cyanotoxins cannot be absorbed through the skin but can
create a skin rash.
Health effects: Symptoms can include numbness, tingling and dizziness that can lead to difficulty
breathing or heart problems and require immediate medical attention. Skin irritation, weakness, di-
arrhea, nausea, cramps and fainting should also receive medical attention if they persist or worse.
Vulnerable people and pets: When cyanotoxins are present in recreational water, children and
pets are at increased risk for exposure due to their small size and high level of activity. In drinking
water, cyanotoxins create a greater risk to children under age 6, adults age 65 and older, people
with compromised immune systems or liver conditions, pregnant or nursing mothers, people on
dialysis and other medically fragile individuals, as well as pets.
Typical camping or home-use water filters do not remove cyanotoxins. Boiling may increase their
concentration.
Source: Oregon Health Authority
the South Umpqua River and Lawson
Bar. Other recent advisories included
Lake Billy Chinook, Upper Klamath
Lake and Dorena Reservoir.
Oregon’s healthy, plentiful water
has been in sharp contrast to much of
the world. But we dare not take it for
granted.
tors around the world as worthy of praise and
emulation.
At the very same time, just days before
meeting with North Korea, Trump was trash-
ing America’s relationship with our closest
allies and trading partners at the G-7 meeting
of democratic nations. His primary focus there
was to insist on the presence of another dicta-
tor, his idol, Vladimir Putin.
He heaps praise on the brutal North
Korean dictator, and insults and starts a
trade war with the Canadian prime minis-
ter? Republicans, I implore you to wake up to
what is going on with the person you elected
to the presidency. He is leading us to a very
dark place. Don’t think it can’t happen here. It
has already begun.
ERIC HALPERIN
Gearhart
is resigning. While ruling with the conserva-
tives on most cases, he did come through for
the liberals on several key issues.
Anti-choice advocates are drooling at the
mouth that President Donald Trump will get
to appoint one of them to the Supreme Court.
Instead of forcing women to have babies
that they cannot take care of properly,
shouldn’t we instead be working on caring for
the children we already have here with good
medical care, lead-free water, clean air to
breath, nourishing food, and a gun- and vio-
lence-free environment?
JEAN HOOGE
Astoria
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sen. Johnson has
represented us well
I
’m writing this letter to take issue with the
letter to the editor June 26 in which the
writer states “Betsy Johnson is not a Demo-
crat, let alone a moderate one,” and goes on
to state Sen. Johnson should consider resign-
ing from the Democratic Party (“Johnson
out of touch with constituents,” The Daily
Astorian).
I am a Democrat who has voted for Betsy
every election. She has represented us well
during these past 20 years. She votes the way
she believes is best for all, and sometimes that
is not along strict party lines. She does not
suffer fools. I trust her judgment, and com-
mend her on voting the issue, not the party
line.
NELSON TAYLOR
Astoria
Trump has turned
the economy around
F
or years, Congress and presidents used
America’s tax laws and taxpayer dollars to
improve the economies of foreign countries.
That caused a growth of international corpora-
tions, and led to more wealthy people around
the world.
But all that new wealth didn’t help aver-
age Americans. In fact, just the opposite
happened. Remember President Obama’s
“new normal” approach, when he couldn’t
improve our depressed economy? Remem-
ber how he told us in 2010 to get used to
“long-term” lower economic growth and high
unemployment?
And yet President Trump turned the econ-
omy around in just months. And how he did it
isn’t at all complicated. For starters, President
Trump told the country he believed a presi-
dent’s first duty is to America and the Consti-
tution — not the world. And that belief was
welcomed by Americans who hadn’t heard a
president say those words for years.
Oddly enough, that belief also helped
make President Trump an outsider to the
Washington establishment, including most of
today’s extremely liberal journalists and TV
pundits.
For years, the Washington establishment
had ignored hardworking, ordinary Ameri-
cans. Trade policies greatly favored foreigners
over Americans, and our manufacturing facil-
ities were allowed to go to pot. By the time
2016 rolled around, those situations were seen
as massive political blunders by the Washing-
ton establishment.
Democratic Party activists still continue to
express bitterness about the election. Mean-
while, President Trump’s common-sense eco-
nomics and tax reform is quickly fixing past
screw-ups by career politicians.
DON HASKELL
Astoria
Trump leading us
to a very dark place
R
egarding the letter to the editor “Trump’s
foreign policy strategy is different” (The
Daily Astorian, June 15), the writer is compli-
mentary of President Donald Trump’s inter-
action with North Korea, and Trump’s set-
ting tariffs on our trading partners. He likened
Trump to a knowing father dealing with an
errant son.
In fact, Trump slathered endless praise on
a brutal dictator who kills or imprisons his
political enemies, and impoverishes his peo-
ple. Trump is envious of the Supreme Lead-
er’s iron grip on his nation, and by his words
and actions, Trump acknowledges dicta-
Care for the children
we already have
L
iberals cannot help but feel betrayed that
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Why trust the FBI?
O
nly in the swamp known as Washington,
D.C., can it be said we as a nation trusted
the FBI, only to find out its director of nearly
50 years wore dresses, and now progressives
trust the agency when it’s been caught with its
pants down.
MATT JANES
Jeffers Gardens