Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Toxins drop considerably

Lake Loramie advisory lifted

By Nancy Allen
GRAND LAKE - Algae toxin levels in Grand Lake have dropped substantially, and a water quality advisory for Lake Loramie has been lifted after two consecutive weeks of good results, the Ohio EPA says.
Though toxin levels have dropped, a no contact advisory for Grand Lake remains, warning people to avoid any and all contact with the water. Ohio EPA spokeswoman Dina Pierce said that advisory will be lifted after two consecutive weeks of non-detection for anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin and microcystin levels below 20 ppb.
Pierce said there is no way to know if Grand Lake's blue-green algae problem is coming to an end for the year.
"That's the hope, that it is winding down, but it can definitely fluctuate depending on the weather" Pierce said. "August and September are peak seasons for blue-green algae blooms, but Grand Lake is a bit different because it's so shallow and it warms up pretty quickly."
Pierce said toxin level results from samples taken last week are promising, but there are no guarantees.
"It's just a matter of continuing to monitor and keeping an eye on things and hoping we've seen the worst of it."
Microcystin levels from water samples taken last week at the three state park beaches and near Pizza Hut ranged from 4.1 to 14 parts per billion (ppb). The 14 ppb was recorded at the east beach in Auglaize County. Microcystin levels the week prior ranged from 2.5 to 20.2 ppb.
The World Health Organization's recreational safety exposure limit for microcystin, a liver toxin, is 20 ppb. The WHO deems the toxin a severe health risk when they reach 2,000 ppb, which it did in Grand Lake last month.
Anatoxin-a levels also were down, with levels at all three beaches below 1.0 ppb this week. Those levels ranged between 6 to 10 ppb the prior week.
No saxitoxin was detected at any of the beaches or near Pizza Hut, and only the east beach had a measurable level of cylindrospermopsin, at 0.062 ppb, just above the detection limit of 0.05 ppb.
Anatoxin-a and saxitoxin are both neurotoxins, while cylindrospermopsin is a liver toxin.
The advisory at Lake Loramie was lifted after samples collected from the park's beach last week did not contain microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin or anatoxin-a.
In fact, Lake Loramie never had toxin levels of any real safety concern, Pierce said. The first water samples taken two weeks ago after a blue-green algae bloom was spotted produced a reading of 0.2 for microcystin and nondetect for anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin.
Advisories for the lake at Dillon State Park, Muskingum County, and at the lake at Lake Hope State Park, also have been lifted, the EPA said.
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Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - Council members on Monday night passed the second reading of an ordinance to purchase 2.75 acres of land, costing $75,000, for the city's wastewater treatment plant.
CELINA - The city of Celina likely will have to comply with Ohio EPA's timeline for reducing the wastewater treatment plant's phosphorous discharge into Beaver Creek. The deadline is Dec. 1, 2011.
MARIA STEIN -Superintendent Carl Metzger is leaving Marion Local Schools in September to become assistant superintendent of the sixth largest school district in the state.
Resident appeals to council to save McBroom school
ST. MARYS - Another eleventh hour plea to save the old junior high school was presented Monday night. This time city council members heard the appeal
Coroner believes death was natural
GREENVILLE - Authorities believe a 12-year-old Versailles boy died of natural causes while visiting the Darke County Fair on Friday night.
Jordan T
VAN WERT - A 20-year-old Van Wert man was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison for threatening to harm a judge, prosecuting attorney and other court officials.
COLDWATER - The owner of dilapidated property on West Main Street in Coldwater has said she will clean up her property by Sept. 13 to be compliant with the village zoning ordinance.
ST. HENRY - Officials Monday night agreed to replace the village's aging portable radios with cell phones.
St. Henry Village Administrator Don Hess
Mercer County had Ohio's fourth lowest unemployment rate in July, according to figures released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Ingraham escaped injury in a pair of accidents last week in the Celina area. The Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports indicated he was suffering from a medical problem at the time.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Mackenzie Rutschilling's free kick less than five minutes into the match held up for the duration as the Celina Bulldogs opened the girls soccer season with a 1-0 win over the Findlay Trojans on Monday night at Graham Soccer Stadium in Findlay.
Event will be held at Wuebker farm near Versailles
A nutrient management field day will be 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Jeff and Alan Wuebker farm, 11637 Versailles-Yorkshire Road, just northwest of Versailles.