The Randle Reef

After the dredging in 2009 occurred effects from the procedure were seen within just two weeks, all being negative. Some longterm effects include loss of beaches and marine life. Portsea beach for example is no longer a beach and now the government is spending millions of dollars in sandbags to attempt to stop the beach from degrading even more. Erosion is slowly destroying the coast and

Canada, like so many other countries in the world continues to deal with many different environmental resource issues. Throughout our history, one of the issues affecting our country has been the treatment of our First Nations people. For the purpose of this paper, the focus will be on the safe water crisis facing Canada’s First Nations communities. The Oxford Dictionary (2016) defines a crisis as a time of great difficulty or danger. The research included will help clarify the reality of the Canada’s First Nations safe water crisis. Despite some improvements over the past few decades, many of our First Nation citizens still lack access to safe and clean water. Our reserves have water that is contaminated, difficult to access or toxic because of outdated and faulty treatment systems. (Klasing, 2016) This safe water crisis is in need of immediate attention. It is Canada’s responsibility to provide the right to clean and safe water for all of its citizens.

The 2014 Great Barrier Reef outlook report identifies ports as a moderate to major threat to the Great Barrier Reef, and outlines the impacts port activity has, including dredging and dumping of waste, increased risk of oil and chemical spills, and diminished aesthetic values. It also links problems with ports with shipping issues impacting the reef.

Because the GBR is such a highly visited tourist attraction for snorkeling and diving, there has been a large number of human structures that have been built in natural areas. Every five years, the Australian government publishes an Outlook Report that examines the Great Barrier Reef’s health, pressures, and likely future. “The report is required under Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (section 54) and aims to provide a regular and reliable means of assessing reef health and management in an accountable and transparent way.” The report shows the actions that have been taken since 2009, including the focus on improving the quality of water that runs off the land. The increased freshwater run-off is in direct relation to the coastal development that has occurred since the major bleaching events have begun. The report released in 2009, states that the greatest risks to the Reef are still climate change, land-based runoff, coastal development, and some remaining impacts of fishing and illegal fishing and poaching. The report points out climate change as being the main cause of the destruction or bleaching of the reef (Department of Environment and Energy 2017). Most observers conclude that the climate change is a direct result of human

This has led to the water supply becoming tainted with arsenic, and other toxic chemicals, which has mutated the fish. It has also led to an increased number of cancer, and brain tumor patients in the town of Fort Chipewyan, due to their exposure to these toxins. The Alberta government claims that the tar sands development leaves the Athabasca Lake unaffected, but I don 't believe that for a minute. They say that any contamination found in the river comes from natural bitumen seeps. It is very obvious from the number of cancer patients in Fort Chipewyan, and the deformed fish from the lake that the tar sands is the cause. I believe that the tailings ponds used by the tar sands are not properly lined, and that is leading to their toxic contents contaminating the river. The Dene land was taken by the government for the development of the tar sands, without their consent. As such, the law states that the Dene have the right to hunt, and fish, on that land. The main reason that they hunt, and fish is for subsistence, as it is a traditional part of their way of life. Sadly, it will be no point in hunting, and fishing because the prey will be far too dangerous to eat, due to its exposure to toxic chemicals from the tar sands.

The article Victoria’s ugly stain is about the sewage treatment in Victoria. Over the past few years, Victoria population has placed over 34 billion litres of sewage into lakes and oceans. At this moment, it’s not effecting environment, but it can hazardous to environment in future years. It can also become dangerous for living beings such as aquatic life and animals in forests. For example, writer talks about the metals found in the human waste such as copper, mercury and lead are contaminating ocean water. Also toxic byproducts from motor oil and vehicle

Locations such as the Merri Marine Sanctuary and the area around Shelly beach include a diverse ecosystem and reef area where many rock pools are noted. (Parks Victoria, 2007) Many people come down here to look at the rock pools, but this could harm the invertebrates seen in the reef, as not everyone is aware of this, especially tourists and children. This could include to trampling and picking up creatures, which puts stress on them, some being more vulnerable, then others. It is known that in an environment, anything within it should not be moved as to not make a footprint on that area and within the sanctuary it is not allowed. Within all of these areas, pollution is a huge impact on the environment, which is clearly noticeable. Plastics and clothing have been noted in these reef areas that could harm or kill invertebrates. Without humans

The Tar Creek Superfund site was once a large mining operation. The mine started in the early 1900s and was still in use until as late as the 1970s. The area was mostly minded for zinc ore and lead (Wilson). Many of the mines at this site had their own mills for the mineral separation process. Milling the lead and zinc ore created a large amount of waste. This wasted was in the form of gravel, dust, and debris. The milling process also created another type of waste know as mine tailings. Mine tailings also known as “chat”, are huge piles of pulverized rock that are left over after the target metals have been extracted from the mineral rocks that they are located in (Wilson). This separation was largely inefficient, especially in older mining operations. The result after this process left some of the metal-containing mineral left behind creating large above ground piles or being filled in pits are tailings ponds. A few of these above ground piles reached a height of 200 feet, containing high levels of lead and other dangerous substances. When mining came to an end, these huge piles of

    Coral reef destruction is a big deal. There are many environmental threats on coral reefs which means they are slowly dying. Coral reefs play a very important part in marine ecosystems. Sea creatures depend on them for protection, camouflage, as a home, and also for food. Scientists believe this could be from natural causes like erosion, and global warming as reasons that coral reefs die off but one of the main reasons is pollution. There are many different ways pollution can affect coral reefs. There is a chemical in sunscreen called oxybenzone that may be contributing to the destruction of coral reefs as swimmers are trying to protect their skin. This chemical has toxic effects on young coral that can damage their DNA,

The Tar Creek Superfund Site is part of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The Tar Creek area is where lead and zinc were mined from 1900’s to the 1960’s. When the mining came to a halt over 500 million pounds of toxic waste was left over. This waste, called chat, has caused elevated blood lead concentrations in as high as 43% in some children. When the mines were abandoned they soon flooded. This resulted in contaminated ground water, surface water, and soil. In 1983, the site was put on the National Priorities List Sites. The Tar Creek area has been on the National Priorities List for 20 years and has a rating of 58.15. Cleanup of the site has occurred since the 1980’s and is still in progress today as various organizations such as the DEQ and

The main type of contamination is hydrocarbons. Over a long period of time, Canada has used a lot of fuel and has used many fuel storage facilities, as these storage facilities age, hydrocarbons form and are lethal to the environment. A notable hydrocarbon clean up was the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line, which contained 21 contaminated radar military sites. Currently, eight of them are clean and two are currently being cleaned. If these sites were ignored, the surrounding environment would be a wasteland and no economic benefit would be derived from that area (Stones, 2004).

Oil pollution is causing cancer and other diseases. According to the text the oil might be damaging the health of those in its path. The text also states three studies show rising amounts of polluting chemicals in lakes and rivers near the oil sands. some cause cancer. According to http://www.dw.com/en/oil-boom-in-canada-health-and-environmental-damage-at-lake-athabasca/av-17437070 There is highly-toxic waste produced during the oil extraction process

Under the Sea Dumping Act, the Commonwealth aims to minimise pollution threats by prohibiting ocean disposal of waste considered too harmful to be released in the marine environment and regulating permitted waste disposal to ensure environmental impacts are minimised. Permits are required for all sea dumping operations and are most commonly issued for dredging operations and the creation of artificial reefs applying to all vessels, aircraft and platforms in Australian waters. Under the Australian Government Department of Environment (2015), the Sea Dumping Act has a relationship with Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), as the act attends to all forms such as coal seam gas, mining and sea dumping. When an operation that requires the handling of goods that can potentially impact the environment, such as exporting fuel or plants and animals, the permit must be approved by the EPBC Act as well as the Sea Dumping Act. Many stakeholders believe that the changes need to be made to ensure minimal impact to the environment occurs. A recent example of pollution to Australian waters, is the investigation by the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GQC) of an alleged oil spill in Gladstone harbour which revealed the substance with the water to be coal fines. Coal fines are the small particles of coal material that are washed-off the coal during the preparation plant process. The GPC could not pin-point what caused coal fines to be in the water, but a spokeswoman for GPC said it was suspected the material had spilled out from one of the wharf's sample plants; Where the penalty for deliberately discharging oil or chemicals into Queensland waters is $550,000 for an individual and $11 million for a corporation (The Observer, 2013). The result of the spill has caused locally sourced fish to “have been found with sores, rashes, and infected eyes, some possibly blind” which has not only

The Sydney Tar Ponds were a hazardous waste site on the Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. During the early 1900s, steel production began at this location and carried on for over 80 years. During this time, at least 700 000 tonnes of toxic by-products were produced due to the smelting and steel production processes. Some of the by-products produced were total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, xylene (BTEX), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. The toxic by-products were dumped into a tidal estuary that empties into the Sydney Harbour and the Atlantic

Over three years has passed since the incident, groups and scientists have continued to monitor toxic levels within the affected area. ('Application For Resource Consent (MV Rena)') Previously before the Rena grounded on the reef there was no scientific evidence to prove the abundant and good visibility of marine life on the Astrolabe reef. Since the Rena grounded scientific research has been carried out in order to restore the reef to its previous state and reduce contamination (Judd). One aspect of the issue is the release of toxic chemicals/objects that can cause potential harm to the ecology and water. This includes toxic metals that have the potential to adverse on the environment, for instance copper when released in