Aug 4 2015 tt comment

Reporting from the desk at the Hypersensitive Public News Network, here are the latest highlights about our green wave.

2015 microcystin levels detected in raw Lake Erie water near Toledo's intake crib:

• Mon, Jul 27 = 0.5 ppb
• Tue, Jul 28 = 0.4 ppb
• Wed, Jul 29 = 1.0 ppb
• Thu, Jul 30 = 0.5 ppb
• Fri, Jul 31 = 0.0 ppb
• Sat, Aug 1 = 0.4 ppb
• Sun, Aug 2 = 0.4 ppb
• Mon, Aug 3 = 0.6 ppb
• Tue, Aug 4 = 0.6 ppb

No microcystin has been detected in our treated water.

The daily test results for raw lake water can be found at this PDF file titled 08 2015 Microcystin Action Level Data.

You can navigate to this PDF file by doing the following:

1. visit the city's website at toledo.oh.gov
2. click the click here link under "TOLEDO WATER DASHBOARD
3. on the left side of the page, click Microcystin Action Level Data
4. then click the August PDF file link

A reminder about acceptable microcystin levels in our tap water according to the U.S. EPA:

• 1.6 parts per billion for people of school-age and older.
• 0.3 parts per billion for infants and children younger than 6 years old, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with liver conditions, and those on dialysis.

4:16 p.m., Aug 4, 2015 tweet by Ignazio Messina with my emphasis added:

@city_of_toledo Utilities Director says he's now under gag order, cannot talk to media. We can only talk to Stacy Weber, @phh4Toledo's PIO

In my opinion, the panicky public deserves to know why the city's public information officer is more qualified than the utilities director to speak to the media about the quality of our water.

Is it because of the late June CSO debacle combined with the city's report released on Fri, Jul 31?

Is it because of what was posted in this Fri, Jul 31 Blade story?

Public Utilities Director Ed Moore said he drinks the city’s tap water and drank it last year even during the do-not-drink advisory because he believed it was never unsafe for consumption.

Did Moore imply that we never had a crisis last year?

The story behind the story. Hopefully, Messina presses PH2 for an explanation.

But I doubt that Messina receives a legitimate reason from the apparently secretive administration of mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson.

Maybe PH2 will now drop below Czarty for worst Toledo mayor, regarding transparency.

Jul 29, 2015 tweet by Ignazio Messina

In terms of transparency, I rate past 4 @city_of_toledo administrations, best-worst
@DMCToledo,
@mikebell4tol,
@phh4Toledo,
@OfficialCarty

And, it seems to us, Fred Friendly and myself, that this is a subject that should be argued about endlessly.

Stay nervous, my friends.

From everyone at the Hypersensitive Public News Network, good night, and good luck.