Berlin — A river on the German-Polish border has become a mass grave. Volunteers and authorities have been busy for days removing tons of dead fish floating on the surface of the Oder River. The cause of the massive die-off, which has affected a stretch of the river more than 300 miles long, remains a mystery, but Sascha Maier, a water policy officer at the BUND environmental organization, told CBS News on Wednesday that "everything points to a manmade catastrophe." Authorities are struggling to find answers. More than 500 firefighters are taking part in the efforts to clean up the mess on the Polish side of the river. Maier said at least 110 tons of dead fish had been removed from the river as of Wednesday. A sample of about 100 of the carcasses were taken for investigation, while the rest was to be burned at a dedicated site in Germany. Poland's government says no toxic substances have been found in water samples from the Oder, and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa said … [Read more...] about Mystery toxin suspected as 100 tons of dead fish removed from Oder River on German-Polish border
Dumping waste into river
‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime find and was covered in crust’: An afternoon with Britain’s mudlarkers
“Help, it’s a big one.” I turn around quickly, hopeful for treasure, to see mudlarker Monika Buttling-Smith wrestling with a leech on her arm. She pulls it off in good humour and tosses it back into the still, cool water of the River Stour, in north-east Essex. For a second, I experience the surge of excitement that brings mudlarkers back to the foreshore and murky depths of UK streams, rivers and coastlines time and again. Mudlarking , the alluring practice – to some – of hunting through river mud for lost items of value or historical significance, has been around since the late eighteenth century. But the activity - now more of a hobby than a desperate way to earn money - is enjoying a boom in the current drought, as the lack of rain dries the land and causes the water levels of some non-tidal rivers to recede. This has been the driest eight-month spell since 1976 . A drought was declared across half of England on Friday and the source of the Thames has dried up to more … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime find and was covered in crust’: An afternoon with Britain’s mudlarkers
Sewage hits dozens of beaches after torrential downpours
Swimmers have been told to avoid more than 40 beaches and bathing spots around the UK after heavy rain overwhelmed sewer systems. Various beauty spots have been hit by ‘storm sewage’, reigniting questions about how sewage can be allowed to get into public waters – and anger at water companies. Pollution warnings were put in place across England and Wales after downpours hit the country following months of little to no rain. The south west and south coast of England were the worst affected, according to data gathered by environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). Swimmers are advised against bathing at nine beaches in Sussex, seven in Cornwall, five in Dorset, four in Devon, three on the Isle of Wight and three in Essex. Warnings have also been put in place in Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and South Wales, as well as two inland wild swimming spots near Bristol and Minehead in Somerset. On Tuesday, there was an alert at Spittal near Berwick in … [Read more...] about Sewage hits dozens of beaches after torrential downpours