Be careful skiing Florida folks... :(

[Lenny]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/18/zarrella.killerlakes/index.html

[rustnrot]

This is not at all surprising to me. Frankly, over the years I have wondered why this has not happened more, and every so often I will hear of an isolated incident usually occuring from some farmer's pond or very small body of water that can experience higher temperatures easily. Perhaps the rising temperatures recently exacerbated it. Also this amoeba is not new, it has been around a long time, it's just the conditions for its growth have not been there.

A little history from my perspective: In the 1980's we (Savannah River Nuclear Site, South Carolina) built a cooling lake (not a tower) for one of the reactors. During the summer as you can imagine, combined with the general heat of the summer, temperatures in this lake easily reached 80 and more like 90 degrees +. Luckily, this amoeba was identified early on since we had on-site ecological experts and there was never any kind of incident.

Anytime maintenance had to be done on the floating lake's monitoring stations, the occupants of the boat had to wear rubber gloves, masks, etc.

I am saddened to hear this and can only imagine what will happen if we continue to warm up.

[gcarter]

The problem isn't the temperature as the summer temps in the lakes here are always 90*+/-.....but instead, it's the low water levels. The lakes here in the Harris Chain are down about 2 1/2' and there is no movement....period.
They look like a cesspool. It's no wonder this is happening. I wouldn't get in the water.

[Sweet little 16]

sorry i'll take my lakes that freeze and stay clear, when we boat on them :eek!:

[gcarter]

sorry i'll take my lakes that freeze and stay clear, when we boat on them :eek!:
Actually, all we need is to get caught up on rain. Minus 26" last year and minus 15" or so this year.

[rustnrot]

Six deaths so far this year. Texas, Florida, Arizona. Be careful folks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21034344/

This is very serious but I cannot help but comment that the expert's name is Beach!

[RedDog]

...In the 1980's we (Savannah River Nuclear Site, South Carolina) built a cooling lake (not a tower) for one of the reactors. During the summer as you can imagine, combined with the general heat of the summer, temperatures in this lake easily reached 80 and more like 90 degrees +. Luckily, this amoeba was identified early on since we had on-site ecological experts and there was never any kind of incident.
Anytime maintenance had to be done on the floating lake's monitoring stations, the occupants of the boat had to wear rubber gloves, masks, etc.
I am saddened to hear this and can only imagine what will happen if we continue to warm up.

I spent a bit of time there in the late 80s - early 90s on the K-Reactor Restart Project. The protective gear may have been due to tritium as well - or not. Tritium releases were an occasional occurrence from that site. And then there were the gators in the cooling ponds (at least I was told).

[rustnrot]

I worked there for 20 years. I was head of all 3 reactors E & I prior to head of all electrical, instrumentation, and computer testing for K restart.

The amoeba was in L-Lake, the so-called cooling pond for L reactor only. The protective gear was required if you were in the lake in a boat. It was not for tritium. There were other issues with tritium but this is not to be confused with that.

Alligators are native at Savannah River Plant as well as here in Augusta so yes they were in and around cooling ponds as well.

[Sweet little 16]

looks like they have had other cases in TX and AZ this year as well in warm still fresh water
sad very sad

[steven s]

I went to lake kerr near the salt springs, and the past summers before the hurricanes in was 50 ft from the cabin, after the hurricanes it was only about 25 -30 ft away.But when I went in july it was about 65 ft away.

But for the most part I only ski or tube in the ocean.