I am PLEASED to announce my engagement as a Contributing Columnist (Yes – I Get Paid…) with Mexico News Daily: My first article is an Opinion piece published TODAY on the front page under Opinion HERE:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/opinion/chapala-developments-should-be-put-on-hold/
ABOUT MEXICO NEWS DAILY: Mexico News Daily has built a loyal readership. Average monthly readership during the third quarter of 2018 has been 315,000. More than 29,000 readers have signed up to receive our email newsletters, Mexico News Today, a summary of the latest news and stories delivered three times a week, and the News Alert. We also have 26,000 fans of our page on Facebook, on which we post a summary of every story we publish.We publish news about Mexico for English speakers, expatriates either retired or employed, and investors and businesses with a presence in Mexico or those interested in establishing one.Mexico News Daily was launched in June 2014 as a digital publication whose goal was to offer clear and concise coverage of news and current affairs in Mexico in English. We do so by curating existing news sources, mostly Spanish-language media outlets that publish content online.
Thank you for your support and encouragement of independent journalists like me. It is deeply appreciated.
Congratulations on this “new gig”, I hope it serves you well, and that you serve it well!
I read your recent opinion piece about development issues in the Lake Chapala area and, since I live here, am mostly sympathetic to what you wrote.
You mention in the piece one matter in particular that I have followed for a while, regarding the Lake’s condition:
“October and November 2018 weren’t any prettier for the municipality. A report by the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education noted that Lake Chapala’s water contains high levels of fecal coliforms and levels of arsenic at levels above World Health Organization safety standards.”
Can you provide a citation or weblink to this report? I cannot find it in my online searching so far, and I read all of them I can find, as misinformation and partial information abounds about this, as you probably know.
Thanks, and best of luck!
Water from Lake Chapala
Sánchez-Torres, Juan D .; Nuño-Sánchez, Saúl A .; Martinez-Alvarado, Juan C .; Ruiz-Cruz, Riemann
Sánchez-Torres, J.D .; Nuño-Sánchez, S.A .; Martínez-Alvarado, J.C. and Ruiz-Cruz, R. (2018).
Report of Water Quality Data Analysis of Lake Chapala. Department of Mathematics and Physical.
Tlaquepaque, Jalisco: ITESO. Published December 2018.
Data analysis report Water Quality of Lake Chapala Institute of Technology and Higher Studies of the West ITESO Department of Mathematics and Physics Work team: Dr. Juan Diego Sánchez Torres Dr. Saúl Alonso Nuño Sánchez M. Juan Carlos Martínez Alvarado Dr. Riemann Ruiz Cruz Review: Ing. Ana Sofia Macías Ascanio
“The averages of all Fecal Coliform concentrations for each monitoring station show a very pronounced behavior, where the minimum average concentration, for the Lagoon Station 06 is 1,035 NMP / 100 mL, surpassing the LMP for the protection of life aquatic, and a maximum of 17,873.5 NMP / 100 mL, having a range of 16,838 NMP / 100 mL. In this graphic it is possible to appreciate that all the stations have maintained, on average, a concentration that exceeds-by far-what is established according to NOM-001-SEMARNAT-1994. In that meaning it can be interpreted that Lake Chapala does not meet any of the standards that protect the health of both people and ecosystems, in relation to the parameter priority of Fecal Coliforms (COLI_FEC). – it is known that all stations maintain concentrations above the reference of Standard 001 that protects aquatic life.
It is necessary to indicate that Fecal Coliforms are from sewage discharges, as the name implies, come from the feces Fecal. In this regard, the NOM-127-SSA1-1996 and the WHO, specify that for water to be good quality there should not be a presence of these microorganisms. However, it is clear that there is presence of these in the Lake of Chapala, indicating that the water of Lake Chapala, in itself, does not It is drinkable.
which indicates the Lake is “Polluted…it is evident that untreated wastewater discharges are being made to Lake Chapala, and that in addition, in relation to this priority parameter, life is not being protected.