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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Rosarito Beach is described as a "Pig Sty"
This is a long one so just remember 'progress' is good as you read.
August 4, 2007
Environment News
New Ecocides Sweep Mexico's Coasts
Undergoing rapid development, Mexico's coastal zones-and
its tourist beaches-face a deepening environmental crisis.
Untreated wastewater, boat discharges, discarded plastic
bottles and bags, and streams of chemicals transported by
rivers increasingly degrade the nation's coastal waters.
Massive resort developments, new roads, commercial fish
farms, countless condominiums and ubiquitous shantytowns
lacking connections to municipal sewerage systems are
stripping hillsides of vegetation, threatening mangrove
estuaries and contributing to the waste flow into the
ocean.
In a statement distributed on the Internet last month,
R.C. Walker of the Puerto Vallarta Ecology Group, contended
that the recent conversion of four city parks into parking
garages symbolized a development debacle. "First the
parks. Next the hillsides. Next the mountains," Walker
wrote. "Meanwhile, the beaches are being turned into high
condominium towers. This is called 'Acapulcoization'."
The environmental assault is so widespread that places such
as Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, which once enjoyed a "clean"
reputation in contrast to "dirty" old Acapulco,
are showing increasing signs of contamination.
2007: The Summer of Sewage?
While veterans of the hippie movement celebrated the 40th
anniversary of San Francisco's famed "Summer of Love, day-
trippers who responded to the promotional ads plastered on
the hilly city's buses that promised a memorable Mexican
vacation might have actually ended up experiencing a bummer
south of the border.
In many places, tourists coped with floating garbage, foul
odors, and high levels of fecal coliform bacteria that can
lead to skin rashes, eye infections, respiratory problems,
stomach disorders, and diarrhea. The World Health
Organization (WHO) has established a health standard for
the enterococcus bacteria of 100 parts per 100 milliliters
of water, but Mexico's Health Ministry uses a far more
liberal standard for enterococci of 500 parts per 100
milliliters of water in establishing the supposedly safe
exposure limit.
Dozens of e-mails posted on Greenpeace Mexico's website
reported pollution pockets across the country. Alejandro
Garcia of Matamoros charged that sediment was being dumped
directly into the waters of the well-visited Bagdad Beach
near the Tamaulipas-Texas border.
Paval Quiroz, a resident of Playas de Rosarito in Baja
California, called the municipal beach a "pig-sty" littered
with garbage. Sonora Architect Julio Cesar Feliz claimed
that wastewater discharges into the Sea of Cortes were
readily visible on the Internet's Google Earth satellite
program.
Drivers who survived the rockslides and potholes that
injured the family of singer Miriam last month and which
have claimed dozens of lives since 2005 on the treacherous
Mexico City-Acapulco Highway of the Sun could well have
returned with less than sexy memories of the romantic
port.
"My brother left the water with a sanitary napkin on his
head and almost vomited," wrote Ana Maria Palacios. "While
he was swimming, my cousin could not see because a bag of
Sabritas got stuck on his face." Guadalupe Botello of
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, contended that her daughters
turned ill in 2005 and 2006 after Acapulco beach dips.
According to Botello, a severe bout of gastroenteritis.
landed her daughter in the hospital for a 5-day stay two
years ago. "The doctor explained to me: 'your child swam in
(feces)'," Botello wrote.
In June, before the summer tourist onslaught, the Ministry
of Health reported enterococci levels ranging from 705 to
934 at three Acapulco beaches-Hornos, Suave and Carabali.
In Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, tourists were treated to the
spectacle of stinking wastewater entering La Ropa Beach
during the high season. According to a local newspaper,
municipal water employees took one week to respond to the
crisis.
"The smell is unbearable, and the children can't enjoy the
water because it is super-polluted," said Yolanda
Rodriguez, a tourist from Mexico City. "Don't let
Zihuatanejo go downhill, because it is changing from a
pretty, clean and safe place to one that gives little
desire of a return visit."
Losing tourists is bad news for places like Zihuatanejo,
especially at a time when Mexico has slipped behind Germany
to eight place in the World Tourism Organization's ranking
of favored world travel destinations. For the third year
in a row, Mexico stagnated in 14th place in the
international organization's rating of national incomes
derived from tourism, a trend that spells trouble for
communities dependent on the industry.
In Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Greenpeace Mexico protested
unhealthy waters. Citing recent studies from the National
Water Commission, Greenpeace reported that the
municipality of Puerto Vallarta contaminates picturesque
Banderas Bay with 49,248 cubic meters of wastewater every
day.
Agricultural chemicals, grease and oil that flow into
Banderas Bay from the Ameca River, a body of water that
passes through the Guadalajara Metropolitan area, worsen
the water quality.
Charging that the enterococci recently detected in the
waters of Puerto Vallarta's Los Muertos Beach exceeded
World Health Organization (WHO) standards by 16 times,
Greenpeace activists closed down the beach on Wednesday,
August 1, in a symbolic protest.
"This discharge is a health risk and is only one example of
what is going on along Mexican coasts," said Alejandro
Olivera, Greenpeace Mexico's ocean campaign coordinator.
In a previous statement, Greenpeace cautioned that no
official information in Mexico exists about the presence of
fecal coliforms in sand, an issue which has arisen in
scientific studies conducted in the United States, Europe,
Israel and New Zealand. According to Greenpeace, one
California study found that a gram of beach sand could
contain enterococci levels as high as 10,000 parts per 100
milliliters of water.
An e-mail sent to Greenpeace from Alejandra Rodiles
characterized the Mexican pollution as part of a bigger
ecocide afflicting the hemisphere: "From Acapulco to Vina
del Mar (Chile), the most beautiful beaches of Latin
America are becoming inaccessible to bathers due to the
contaminating assault from different sources, above all
from discharges of used water into the sea."
Nonetheless, dirty beaches are not an untidy product
unique to the "developing" world south of the US-Mexico
border. In California, The non-profit Heal the Bay group
maintains a "beach bummer" list of the state's polluted
beaches on its website. Local authorities are
investigating the sources of contamination at places like
Capistrano Beach in northern California, which has been
permanently labeled by the San Mateo County Environmental
Health Department as a potential health hazard.
Possible explanations for a "Third World" pollution
phenomenon in a state long viewed as the trend-setter for
much of the modern world include bird poop and aging,
leaking sewer lines.
Mexican Authorities Respond
The Mexican pollution problems reported by Greenpeace
certainly are not new. For the most part, neither are the
responses of the authorities. Although ocean waters are
part of the national patrimony, municipal and state
governments are responsible for building and maintaining
wastewater plants. Consequently, efforts at reducing the
fecal flow have been scattershot, varying in investment,
magnitude and commitment from place to place. Often, cash-
strapped municipalities lack the budgets to replace
obsolete plants or implement wastewater recycling programs.
Some observers attribute the lack of progress to the
chaotic nature of Mexico's municipal political system in
which administrations and their personnel change every
three years. Turn-over, cronyism and reinventing the wheel
define numerous political transitions.
In the fast-developing Nayarit Riviera north of Puerto
Vallarta, sharp stenches and visible trickles of raw
sewage into the waters of the internationally-known
Sayulita surfing beach have welcomed tourists this year. In
January, when snowbirds were flocking to the tropical beach
even as an old wastewater treatment plant was sputtering
its last breaths, staggering levels of 3,968 enterococci
were registered at Sayulita, according to Mexico's
Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources
(Semarnat). No health warnings were posted on the beach at
the time.
Nayarit's state government, which is working hard to lure
more California tourists, has embarked on a wastewater
treatment expansion project. Last month, Greenpeace held a
meeting with Nayarit Governor Ney Gonzalez Sanchez and
state Environment Secretary Edwin Hernandez Quintero to
discuss the pollution problem. According to the
environmental group, Governor Gonzalez agreed that a clean-
up was in order.
"If the governor meets these commitments, Nayarit will
become an example," said Greenpeace activist Olivera.
In a recent interview with Frontera NorteSur, Acapulco
Mayor Felix Salgado Macedonio mentioned environmental clean-
up as one of the priorities of his administration. The
flamboyant mayor, who made headlines this summer for
personally filling in potholes on the Highway of the Sun to
goad the federal government into fixing the deadly road,
said that Acapulco's good credit rating renders the city
eligible for international bank loans needed for
infrastructure development.
"We're deserving of credit, and it seems to me all we need
is the support of the state congress," Mayor Salgado
said. "We haven't applied yet, but (loans) could be an
element of interest to Acapulco Bay."
Frequently, politicians and tourist industry leaders have
reacted to the coastal eco-crisis by denying that one
exists. In 2002, while under the leadership of Victor
Lichtinger, Semarnat launched its own "Clean Beaches"
campaign. The federal agency began posting
fecal coliform test results on the Internet so tourists
could judge for themselves the health risks they faced at
particular vacation getaways. Moreover, Semarnat attempted
to post health advisories on dirty beaches.
The federal actions elicited howls of protest from state
politicians and tourist industry leaders who accused
Semarnat of trying to undermine local economies. To make
their point, the governors of Veracruz and Guerrero
splashed around in their state's ocean waters to show the
public that all was supposedly safe. Semarnat's signs were
stolen from beaches, and Lichtinger was soon out of a job.
Semarnat's critics accused the agency of complicity in a
still-mysterious conspiracy to promote Cancun at the
expense of other beach destinations, a charge that still
surfaces from time-to-time. Reacting to last week's
Greenpeace beach protest, Puerto Vallarta Mayor Javier
Carbajal accused the green activists of trying to damage
his city.
Since Lichtinger's departure, water quality sampling
results reported to the public have been periodic. During
the summer 2007 tourist season, when sun-seekers risked
illnesses from swimming in potentially contaminated waters,
Semarnat did not post current water quality data for the
public to view on the Internet.
In 2006, Semanart initiated a program of voluntary
certification for Mexican beaches. In order to be certified
as clean, beaches have to comply with the stricter WHO
water quality standards. Officials have so far submitted
certification applications for about 10 of the nation's 275
tourist beaches. The candidates for certification include
beaches located in Baja California Sur, Sonora and Veracruz.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace Mexico demands that all Mexican
beaches be required to obtain certification under the WHO
standards. The group also calls for regular water quality
sampling; the posting of health warning signs;
appropriating special wastewater treatment funds for
municipal budgets; and improving wastewater treatment
technology.
"Mandatory certification would bring the efficient
treatment of wastewater to beach destinations and generate
the conditions for making beaches truly clean and safe,"
Greenpeace's Olivera said.
Additional sources: El Despertar de la Costa
(Zihuatanejo), July 24, 2007. Article by Juan Francisco
Garcia. La Jornada, July 16 and 20, 2007; August 2, 2007.
Articles by Ivan Restrepo, Javier Santos and editorial
staff. El Sur, July 2 and 29, 2007. Articles by Mario
Lopez, Ezequiel Flores Contreras and Agencia Reforma. Daily
Journal (San Mateo), July 30, 2007. Article by Michele
Durand. Greenpeace.org.mx. Healthebay.org.
Semarnat.gob.mx
Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Building a house without a sewage system isn't a wise decision.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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How true!
| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Rosarito Beach is described as a "Pig Sty".
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Was there yesterday and saw the pigs.
Town's full of them.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Dave
Hope you didn't 'slop' them.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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They seem to show up on weekends.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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Damn those surfers!
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
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Despoiled
How depressing.
And, to think, Rosarito Beach was such an innocent, unspoiled quiet, natural village when I first visited there in the early 60s.
Well, then Again......................
I always enjoyed seeing the advertisements showing the happy and carefree tourists horseback riding on the beach and in the surf. The ads never
showed the huge Horse Turds left for other tourists to dodge, though.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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MrBill.......
The slabs of horse flop on the Rosarito beaches were long the precursor to the hallowed Boogie Board of the surfers world. Kids could be seen
kneeling in the sand, kneading piles of recycled hay, old and new for strength and pliability, into planks that would shine like mahogony and off
they would go, into the surf. The idea was taken up to Capo Beach and turned into foam as we know them today.
You might wonder what is at the core of that board your avatar doggie is standing on. Does it give off a strange odor in the hot Percebu sun?
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oldhippie
Banned
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Thanks for the report Bernie. Loreto will soon be in the ranks of these other big time resorts.
Rosarito beach is a calamity. Helter Skelter. Lots of wet t-shirt contests though. They're always fun. It's a place very condusive to being drunk and
as such I paid a visit to the newest bordello, it's owned by one of the more successful TJ bordello owners. A couple of blocks east of the old
Rosarito Beach Hotel. Seems that a tolerance zone has been purchased.
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
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' I used to love Rosarito Beach in the early sixtys .... then about eight years ago I made reservations at the Rosarito Beach Hotel ......
I stayed, I saw, and I smelled, and vowed never to visit that town again.
Certification certainly sounds like a step in the right direction.
Dare we hope to see any progress in our lifetimes ?
 WOW, now I'm starting to speak as an old man ....
- CaboRon
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DENNIS
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It's Sodom and Gomorrah awaiting the election results. Anybody hear anything? Rumors....lies......news.....anything?
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
It's Sodom and Gomorrah awaiting the election results. Anybody hear anything? Rumors....lies......news.....anything? |
Just Don't Look Back Dennis !!!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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Thanks Ron.........
I meant, Rosarito is Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Bajalero
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| Quote: |
We'd tiptoe our way through fields of soiled Pampers, broken bottles, picnic trash, etc... No biggie.
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I'd like to see stats on hep patients that have been to the beach south of the border
Surfing from San Diego to Punta Banda could easily be considered a hazardous sport
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jeans
Super Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajalero
I'd like to see stats on hep patients that have been to the beach south of the border
Surfing from San Diego to Punta Banda could easily be considered a hazardous sport |
A few years back I had three friends, on separate trips, come back from Puerto Vallarta with Hepititis. I have absolutley NO desrie to go there.
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
August 4, 2007
Environment News
New Ecocides Sweep Mexico's Coasts
Undergoing rapid development, Mexico's coastal zones-and
its tourist beaches-face a deepening environmental crisis.
Untreated wastewater, boat discharges, discarded plastic
bottles and bags, and streams of chemicals transported by
rivers increasingly degrade the nation's coastal waters.
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Pity, it's getting so you can't even swim in San Diego at MB, PB, OB, IB, etc. It's never good to swim in water near big cities/towns lacking
comprehensive sewage systems. It's the prime reason I won't swim at any of the Mex destination resorts like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo, or near
cities like TJ or Rosarito. Thankfully, the world is full of less developed areas to swim and surf, as long as the feces-generating masses continue
to flock to places like Cabo.
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Bajalero
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jeans
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajalero
I'd like to see stats on hep patients that have been to the beach south of the border
Surfing from San Diego to Punta Banda could easily be considered a hazardous sport |
A few years back I had three friends, on separate trips, come back from Puerto Vallarta with Hepititis. I have absolutley NO desrie to go there.
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Jeans :
That unfortunately comes absolutely as no suprise.
Tourism and the bucks first - so what if someone is infected or worse for their life.
Any one swimming in the ocean from San Diego to Ensenada bay , Loreto, Lap Paz and Cabo are taking a good chance at contracting Hep.
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Sallysouth
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Hey DENNIS, Why do you think it all ended up in Capo? I have to agree, I won't go in the water here.... Did so last weekend at Sano, had a sore throat and earache for days! Sucks... Think the Punta Banda, Estero area
is as bad?(lots of tidal flow there) Guess I wil find out next week.Are you an informed "water quality guy"???
[Edited on 8-6-2007 by Sallysouth]
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
Hey DENNIS, Why do you think it all ended up in Capo?
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The Boogie Board industry went to Capo, or was it SJC? Everything else is still on the Rosarito beaches.
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wilderone
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My son used to go down and meet the fishing boats at 6:00 am to go fishing in Bahia Descanso and other areas between Rosarito and Ensenada. He
stopped going after he would routinely catch fish with ulcers and abnormal growth lesions.
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