There is no denying that human health and the environment are connected. And it was through this concern about protecting human health that Minka became interested in her local environment.
Testing by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that there were cyanobacteria cell counts above state thresholds in the Mystic River near Blessing of the Bay in Somerville and in Upper Mystic Lake.
Of the nine samples screened, six--from the Mystic River and Upper Mystic Lake--showed evidence of elevated levels of phyocyanin, the photosynthetic pigment in cyanobacteria.
Together with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) issued the 2016 Water Quality Report Card for the Mystic River watershed.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an Administrative Order on Consent with the Town of Belmont over years of water quality damages. Over the next five years the town has agreed to make a significant investment in repairs to its storm water system.
MyRWA met with the Mystic Valley Development Commission (MVDC) on Tuesday, which oversees the River's Edge development project along the Malden River banks.
