[link to www.mtshastanews.com]

Mount Shasta, Calif. -
Several Mt. Shasta area residents continue to express their concerns over what they say are toxic levels of aluminum showing up in area rain, snow and pond water samples taken in and around the City of Mt. Shasta.
Recent test results submitted to the Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers by two concerned citizens show levels of aluminum ranging from 198 ug/l (micro grams per liter) to 61,100 ug/l, with the most recent sample taken from a rain gauge within the Mt. Shasta city limits on Feb. 1, showing 1010 ug/l.

According to standards established by the California Environmental Protection agency, this number exceeds the 1000 ug/l Primary MCL maximum contaminant level) for aluminum, qualifying it as unfit for drinking.

The concerns over the apparent high levels of aluminum first surfaced last spring, as a small group of Siskiyou and Shasta county residents began expressing their alarm over what they claim is an aerial spraying program intended to control the weather or thwart global warming.
The issue, commonly referred to as “chemtrails,” is seen by many as nothing more than an internet hoax. Others, however, claim that the lingering plumes of exhaust from planes is part of a world wide program to create a heavy metal “shield” in the atmosphere.

Beginning last spring, some area residents began asserting their consternation over the long lingering clouds seen throughout the area. Proponents of the theory say that contrails, the normal water vapor emitted from jet engines, dissipate quickly, while chemtrails linger for up to half a day, often morphing into a cirrus cloud- like canopy, creating an overcast sky.

History of testing
The regional testing for aluminum began over claims that the exhaust trails consist of aluminum, barium and strontium. Since May, 2008, over 40 samples have been collected, with the majority showing high levels of aluminum.

“This rain water is essentially poisonous,” said Frances Mangels, one of the citizens involved in the sampling.
Mangels has expressed his concerns to local governments and state and federal agencies but has heard no responses to his inquiries.

Science questioned
Perry LeBeouf, a California Department of Water Resources data officer, said the MCL level for any given potential contaminant is typically used to evaluate factors relative to the quality and safety of drinking water systems.
LeBeouf noted that most of the tests for aluminum are done in and around drinking water systems and that there is not a lot of information about aluminum in natural water systems or rain and snow water.

According to LeBeouf, “Aluminum is not very well understood.” He also emphasized that it is a commonly found element and that the levels vary from area to area.
This sentiment was furthered by Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control Officer Eldon Beck, who said that aluminum is not something that is regularly tested in Siskiyou County other than the drinking water system requirements.

Beck noted, “I’ve read reports that there are naturally recurring amounts of aluminum in the atmosphere,” furthering the sentiment expressed by LeBeouf that the samples, while interesting, need more background information to be fully understood.

“I’m fascinated by these numbers and would like to know what this area looks like compared to other areas (in terms of aluminum content in the water),” said Mt. Shasta biologist Rene Henery, who noted that he was not aware of any baseline data for this element in the region but had his concerns that they numbers are high relative to the CEPA primary MCL standards. “Aluminum is definitely super-toxic,” he noted.

One point noted by LeBeouf was that it is not just a question of how much aluminum is in the water. “The PH level of water is also a factor,” he said, noting that there is a broader context that needs exploration whenever sampling occurs.

Guy Chetelat of the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, one of the primary agencies involved in regional surface and groundwater issues, noted that his agencies had little information about aluminum levels in water. He said he was aware of the concerns being expressed by Shasta and Siskiyou County residents. “There’s a level of public concern around this and we are looking into it,” he said.
Concerns rebuffed

The concerns around aluminum were presented to the Mt. Shasta City Council this past summer as well as the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. In both cases, the governing bodies chose not to further investigate the issue, questioning the validity and scope of the tests, as well as their respective jurisdictions over the issue.
Speaking more generally about the issue, Beck noted, “They (the County Supervisors) did some research and decided that the chemtrail issue was a non-issue, and we left it at that.”