After taking back land in Colombia, Indigenous prepare their youth to safeguard it
Wearing protective gloves, the children nail their signs to trees lining a dirt road still used at times by armed groups for drug trafficking, as they collect trash from land their families reclaimed from vast industrial sugarcane plantations in Colombia's conflict-scarred southwest.
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CBS News
9 hours ago
- CBS News
Maryland residents sue Perdue AgriBusiness over alleged PFAS contamination
Two Salisbury residents are suing Perdue AgriBusiness, alleging the Maryland agribusiness giant improperly discharged wastewater containing toxic chemicals onto land and into nearby streams. Filed in Maryland's federal district court, the lawsuit claims Perdue dumped wastewater containing PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, into the ground and waterways near its Salisbury facility. PFAS are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can persist in the environment and human body for thousands of years. According to the complaint, Perdue treats wastewater on-site and disposes of it by spraying it on nearby fields, discharging it into Peggy Branch, a small stream originating at the facility, or storing it in an on-site lagoon. The plaintiffs allege that this practice has led to high concentrations of PFAS in the local groundwater. The lawsuit states that private wells near Peggy Branch contained PFOS, a type of PFAS, at levels exceeding 100 parts per trillion. The plaintiffs argue that Perdue's practices violate the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, a federal law that regulates the management of hazardous waste. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) discovered elevated PFAS levels at the Salisbury site during statewide testing in 2023, according to the lawsuit. Despite this, the plaintiffs say Perdue did not notify nearby residents until nearly a year later, in the fall of 2024. "Even after Perdue's groundwater showed PFAS levels up to 343 times the drinking water standard and PFOS levels up to 20 times higher than the existing health advisory level in December 2023, Perdue waited almost a year before starting to advise neighboring homeowners," the complaint reads. But Perdue says that it took steps to remedy the high PFAS levels before the lawsuit was filed. In response, Perdue issued a statement denying wrongdoing and emphasizing its cooperation with state regulators. "Perdue AgriBusiness has worked closely and openly with the Maryland Department of the Environment—the only agency empowered to oversee remediation and assess impacts," the company said. "From the moment we received the 'responsible person' letter, we immediately began notifying residents about bottled water and testing—well before BMF filed suit on Oct. 11, 2024." Perdue said it had already taken significant steps by the time the lawsuit was filed, including testing well water for 673 properties, installing PFAS treatment systems at 90% of impacted sites, providing bottled water, removing potential PFAS sources from its Zion Church Road facility, and continuing outreach to unresponsive homeowners. The plaintiffs are asking the court to stop Perdue from continuing the alleged discharges and to require the company to pay for cleanup and preventative measures. They are also seeking civil penalties and reimbursement for legal fees, stating that Perdue's actions pose an ongoing risk to public health and the environment.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
I know I can't be a perfect mom. I aim for mediocrity.
I wanted to be the perfect parent when I had my first child. Four more kids later, and I know that there's no such thing. Raising kids is wonderful and stressful, and I embrace it all. "What a great mom." I smile and accept the compliment, delivered in the grocery store by a woman who's watched me patiently let my 10-year-old use the self-service checkout. But deep down, I know my parenting is mediocre at best. People accuse me of being a good mom quite frequently — and I can see why. I have a brood of five happy children, all well fed and cared for, and in no doubt, they are loved. At a passing glance, I probably look like I'm crushing it. But as every parent knows, there are 24 hours in a day, and not all of them are Instagrammable. I wanted to be a perfect mother It took me three heartbreaking years and two rounds of IVF to finally conceive so when I 2009 I finally found myself the family way I resolved to treasure every moment; to dedicate myself to my new role: to be a perfect mother. Four further children and 15 years down the line, I look back at this innocent, pre-parenthood version of myself fondly. Was I ever so young and naïve? While my brood has grown over time, my expectations of myself have lowered dramatically. I no longer aspire to be good. Sometimes, I aim for mediocre at best. Other times, I count it a success if we get to the end of the day and we're all still breathing. The responsibilities and requirements of parenthood are overwhelming, and trying to nail all the things required of me to be a "good mom" is like playing perfectionist whack-a-mole — exhausting and destined to eventually fail. Of course, deciding you're going to be a Good Mom usually happens in the "before" time — when you're pregnant and full of ideals but have no idea of the reality. Or maybe it's a goal you set yourself when caring for a newborn, based on coping with diapers, feeding, and sleepless nights. I had a list of things I'd never do When they're looking at you with their wide eyes and gummy grins, it's impossible to imagine how it might feel a few years down the line when they push away your carefully crafted dinner with disgust. Or how much it hurts when they start to reject you. And it's definitely harder to be the positive, ever loving mommy you thought you'd be the first time your teen tells you to fuck off. I can't be the only mom who compiled a list of things they'd never do while they were gestating their first. "I'll never swear in front of her," or "I'll treasure every moment." As my kids have grown, I've watched every good intention vanish from the list. I'd forgotten something important: moms are also still humans. A host of good intentions does not negate the effects of PMS, money worries, or sleepless nights. And that kids, however much we love them, can sometimes be a pain in the ass. I've lowered my expectations Parenting is a lifelong contract you sign without any real knowledge of what it means. You start off full of energy and hope, but give it a decade or so, and you'll probably be asking the questions: Am I any good at this? Or, can somebody remind me why I wanted kids? But wait. It's not all bad. Since I lowered the bar on my parenting expectations, I've actually become a better mom. I'm still mediocre, but maybe a C+ rather than a C-. A definite no is better than a resentful yes. A portion of peas consumed is better than an abandoned pile of broccoli. Sometimes it's OK to skip the odd teeth clean or eat a cookie after hours. Allowing myself the space to fail, pick myself up, and try again has lowered my stress levels. Setting more boundaries for my personal space has helped my children start seeing me as a human as well as a mom. Raising kids is wonderful, stressful, hilarious, annoying — a blessing and a curse rolled into one. There is no way to be perfect at this stuff. But you know what? That's OK. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warning issued as SEPA hunt for cause of 150 dead fish in river
SEPA is hunting for the source of pollution that has killed around 150 fish in Cumbernauld. The environmental protection body is currently on site at Luggie Water, where locals reported the shocking scenes. The Clyde River Foundation announced that SEPA were on site following the incident, which is believed to have happened around Tuesday, July 29. They shared the news on social media, saying: "We were made aware by SEPA this morning that it is investigating a kill of approximately 150 fish in the Luggie Water in Cumbernauld yesterday (see map below). "If you are near the Luggie Water between Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch today, please be vigilant." READ MORE: Drowning child rescued from Cumbernauld's Luggie Water READ MORE: Scottish Water advice to locals after 'flood' closed road READ MORE: Developer wants to cut down more trees for housing - and people aren't happy Locals were quick to share their dismay at the news, one said: " I was walking dogs at the Luggie across at Greenfaulds and saw it and grabbed the dogs and marched them away to another walk." Another fumed: "This is happening far too often in the Luggie. We need action to stop it." A third said: "Hope there will be plans to restock the fish that have been lost." A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: 'SEPA are currently investigating a report of dead fish in the Luggie Water in Cumbernauld. Our colleagues are on site trying to determine the cause of the fish deaths and identify the source of pollution. 'We will be able to give an update once the initial investigations have been completed. 'We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the public who reported this to us and to encourage anyone who spots signs of a potential pollution incident to contact SEPA immediately via the Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60 or by submitting a form online."
