Public Misinformed about Lake of the Ozarks E. Coli Contamination
A kansascity.com story reported that Missouri Governor Staff members claimed that they didn’t know about a dangerously high E. Coli contamination in the Lake of the Ozarks this last spring, when in fact, at least one Governor aide was aware of the bacterium presence as early as 24 hours after detection. According to an interview given to state Senate investigators during the week of September 14, 2009, the aide told a senior adviser on May 29th about the E. Coli contamination. The interview also revealed that the official did not want to make public the high E. coli levels before she had an analysis on why the levels were so high or until she could explain the situation more accurately.
This information is the complete opposite of what the governor’s staff has been telling the public since July. In denying the public the truth, these government officials put the well-being of swimmers and those who consume fish caught in the lake at risk of ingesting E. coli bacterium. Since July, the Governor’s staff has been telling the media that they did not know about the issue until at least June 23, according to the story.
It is indeed shocking that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources failed to warn the public about the E. coli contamination for almost four weeks. According to the article, in the beginning, department officials said that they withheld the May water sample report of the high E. coli levels because they did not want to frighten the public and were worried how such news would influence the lake’s economy. Amidst this controversy, the Governor and the director of the Department of Natural Resources held a lakeside news meeting to introduce a new zero-tolerance policy for pollutants in the lake in which they explained a plan to help ride the lake of illegal sewage and other contaminating pollution.
Although we usually hear about E. coli contamination in relation to food-borne illness, the bacterium’s presence in a body of water such as the Lake of the Ozarks can have serious consequences as well. At the Missouri personal injury law firm of Page Cagle, our skilled St. Louis personal injury attorneys have the experience and knowledge to handle a wide range of cases where an entity’s negligence or an individual’s carelessness inflicted suffering on innocent individuals. Contact Page Cagle today to find out how we can help you receive compensation for your personal injury case. Call Page Cagle today at 866-620-5757 for a free consultation.
Source report: http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1467887.html
