Turd Islands, Dead Animals, Dumped Furniture Will Grace Rio Olympic Sailing; "No Plan B" - Officials

[hatrack]

Guanabara Bay has become a hot-button issue ahead of the 2016 games. It stinks of raw sewage and is dotted with abandoned couches, refrigerators and animal carcasses as well as, at low tide, with islands of human waste. Athletes have described the bay as an "open sewer" and raised concerns about hepatitis and other illnesses, as well as the possibility of potentially catastrophic high-speed collisions with floating detritus. Brazil's most respected health research institute said late last year it had found a drug-resistant super-bacteria on a beach near where the sailing competitions will get underway.

While Rio officials have maintained that cleanup efforts were on track, Rio's new environment secretary, Andre Correa, acknowledged Friday there was no way to meet promises to slash by 80 percent the amount of sewage and trash that flow into the bay daily by the time the games are held.

"Removing 80 percent of the pollutants? It's not going to happen. It's not going to happen," Correa told reporters at a news conference on Friday. He said that a nearly $4 billion investment would be needed to ensure full basic sanitation in all the communities that surround the bay, adding that there was no timetable for such a project.

Andrade, on the other hand, insisted authorities are on target and suggested the apparently contradictory positions might be the result of semantics. Andrade said the initial promise was to boost sewage treatment in the cities that surround the bay to 80 percent — not to reduce by 80 percent the amount of pollution entering the waters.

EDIT

http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Rio-official-says-there-s-no-plan-B-for-Olympic-6043162.php

[cascadiance]

1. These athletes must just love the prospects of sailing in sewage...

I wonder if they'll let them suits to cover their heads and breathing apparatus too to avoid getting a mouthful of sh**!

[DetlefK]

5. What if some teams simply opt out? What if someone gets a mouthful of shit FOR REAL?

[tridim]

2. Did anyone bother asking about this prior to awarding the games to Rio?

[hatrack]

4. Why, yes, and Rio said, "Oh, don't worry - we'll get it all cleaned up!"

Last edited Thu Jan 29, 2015, 09:16 AM - Edit history (1)

Then it was "We'll get most of it cleaned up!"

Now it's "Look how much better it is than it would have been if we had done absolutely nothing!"

[Nihil]

7. Sounds like they've been taking lessons from Exxon, Chevron, BP et al ... (n/t)

[Scuba]

3. Hopefully this will raise awareness of environmental issues among the otherwise oblivious viewers.

[hatrack]

6. As long as no "Up Close And Personal" athlete interviews get interrupted . . .

[MisterP]

8. wouldn't that be turd *rafts*?

Last edited Thu Jan 29, 2015, 02:49 PM - Edit history (1)

[Nihil]

9. Depends if they've grounded or not. (n/t)