Health, Fitness & Medical
Health, Wellness, Fitness, Medical News local to Boulder County Colorado To advertise please call 303-447-8531
West Nile Virus found in county
Jul 21st
Take precautions
Mosquitoes in the City of Boulder and other Boulder County properties have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). Although the majority of mosquitoes being screened for the virus are negative, if bitten by a virus-carrying mosquito, there is a risk of people contracting the disease. There have been no human cases confirmed in the City of Boulder or Boulder County this year.
On June 25, one positive mosquito sample collected was pooled from traps at Christensen Park and Stazio Ball Fields. On July 2, a second positive sample collected was pooled from traps located at Christensen Park, Tom Watson Park, Locust and 10th streets and South Boulder Recreation Center. Pooled samples indicate that positive mosquitoes came from at least one of the sites listed.
To decrease the likelihood of human/mosquito interactions and to help minimize the spread of WNV, the city recommends that residents’ mosquito-proof their properties by:
- Draining any standing water outside your home;
- Not over-watering landscaping or turf (mosquitoes can breed in very small amounts of stagnant water); and
- Inspecting properties for any items that can hold water, including toys, tarps and covers, pots, wheelbarrows, tire swings, recycling bins, trash cans and lids. Birdbaths should be changed every 3 to 4 days.
The virus can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites. Keep safe this summer and remember the four D’s:
- Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, 2 percent soybean oil, or oil of lemon eucalyptus;
- DRESS in long sleeves and pants.
- Avoid the outdoors from DUSK until DAWN.
- DRAIN standing water outside your home.
Beginning in mid-May, the city regularly monitors mosquito number (and type) with a grid of surveillance traps. The city treats mosquito habitats with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Mosquito larval control with Bti is the most effective and environmentally sensitive strategy to control the spread of WNV mosquitoes and reduce the risk of human infections.
For general information about the city’s Mosquito Control program including WNV, visitwww.BoulderColorado.gov/ipm and click on, “Mosquito Control Program.” There is also a WNV Hotline at 303-441-3400 that provides basic information and weekly updates if new information is available. The State of Colorado also provides helpful WSN resources at www.fightthebitecolorado.com.
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Community Cycles – Walk and Bike Month
Jul 17th
The city of Boulder’s Community Cycles program is out to help promote people to take part in the Bike to Work Day.
Oil and gas exploration (fracking) moratorium till health studies in
Jun 18th
Boulder County Commissioners extend temporary moratorium on oil & gas development in unincorporated Boulder County for 18 months
Citing a changing regulatory environment and the need for more public health studies to assess the health impacts of oil and gas development, the County Commissioners voted unanimously to extend the moratorium until the end of 2014
Boulder County, Colo. – By unanimous decision, the Board of County Commissioners today voted to extend the temporary moratorium on oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County for 18 months to expire at the end of 2014.
Citing the need for further health and safety studies to test the impacts of oil and gas development on air and water quality, the commissioners stated that the county is not yet prepared – in terms of inspection and monitoring staff, health data, baseline testing and technical expertise – to process new applications for oil and gas development in unincorporated Boulder County.
The commissioners also noted that with a dynamic regulatory environment around the issue, new rulemaking could affect how the county regulates oil and gas under its own authority in the future.
“We are living in a regulatory environment where regulations and rules are changing rapidly,” said County Commissioner Deb Gardner. “A short delay in extraction is legal, necessary and appropriate when balanced against our fundamental duty as elected officials to protect public health, safety, welfare and the environment from potential adverse impacts of oil and gas exploration and development, and to minimize potential land use conflicts between those activities and current or planned land uses.”
Gardner’s sentiments were supported and confirmed by her fellow commissioners, Cindy Domenico and Elise Jones.
Extensive feedback on the moratorium was received from members of the public over a period of 16 months from February 2012 to the present. Over 1,100 comments were submitted this week alone by the time of the June 18 public hearing, all but about a dozen of which stated a preference for extending the moratorium.
In general, public comments have overwhelmingly supported extending the moratorium to assess health and safety impacts of oil and gas drilling to area residents. In addition, on June 5th the Boulder County Planning Commission, by a vote of 7-0, recommended that the Board of County Commissioners extend the current temporary moratorium.
Today’s public hearing also included a decision to table indefinitely Docket DC-12-0003 “Proposed Amendments to Article 12 of the Boulder County Land Use Code (oil and gas regulations), to include a phasing plan.” With the extended temporary moratorium in place, Land Use staff will to continue to work on developing an inspection and implementation plan for permitting oil and gas applications.
A taped archive of the hearing is available at: www.bouldercounty.org/gov/meetings/pages/hearings.aspx.
For more information about the county’s role in oil and gas development, please visit the county’s Oil and Gas Development webpage.
